diff --git a/packages/cli/src/config/settingsSchema.ts b/packages/cli/src/config/settingsSchema.ts
index 300338f991..21c7f96a1b 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/config/settingsSchema.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/config/settingsSchema.ts
@@ -380,7 +380,25 @@ const SETTINGS_SCHEMA = {
         requiresRestart: false,
         default: false,
         description:
-          'Show model thinking summaries inline in the conversation.',
+          'Show model thinking summaries inline in the conversation (deprecated; prefer the specific thinking modes).',
+        showInDialog: true,
+      },
+      showInlineThinkingFull: {
+        type: 'boolean',
+        label: 'Show Inline Thinking (Full)',
+        category: 'UI',
+        requiresRestart: false,
+        default: false,
+        description: 'Show full model thinking details inline.',
+        showInDialog: true,
+      },
+      showInlineThinkingSummary: {
+        type: 'boolean',
+        label: 'Show Inline Thinking (Summary)',
+        category: 'UI',
+        requiresRestart: false,
+        default: false,
+        description: 'Show a short summary of model thinking inline.',
         showInDialog: true,
       },
       showStatusInTitle: {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/AlternateBufferQuittingDisplay.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/AlternateBufferQuittingDisplay.tsx
index fec35d46c3..abe68ebbf9 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/AlternateBufferQuittingDisplay.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/AlternateBufferQuittingDisplay.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 import { Box, Text } from 'ink';
 import { useUIState } from '../contexts/UIStateContext.js';
+import { useSettings } from '../contexts/SettingsContext.js';
 import { AppHeader } from './AppHeader.js';
 import { HistoryItemDisplay } from './HistoryItemDisplay.js';
 import { QuittingDisplay } from './QuittingDisplay.js';
@@ -15,15 +16,18 @@ import { useConfirmingTool } from '../hooks/useConfirmingTool.js';
 import { useConfig } from '../contexts/ConfigContext.js';
 import { ToolStatusIndicator, ToolInfo } from './messages/ToolShared.js';
 import { theme } from '../semantic-colors.js';
+import { getInlineThinkingMode } from '../utils/inlineThinkingMode.js';
 
 export const AlternateBufferQuittingDisplay = () => {
   const { version } = useAppContext();
   const uiState = useUIState();
+  const settings = useSettings();
   const config = useConfig();
 
   const confirmingTool = useConfirmingTool();
   const showPromptedTool =
     config.isEventDrivenSchedulerEnabled() && confirmingTool !== null;
+  const inlineEnabled = getInlineThinkingMode(settings) !== 'off';
 
   // We render the entire chat history and header here to ensure that the
   // conversation history is visible to the user after the app quits and the
@@ -47,6 +51,7 @@ export const AlternateBufferQuittingDisplay = () => {
           item={h}
           isPending={false}
           commands={uiState.slashCommands}
+          inlineEnabled={inlineEnabled}
         />
       ))}
       {uiState.pendingHistoryItems.map((item, i) => (
@@ -59,6 +64,7 @@ export const AlternateBufferQuittingDisplay = () => {
           isFocused={false}
           activeShellPtyId={uiState.activePtyId}
           embeddedShellFocused={uiState.embeddedShellFocused}
+          inlineEnabled={inlineEnabled}
         />
       ))}
       {showPromptedTool && (
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/HistoryItemDisplay.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/HistoryItemDisplay.test.tsx
index d213b489cb..e2938be0b8 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/HistoryItemDisplay.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/HistoryItemDisplay.test.tsx
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ describe('<HistoryItemDisplay />', () => {
       const item: HistoryItem = {
         ...baseItem,
         type: 'thinking',
-        thoughts: [{ subject: 'Thinking', description: 'test' }],
+        thought: { subject: 'Thinking', description: 'test' },
       };
       const { lastFrame } = renderWithProviders(
         <HistoryItemDisplay {...baseItem} item={item} inlineEnabled={true} />,
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ describe('<HistoryItemDisplay />', () => {
       const item: HistoryItem = {
         ...baseItem,
         type: 'thinking',
-        thoughts: [{ subject: 'Thinking', description: 'test' }],
+        thought: { subject: 'Thinking', description: 'test' },
       };
       const { lastFrame } = renderWithProviders(
         <HistoryItemDisplay {...baseItem} item={item} inlineEnabled={false} />,
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/HistoryItemDisplay.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/HistoryItemDisplay.tsx
index f83c2d34d9..8b13a004a4 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/HistoryItemDisplay.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/HistoryItemDisplay.tsx
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ export const HistoryItemDisplay: React.FC<HistoryItemDisplayProps> = ({
       {/* Render standard message types */}
       {itemForDisplay.type === 'thinking' && inlineEnabled && (
         <ThinkingMessage
-          thoughts={itemForDisplay.thoughts}
+          thought={itemForDisplay.thought}
           terminalWidth={terminalWidth}
           availableTerminalHeight={
             isPending ? availableTerminalHeight : undefined
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/MainContent.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/MainContent.tsx
index 76071504ec..bb05f47976 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/MainContent.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/MainContent.tsx
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import { MAX_GEMINI_MESSAGE_LINES } from '../constants.js';
 import { useConfirmingTool } from '../hooks/useConfirmingTool.js';
 import { ToolConfirmationQueue } from './ToolConfirmationQueue.js';
 import { useConfig } from '../contexts/ConfigContext.js';
+import { getInlineThinkingMode } from '../utils/inlineThinkingMode.js';
 
