diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 9fcd7f9..c3a17f2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ missing") → empty draft post in the Review Queue, with the cost booked as `suc
   `max_tokens` is **raised** by the same amount, so no reasoning effort (incl. `xhigh`) can
   consume the visible-content budget. New setting `prautoblogger_reasoning_max_tokens`
   (Settings → AI Models, default `PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_REASONING_MAX_TOKENS` = 2048; 0
-  restores the previous uncapped effort mode). When the cap is active it replaces `effort`
+  restores the previous uncapped effort mode; the option is sanitized server-side as
+  numeric). When the cap is active it replaces `effort`
   (OpenRouter treats them as alternative budget controls); the `xhigh`/`high` effort options
   stay available but are bounded by default. Cost-governor reservations use the effective
   (raised) ceiling.
diff --git a/includes/admin/class-admin-page.php b/includes/admin/class-admin-page.php
index 8738b6b..a06decb 100755
--- a/includes/admin/class-admin-page.php
+++ b/includes/admin/class-admin-page.php
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Admin_Page {
 			return wp_json_encode( array_values( array_map( 'sanitize_text_field', $items ) ) );
 		}
 
-		$numeric = array( 'prautoblogger_daily_article_target', 'prautoblogger_monthly_budget_usd', 'prautoblogger_min_word_count', 'prautoblogger_max_word_count', 'prautoblogger_default_author', 'prautoblogger_default_category', 'prautoblogger_pullpush_cache_ttl', 'prautoblogger_reddit_posts_per_subreddit' );
+		$numeric = array( 'prautoblogger_daily_article_target', 'prautoblogger_monthly_budget_usd', 'prautoblogger_min_word_count', 'prautoblogger_max_word_count', 'prautoblogger_default_author', 'prautoblogger_default_category', 'prautoblogger_pullpush_cache_ttl', 'prautoblogger_reddit_posts_per_subreddit', 'prautoblogger_reasoning_max_tokens' );
 		if ( in_array( $option_name, $numeric, true ) ) {
 			return is_numeric( $value ) ? $value : 0;
 		}