fkiene · fkiene · Aug 17, 2026 · Aug 17, 2026
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,12 @@ All notable changes to this project are documented here. The format follows
 
 ### Changed
 
+- **Statusline, cold-cache guard, and cheaper `/compact` are off by default.** `setup` /
+  `ensure` no longer first-install them. New machines get `/sub` (and routed subagents)
+  only. An already-owned status line or guard is still refreshed on upgrade; compact
+  model lists already in `config.toml` still apply. Opt in with `llmtrim statusline
+  install`, `llmtrim guard install`, or `llmtrim compact models haiku sonnet`.
+
 - **Status watch SVGs show the 0.13 Sub tab.** The README hero
   (`status-watch-dark.svg` / `status-watch-light.svg`) still rendered the
   0.12 Always→Codex / kimi / grok presets. Tab 4 now matches CLIProxyAPI:

diff --git a/INSTALL.md b/INSTALL.md
@@ -100,20 +100,16 @@ curl and the npm one-liner above run this for you. After Cargo, Homebrew, Scoop,
 `LLMTRIM_NO_SETUP=1`, run it yourself:
 
 ```bash
-llmtrim setup      # CA + shell env + autostart + Claude Code integrations + daemon
+llmtrim setup      # CA + shell env + autostart + Claude Code /sub + daemon
 llmtrim status     # live savings dashboard
 ```
 
 Open a new terminal so tools inherit `HTTPS_PROXY`. Re-running `setup` is safe (idempotent).
 
-When Claude Code is present (`~/.claude`), `setup` also enables:
-
-- status line
-- cold-cache guard
-- window-local `/sub`
-- cheaper `/compact` model chain
-
-No separate install steps for those. Later upgrades refresh them via `update` / `ensure`.
+When Claude Code is present (`~/.claude`), `setup` also enables window-local `/sub`.
+Status line, cold-cache guard, and cheaper `/compact` are not installed (deprecated;
+opt in with `llmtrim statusline install`, `llmtrim guard install`, `llmtrim compact models …`).
+Existing installs of those keep working; `ensure` refreshes an already-owned status line or guard.
 
 llmtrim is a local MITM proxy (plus optional Claude Code hooks).
 `llmtrim uninstall` reverses it. How traffic reaches tools: [README](README.md#what-it-does).

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -17,9 +17,8 @@
 
 <p align="center">
   <sub>
-    Using <b>Claude Code</b>? One install also gets you a live <a href="#claude-code">status line</a>,
-    a <a href="#claude-code">cold-cache guard</a>, cheaper <a href="#claude-code"><code>/compact</code></a>,
-    and <a href="#claude-code"><code>/sub</code></a> to serve it through CLIProxyAPI.
+    Using <b>Claude Code</b>? One install also gets you <a href="#claude-code"><code>/sub</code></a>
+    to serve it through CLIProxyAPI.
   </sub>
 </p>
 
@@ -76,7 +75,7 @@ llmtrim sits on your machine as a local proxy, trims the waste, and forwards a s
 
 Compression cannot raise your bill or break a request; worst case is zero savings. Everything runs locally, nothing is sent to us. [In action →](#in-action)
 
-For Claude Code the same install goes further: a status line with live trim % and rate limits, a guard that warns before an expired prompt cache re-bills your whole context, `/compact` on a cheaper model, and `/sub` to route sessions through another subscription. [Details →](#claude-code)
+For Claude Code the same install also wires `/sub` to route sessions through another subscription. [Details →](#claude-code)
 