 const MemoizedHistoryItemDisplay = memo(HistoryItemDisplay);
 const MemoizedAppHeader = memo(AppHeader);
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ export const MainContent = () => {
     availableTerminalHeight,
   } = uiState;
 
-  const inlineEnabled = settings.merged.ui?.showInlineThinking;
+  const inlineEnabled = getInlineThinkingMode(settings) !== 'off';
 
   const historyItems = useMemo(
     () =>
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/QuittingDisplay.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/QuittingDisplay.test.tsx
index 79cc7e5d7b..ab20a12d83 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/QuittingDisplay.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/QuittingDisplay.test.tsx
@@ -12,6 +12,17 @@ import { useUIState, type UIState } from '../contexts/UIStateContext.js';
 import { useTerminalSize } from '../hooks/useTerminalSize.js';
 
 vi.mock('../contexts/UIStateContext.js');
+vi.mock('../contexts/SettingsContext.js', () => ({
+  useSettings: () => ({
+    merged: {
+      ui: {
+        showInlineThinking: false,
+        showInlineThinkingFull: false,
+        showInlineThinkingSummary: false,
+      },
+    },
+  }),
+}));
 vi.mock('../hooks/useTerminalSize.js');
 vi.mock('./HistoryItemDisplay.js', async () => {
   const { Text } = await vi.importActual('ink');
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/QuittingDisplay.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/QuittingDisplay.tsx
index ee81f92012..f2770b998d 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/QuittingDisplay.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/QuittingDisplay.tsx
@@ -6,14 +6,18 @@
 
 import { Box } from 'ink';
 import { useUIState } from '../contexts/UIStateContext.js';
+import { useSettings } from '../contexts/SettingsContext.js';
 import { HistoryItemDisplay } from './HistoryItemDisplay.js';
 import { useTerminalSize } from '../hooks/useTerminalSize.js';
+import { getInlineThinkingMode } from '../utils/inlineThinkingMode.js';
 
 export const QuittingDisplay = () => {
   const uiState = useUIState();
+  const settings = useSettings();
   const { rows: terminalHeight, columns: terminalWidth } = useTerminalSize();
 
   const availableTerminalHeight = terminalHeight;
+  const inlineEnabled = getInlineThinkingMode(settings) !== 'off';
 
   if (!uiState.quittingMessages) {
     return null;
@@ -30,6 +34,7 @@ export const QuittingDisplay = () => {
           terminalWidth={terminalWidth}
           item={item}
           isPending={false}
+          inlineEnabled={inlineEnabled}
         />
       ))}
     </Box>
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/messages/ThinkingMessage.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/messages/ThinkingMessage.test.tsx
index 582776bb82..59c62b3cb0 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/messages/ThinkingMessage.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/messages/ThinkingMessage.test.tsx
@@ -9,38 +9,35 @@ import { render } from '../../../test-utils/render.js';
 import { ThinkingMessage } from './ThinkingMessage.js';
 
 describe('ThinkingMessage', () => {
-  it('renders thinking header with count', () => {
+  it('renders thinking header', () => {
     const { lastFrame } = render(
       <ThinkingMessage
-        thoughts={[
-          { subject: 'Planning', description: 'test' },
-          { subject: 'Analyzing', description: 'test' },
-        ]}
+        thought={{ subject: 'Planning', description: 'test' }}
         terminalWidth={80}
       />,
     );
 
     expect(lastFrame()).toContain('Thinking');
-    expect(lastFrame()).toContain('(2)');
   });
 
