Gemini Pro model error due to missing reasoning configuration

Last updated: January 7, 2026

This issue is applicable to customers matching these conditions

Plans: Free, Pro, or Enterprise

Deployments: Braintrust Hosted, Hybrid

Use case: Playground with Gemini Pro model

Issue

While using Gemini Pro models (2.5 and 3.0) in the playground, an error is thrown for each row, preventing successful responses from the model.

Cause

Gemini Pro models have a mandatory "thinking" requirement that must be properly configured for the model to function correctly.

Resolution(s)

This can occur if "Reasoning enabled" is not toggled on, or if "Reasoning budget is set to 0. To resolve:

  • Navigate to your model configuration settings

  • Toggle on "Reasoning enabled"

  • Ensure "Reasoning budget" is set to a value greater than 0