diff --git a/aider/main.py b/aider/main.py
index fbe29cc09..593096145 100644
--- a/aider/main.py
+++ b/aider/main.py
@@ -787,14 +787,16 @@ def main(argv=None, input=None, output=None, force_git_root=None, return_coder=F
             "Model setting 'remove_reasoning' is deprecated, please use 'reasoning_tag' instead."
         )
 
-    # Set reasoning effort and thinking tokens if specified and supported
+    # Set reasoning effort and thinking tokens if specified
     if args.reasoning_effort is not None:
+        # Apply if check is disabled or model explicitly supports it
         if not args.check_model_accepts_settings or (
             main_model.accepts_settings and "reasoning_effort" in main_model.accepts_settings
         ):
             main_model.set_reasoning_effort(args.reasoning_effort)
 
     if args.thinking_tokens is not None:
+        # Apply if check is disabled or model explicitly supports it
         if not args.check_model_accepts_settings or (
             main_model.accepts_settings and "thinking_tokens" in main_model.accepts_settings
         ):
diff --git a/tests/basic/test_main.py b/tests/basic/test_main.py
index 932d03b4e..ff3151421 100644
--- a/tests/basic/test_main.py
+++ b/tests/basic/test_main.py
@@ -1015,7 +1015,7 @@ class TestMain(TestCase):
 
     def test_reasoning_effort_option(self):
         coder = main(
-            ["--reasoning-effort", "3", "--yes", "--exit"],
+            ["--reasoning-effort", "3", "--no-check-model-accepts-settings", "--yes", "--exit"],
             input=DummyInput(),
             output=DummyOutput(),
             return_coder=True,