-  it('renders with single thought', () => {
+  it('renders with thought subject', () => {
     const { lastFrame } = render(
       <ThinkingMessage
-        thoughts={[{ subject: 'Processing', description: 'test' }]}
+        thought={{ subject: 'Processing', description: 'test' }}
         terminalWidth={80}
       />,
     );
 
-    expect(lastFrame()).toContain('(1)');
+    expect(lastFrame()).toContain('Processing');
   });
 
   it('renders thought content', () => {
     const { lastFrame } = render(
       <ThinkingMessage
-        thoughts={[
-          { subject: 'Planning', description: 'I am planning the solution.' },
-        ]}
+        thought={{
+          subject: 'Planning',
+          description: 'I am planning the solution.',
+        }}
         terminalWidth={80}
       />,
     );
@@ -51,9 +48,12 @@ describe('ThinkingMessage', () => {
 
   it('renders empty state gracefully', () => {
     const { lastFrame } = render(
-      <ThinkingMessage thoughts={[]} terminalWidth={80} />,
+      <ThinkingMessage
+        thought={{ subject: '', description: '' }}
+        terminalWidth={80}
+      />,
     );
 
-    expect(lastFrame()).toContain('(0)');
+    expect(lastFrame()).toContain('Thinking');
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/messages/ThinkingMessage.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/messages/ThinkingMessage.tsx
index e1453add44..3c2426d918 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/messages/ThinkingMessage.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/messages/ThinkingMessage.tsx
@@ -10,16 +10,18 @@ import type { ThoughtSummary } from '@google/gemini-cli-core';
 import { MaxSizedBox, MINIMUM_MAX_HEIGHT } from '../shared/MaxSizedBox.js';
 
 interface ThinkingMessageProps {
-  thoughts: ThoughtSummary[];
+  thought: ThoughtSummary;
   terminalWidth: number;
   availableTerminalHeight?: number;
 }
 