 ---
 
@@ -88,7 +87,7 @@ npm install -g @llmtrim/cli@latest && llmtrim setup
 llmtrim status
 ```
 
-That's it. `setup` starts a local proxy, wires your shell, and enables recoverable tool-output shaping. When Claude Code is present, it also turns on the status line, cold-cache guard, `/sub`, and cheaper `/compact`. You do not run a separate install for each of those.
+That's it. `setup` starts a local proxy, wires your shell, and enables recoverable tool-output shaping. When Claude Code is present, it also turns on `/sub`. You do not run a separate install for that.
 
 | You want | Run |
 |---|---|
@@ -165,7 +164,7 @@ llmtrim ensure     # match the recommended install state on this machine
 | Force one session through llmtrim | `llmtrim wrap claude` |
 | Remove everything | `llmtrim uninstall` |
 
-After `setup`, `update`, or `ensure`, owned Claude Code pieces (status line, guard, `/sub`, compact defaults) stay in sync with the binary. You should not need `statusline install` or similar after an upgrade.
+After `setup`, `update`, or `ensure`, owned Claude Code `/sub` stays in sync with the binary.
 
 Time series: `llmtrim status --daily` · `--weekly` · `--monthly` · `--json` · `--csv`.
 
@@ -242,69 +241,12 @@ Default `auto` enables each stage only where it pays. `safe` is lossless-only. [
 
 ## Claude Code
 
-When `~/.claude` exists, `setup`, `update`, and `ensure` wire these. No separate install commands.
+When `~/.claude` exists, `setup`, `update`, and `ensure` wire `/sub` (and routed subagents). No separate install command for that.
 
 | Feature | What you get |
 |---|---|
-| Status line | Model, context gauge, trim %, rate limits, cache warm/cold |
-| Guard | Blocks one turn if a cold-cache resume would rewrite a huge context (and bill for it) |
-| `/compact` models | Prefer Haiku → Sonnet before your selected model, but only when the prompt cache is cold |
 | `/sub` | Per-window: `/sub on [optional:codex\|kimi\|grok]` · `/sub off` · `/sub status` |
 
-```text
-◆ Opus→gpt-5.6-terra   ▓▓▓▓▓░░░ 142k   ✂ 6.8%   ◔ 3h·24% · 4d·12%   ♻ 63% cached
-```
-
-<details>
-<summary><b>Status line details</b></summary>
-
-Claude Code [custom status line](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/statusline). The arrow is the backend that answered the last turn (not merely what is configured). In `sub` fallback mode it stays off while Anthropic serves and shows up when a chain provider does.
-
-- `✂`: trim for this session (`✂ –` until something is saved)
-- `◔`: rate-limit windows (time left · % used) — Claude.ai when Anthropic is serving; under `/sub` the active plan's windows (Codex today: weekly always, 5h when the plan reports one). Kimi/Grok fill in when their usage APIs are wired
-- Context gauge: fill of the serving model's real window (green under 40%, orange 40-65%, red above)
-- `♻`: prompt-cache reuse; becomes `♻ cache cold` after the cache TTL
-
-Owned settings rewrite themselves when the binary path or payload changes. To opt out, leave your own status line in place, or uninstall ours (`llmtrim statusline uninstall`).
-
-</details>
-
-<details>
-<summary><b>Cold-cache guard</b></summary>
-
-Resuming a large session after the prompt-cache TTL rewrites the whole context at cache-write rates (often a few dollars) with no warning at the prompt.
-
-Guard is a free `UserPromptSubmit` hook. It blocks one turn, prints idle time, context size, estimated cost, and the draft you typed (Claude Code clears the input box and would otherwise drop it), then lets a resend through. If you type something else next, the blocked text is also reinjected as model context. `/compact` pays that cold write too, because it has to read the full context to summarize. Local-only slash commands that never hit the model (today: `/sub`) pass through without acking the gap, so the next real prompt still warns.
-
-Opt out: `llmtrim guard uninstall`. `ensure` remembers that choice.
-
-```text
-Idle 6h 19m, 347k tokens of context. The prompt cache has expired, so the next turn
-rewrites the whole context (about $3.47 before any work happens).
-```
-
-</details>
-
-<details>
-<summary><b>Cheaper `/compact`</b></summary>
-
-```bash
-llmtrim compact models haiku sonnet   # setup already sets this by default
-llmtrim compact status
-llmtrim compact off
-```
-
-```toml
-[compact]
-models = ["haiku", "sonnet"]
-```
-
-Candidates run in order when they fit the compressed request. Claude's selected model is always the last fallback (do not put it in the list). Empty `models = []` records opt-out.
-
-The redirect only fires once the prompt cache has gone cold. `/compact` re-sends the conversation Claude Code has been caching against your selected model, so while that cache is warm a cache-read there costs less than a cold read on a smaller model, and the compact stays home. After the cache expires the cheaper model wins, so that is when the redirect takes over.
-
-</details>
-
 <details>
 <summary><b>Subscription reroute (`sub`)</b> (opt-in; may conflict with provider ToS)</summary>
 
@@ -540,8 +482,7 @@ These knobs are orthogonal to compression. Each resolves env-first, then from th
 
