Switch Mode is Ignored, Cursor Reverts to Agent Behavior

Support Bug Reports
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1

Where does the bug appear (feature/product)?

Cursor IDE

Describe the Bug

The Switch Mode feature stops working after the first interaction in a new chat. Cursor respects the selected mode (e.g., Ask Mode or Plan Mode) for the initial prompt, but ignores it for subsequent messages. After the first response, it behaves like Agent Mode regardless of the selected mode, implementing changes and editing files even when “Ask” or “Plan” mode is active.

Steps to Reproduce

Open a new chat.
Select “Ask” Mode (or “Plan” Mode).
Send a prompt and receive a normal response (works as expected).
Send a follow-up message in the same chat.
Observe that Cursor now behaves like Agent Mode, editing files or implementing changes despite the selected mode.

Expected Behavior

Cursor should consistently respect the selected mode (Ask, Plan, or Agent) throughout the entire chat session, not just the first message.

Operating System

MacOS

Version Information

Version: 2.5.26
VSCode Version: 1.105.1
Commit: 7d96c2a03bb088ad367615e9da1a3fe20fbbc6a0
Date: 2026-02-26T04:57:56.825Z
Build Type: Stable
Release Track: Default
Electron: 39.4.0
Chromium: 142.0.7444.265
Node.js: 22.22.0
V8: 14.2.231.22-electron.0
OS: Darwin arm64 25.3.0

For AI issues: which model did you use?

Composer 1.5

Additional Information

So far, the only workaround I’ve found is either starting a new chat for every interaction or explicitly instructing Cursor in every prompt (e.g., “do not implement anything”, “only answer”, or “create a plan”) to prevent it from acting as an Agent.

Does this stop you from using Cursor

Sometimes - I can sometimes use Cursor

3

Hey, thanks for the report. This is a known issue. The mode can “reset” after the first chat message, especially when using Composer models. The team is aware.

For now, these workarounds help:

  1. Start a new chat each time you switch modes, instead of continuing the current one.
  2. Try a different model. Sonnet 4.6 Thinking, for example, follows mode boundaries better.

Related reports:

Can you send the Request ID from a session where this reproduces? (Chat menu in the top right corner, then Copy Request ID.) We want to check the behavior specifically on Composer 1.5.

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