 export const ThinkingMessage: React.FC<ThinkingMessageProps> = ({
-  thoughts,
+  thought,
   terminalWidth,
   availableTerminalHeight,
 }) => {
+  const subject = thought.subject.trim();
+  const description = thought.description.trim();
   const contentMaxHeight =
     availableTerminalHeight !== undefined
       ? Math.max(availableTerminalHeight - 4, MINIMUM_MAX_HEIGHT)
@@ -39,23 +41,22 @@ export const ThinkingMessage: React.FC<ThinkingMessageProps> = ({
         <Text bold color="magenta">
           Thinking
         </Text>
-        <Text dimColor> ({thoughts.length})</Text>
       </Box>
       <MaxSizedBox
         maxHeight={contentMaxHeight}
         maxWidth={terminalWidth - 2}
         overflowDirection="top"
       >
-        {thoughts.map((thought, index) => (
-          <Box key={index} marginTop={1} flexDirection="column">
-            {thought.subject && (
+        {(subject || description) && (
+          <Box marginTop={1} flexDirection="column">
+            {subject && (
               <Text bold color="magenta">
-                {thought.subject}
+                {subject}
               </Text>
             )}
-            <Text>{thought.description || ' '}</Text>
+            {description && <Text>{description}</Text>}
           </Box>
-        ))}
+        )}
       </MaxSizedBox>
     </Box>
   );
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useGeminiStream.ts b/packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useGeminiStream.ts
index 66ffa35799..aaa8d9c440 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useGeminiStream.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useGeminiStream.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ import { isAtCommand, isSlashCommand } from '../utils/commandUtils.js';
 import { useShellCommandProcessor } from './shellCommandProcessor.js';
 import { handleAtCommand } from './atCommandProcessor.js';
 import { findLastSafeSplitPoint } from '../utils/markdownUtilities.js';
+import { getInlineThinkingMode } from '../utils/inlineThinkingMode.js';
 import { useStateAndRef } from './useStateAndRef.js';
 import type { UseHistoryManagerReturn } from './useHistoryManager.js';
 import { useLogger } from './useLogger.js';
@@ -78,6 +79,29 @@ import {
 } from './useToolScheduler.js';
 import { promises as fs } from 'node:fs';
 import path from 'node:path';
+
+const MAX_THOUGHT_SUMMARY_LENGTH = 140;
+
+function summarizeThought(thought: ThoughtSummary): ThoughtSummary {
+  const subject = thought.subject.trim();
+  if (subject) {
+    return { subject, description: '' };
+  }
+
+  const description = thought.description.trim();
+  if (!description) {
+    return { subject: '', description: '' };
+  }
+
+  if (description.length <= MAX_THOUGHT_SUMMARY_LENGTH) {
+    return { subject: description, description: '' };
+  }
+
+  const trimmed = description
+    .slice(0, MAX_THOUGHT_SUMMARY_LENGTH - 3)
+    .trimEnd();
+  return { subject: `${trimmed}...`, description: '' };
+}
 import { useSessionStats } from '../contexts/SessionContext.js';
 import { useKeypress } from './useKeypress.js';
 import type { LoadedSettings } from '../../config/settings.js';
@@ -762,7 +786,7 @@ export const useGeminiStream = (
         pendingHistoryItemRef.current?.type !== 'gemini' &&
         pendingHistoryItemRef.current?.type !== 'gemini_content'
       ) {
-        // Flush any pending item (including thinking items) before starting gemini content
+        // Flush any pending item before starting gemini content
         if (pendingHistoryItemRef.current) {
           addItem(pendingHistoryItemRef.current, userMessageTimestamp);
         }
@@ -810,34 +834,25 @@ export const useGeminiStream = (
     (eventValue: ThoughtSummary, userMessageTimestamp: number) => {
       setThought(eventValue);
 
-      // Only accumulate thoughts in history if inline thinking is enabled
-      if (!settings.merged.ui?.showInlineThinking) {
+      const inlineThinkingMode = getInlineThinkingMode(settings);
+      if (inlineThinkingMode === 'off') {
         return;
       }
 
-      if (pendingHistoryItemRef.current?.type === 'thinking') {
-        // Accumulate thoughts in the existing thinking item
-        setPendingHistoryItem((prev) => ({
+      const thoughtForDisplay =
+        inlineThinkingMode === 'summary'
+          ? summarizeThought(eventValue)
+          : eventValue;
+
+      addItem(
+        {
           type: 'thinking',
-          thoughts: [...(prev as HistoryItemThinking).thoughts, eventValue],
-        }));
-      } else {
-        // Flush any existing pending item and start a new thinking item
-        if (pendingHistoryItemRef.current) {
-          addItem(pendingHistoryItemRef.current, userMessageTimestamp);
-        }
-        setPendingHistoryItem({
-          type: 'thinking',
-          thoughts: [eventValue],
-        } as HistoryItemThinking);
-      }
+          thought: thoughtForDisplay,
+        } as HistoryItemThinking,
+        userMessageTimestamp,
+      );
     },
-    [
-      addItem,
-      pendingHistoryItemRef,
-      setPendingHistoryItem,
-      settings.merged.ui?.showInlineThinking,
-    ],
+    [addItem, settings],
   );
 
   const handleUserCancelledEvent = useCallback(
@@ -1279,10 +1294,6 @@ export const useGeminiStream = (
               }
               startNewPrompt();
               setThought(null); // Reset thought when starting a new prompt
-              // Clear any pending thinking item from previous prompt
-              if (pendingHistoryItemRef.current?.type === 'thinking') {
-                setPendingHistoryItem(null);
-              }
             }
 
             setIsResponding(true);
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/types.ts b/packages/cli/src/ui/types.ts
index df9600705a..9f99af1f0c 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/types.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/types.ts
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ export interface ChatDetail {
 
 export type HistoryItemThinking = HistoryItemBase & {
   type: 'thinking';
-  thoughts: ThoughtSummary[];
+  thought: ThoughtSummary;
 };
 
 export type HistoryItemChatList = HistoryItemBase & {