 </details>
 
-Claude Code options (compact models, subscription reroute) are under
-[Claude Code](#claude-code).
+Claude Code options (subscription reroute) are under [Claude Code](#claude-code).
 
 <details>
 <summary><b>Upstream proxy</b> (corporate egress or chaining local tools)</summary>

diff --git a/crates/llmtrim-cli/src/compact.rs b/crates/llmtrim-cli/src/compact.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 //! Claude Code compaction request detection and ordered model planning.
 //!
+//! Opt-in via `[compact].models` / `llmtrim compact models` — `setup` does not write defaults.
 //! Claude Code handles `/compact` locally and sends a normal Anthropic Messages request. The
 //! internal summarization prompt is the protocol marker; ordinary user text mentioning `/compact`
 //! must never trigger model substitution.

diff --git a/crates/llmtrim-cli/src/ensure.rs b/crates/llmtrim-cli/src/ensure.rs
@@ -2,8 +2,10 @@
 //!
 //! Happy path: `llmtrim setup` / `llmtrim update` / `llmtrim doctor --fix` / status `f` all
 //! land here. Power-user install/uninstall commands remain as escape hatches; humans should not
-//! need them after a release. Owned Claude Code hooks and the status line are rewritten in place
-//! when the binary path or feature payload changes so changelogs never say "re-run install".
+//! need them after a release. Owned `/sub` hooks (and a previously installed status line or
+//! guard) are rewritten in place when the binary path or feature payload changes so changelogs
+//! never say "re-run install". Statusline, guard, and cheaper `/compact` are deprecated: new
+//! installs do not wire them.
 
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
@@ -124,7 +126,7 @@ fn save_at(path: &Path, state: &State) -> Result<()> {
 /// How ensure was invoked — controls prompting and how loud the report is.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy)]
 pub struct Options {
-    /// May prompt on a TTY (first-run compact/tray choices). Non-interactive defaults to yes
+    /// May prompt on a TTY (first-run tray choice). Non-interactive defaults to yes
     /// for recommended items, no for optional network downloads.
     pub interactive: bool,
     /// Skip the success panel (daemon start / quiet migrations).
@@ -134,7 +136,8 @@ pub struct Options {
     /// Allow downloading the Linux tray binary when missing (interactive confirm, or forced).
     pub download_tray: bool,
     /// When false (quiet auto-heal), only refresh *owned* stale integrations and daemon skew —
-    /// never first-install statusline/guard//sub/compact or enable tray autostart.
+    /// never first-install `/sub` / subagents or enable tray autostart. Statusline, guard, and
+    /// compact are never first-installed even when this is true (deprecated).
     pub install_missing: bool,
 }
 
@@ -185,36 +188,33 @@ fn probe_with(state: &State) -> Vec<Gap> {
     let mut gaps = Vec::new();
     let claude = crate::statusline::claude_code_present();
 
-    if claude && !state.opt_out.statusline {
-        match crate::statusline::owned_status() {
-            crate::statusline::OwnedStatus::Missing => gaps.push(Gap {
-                id: "statusline",
-                label: "Statusline".into(),
-                detail: "not installed — recommended for Claude Code".into(),
-            }),
-            crate::statusline::OwnedStatus::Stale => gaps.push(Gap {
-                id: "statusline",
-                label: "Statusline".into(),
-                detail: "stale (binary path or refresh settings)".into(),
-            }),
-            crate::statusline::OwnedStatus::Current | crate::statusline::OwnedStatus::Foreign => {}
-        }
+    if claude
+        && !state.opt_out.statusline
+        && matches!(
+            crate::statusline::owned_status(),
+            crate::statusline::OwnedStatus::Stale
+        )
+    {
+        // Deprecated: missing is not a gap. Refresh only an already-owned stale line.
+        gaps.push(Gap {
+            id: "statusline",
+            label: "Statusline".into(),
+            detail: "stale (binary path or refresh settings)".into(),
+        });
     }
 
-    if claude && !state.opt_out.guard {
-        match crate::guard::owned_status() {
-            crate::guard::OwnedStatus::Missing => gaps.push(Gap {
-                id: "guard",
-                label: "Guard".into(),
-                detail: "not installed — warns before cold-cache resumes".into(),
-            }),
-            crate::guard::OwnedStatus::Stale => gaps.push(Gap {
-                id: "guard",
-                label: "Guard".into(),
-                detail: "stale (binary path)".into(),
-            }),
-            crate::guard::OwnedStatus::Current => {}
-        }
+    if claude
+        && !state.opt_out.guard
+        && matches!(
+            crate::guard::owned_status(),
+            crate::guard::OwnedStatus::Stale
+        )
+    {
+        gaps.push(Gap {
+            id: "guard",
+            label: "Guard".into(),
+            detail: "stale (binary path)".into(),
+        });
     }
 
     if claude && !state.opt_out.window_sub {
@@ -250,14 +250,6 @@ fn probe_with(state: &State) -> Vec<Gap> {
         }
     }
 
-    if claude && !state.opt_out.compact && !llmtrim_core::config::compact_models_configured() {
-        gaps.push(Gap {
-            id: "compact",
-            label: "Compact".into(),
-            detail: "cheaper /compact models not configured".into(),
-        });
-    }
-
     // Version skew: daemon older than this binary.
     if let Some(d) = crate::daemon::running()
         && let Some(v) = d.version.as_deref()
@@ -316,8 +308,8 @@ pub fn apply(opts: Options) -> Result<Report> {
 
     if claude && !state.opt_out.statusline {
         let status = crate::statusline::owned_status();
-        let skip_missing =
-            !opts.install_missing && matches!(status, crate::statusline::OwnedStatus::Missing);
+        // Deprecated: never first-install. Refresh an already-owned (or foreign-skip) line.
+        let skip_missing = matches!(status, crate::statusline::OwnedStatus::Missing);
         if !skip_missing {
             match crate::statusline::sync_owned() {
                 Ok(crate::statusline::SyncOutcome::Installed) => {
@@ -363,8 +355,7 @@ pub fn apply(opts: Options) -> Result<Report> {
 
     if claude && !state.opt_out.guard {
         let gstatus = crate::guard::owned_status();
-        let skip_missing =
-            !opts.install_missing && matches!(gstatus, crate::guard::OwnedStatus::Missing);
+        let skip_missing = matches!(gstatus, crate::guard::OwnedStatus::Missing);
         if !skip_missing {
             match crate::guard::sync_owned() {
                 Ok(true) => {
@@ -469,43 +460,8 @@ pub fn apply(opts: Options) -> Result<Report> {
             .push((ui::NOTE, "Subagents".into(), "opted out".into()));
     }
 
-    if claude
-        && opts.install_missing
-        && !state.opt_out.compact
-        && !llmtrim_core::config::compact_models_configured()
-    {
-        let want = if opts.interactive {
-            confirm_default_yes("Use cheaper models for Claude Code /compact (Haiku → Sonnet)?")
-        } else {
-            true
-        };
-        if want {
-            match llmtrim_core::config::write_compact_models(&["haiku".into(), "sonnet".into()]) {
-                Ok(()) => {
-                    report.applied.push("compact");
-                    report.rows.push((
-                        ui::OK,
-                        "Compact".into(),
-                        "Haiku → Sonnet → original model".into(),
-                    ));
-                }
-                Err(e) => {
-                    report
-                        .rows
-                        .push((ui::WARN, "Compact".into(), format!("not configured: {e:#}")))
-                }
-            }
-        } else {
-            // Remember opt-out as empty models list + flag.
-            let _ = llmtrim_core::config::write_compact_models(&[]);
-            state.opt_out.compact = true;
-            report.rows.push((
-                ui::OK,
-                "Compact".into(),
-                "original model only (remembered)".into(),
-            ));
-        }
-    } else if claude && llmtrim_core::config::compact_models_configured() {
+    // Deprecated: never write `[compact].models` on setup/ensure. Leave an existing list alone.
+    if claude && llmtrim_core::config::compact_models_configured() {
         report
             .rows
             .push((ui::OK, "Compact".into(), "configured".into()));
@@ -700,7 +656,8 @@ pub fn maybe_auto() -> Result<bool> {
         .iter()
         .any(|g| g.id == "daemon" || g.detail.contains("stale"));
     // Quiet path never first-installs missing integrations — only refresh owned stale
-    // pieces / daemon skew, or stamp the version after a binary bump.
+    // pieces / daemon skew, or stamp the version after a binary bump. Statusline/guard/compact
+    // are never first-installed on any path.
     if !version_mismatch && !needs_refresh {
         return Ok(false);
     }
@@ -1006,6 +963,15 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(!s.opt_out.window_sub);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn probe_never_flags_unconfigured_compact() {
+        let gaps = probe_with(&State::default());
+        assert!(
+            gaps.iter().all(|g| g.id != "compact"),
+            "compact is deprecated and must not be a recommended gap: {gaps:?}"
+        );
+    }
+
     #[cfg(feature = "intercept")]
     #[test]
     fn route_agents_opt_out_is_sidecar_not_optout_field() {

diff --git a/crates/llmtrim-cli/src/guard.rs b/crates/llmtrim-cli/src/guard.rs
@@ -544,7 +544,8 @@ pub enum OwnedStatus {
     Current,
 }
 
-/// Whether ensure should wire / refresh the cold-cache guard.
+/// Ownership of the guard hook relative to this binary. `ensure` refreshes Stale only;
+/// it does not first-install Missing (deprecated).
 pub fn owned_status() -> OwnedStatus {
     let Ok(path) = claude_settings_path() else {
         return OwnedStatus::Missing;