diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index adba08ea..196b678e 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ cascade projects trigger-set <project-id> --agent splitting --event pm:label-add
 
 ## Claude Code Engine
 
-CASCADE supports using Claude Code SDK as an alternative agent engine. Configure per-project via the CLI or dashboard:
+CASCADE uses the Claude Code SDK as the default agent engine. Configure per-project via the CLI or dashboard:
 
 ```bash
 # Set Claude Code as the default engine for a project
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c069d964..a69cdc81 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ For the full setup walkthrough — projects, credentials, webhooks, and triggers
 - **Dual-persona GitHub model** — Separate implementer and reviewer bot accounts to prevent feedback loops
 - **Web dashboard + CLI** — Monitor runs, manage projects, configure triggers
 - **Extensible trigger system** — Add new events without touching core logic
-- **Pluggable agent engines** — `llmist` (default), `claude-code`, `codex`, and `opencode` built-in; easy to extend
+- **Pluggable agent engines** — `claude-code` (default), `llmist`, `codex`, and `opencode` built-in; easy to extend
 - **Credential encryption** — AES-256-GCM encryption for all stored secrets
 - **Agent resilience** — Built-in rate limiting, exponential-backoff retry, and context compaction
 
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ All project-level credentials (GitHub tokens, PM keys, LLM API keys) are stored
 
 **Trigger system** — Events from Trello, JIRA, and GitHub webhooks are matched against registered `TriggerHandler` instances. Triggers are configured per-project in the database.
 
-**Agent engines** — Agents run through a shared execution lifecycle with a pluggable engine registry. Default engine is `llmist` (supports OpenRouter, Anthropic, OpenAI). Alternatives: `claude-code` (Claude Code SDK), `codex` (OpenAI Codex CLI), `opencode` (OpenCode server).
+**Agent engines** — Agents run through a shared execution lifecycle with a pluggable engine registry. Default engine is `claude-code` (Anthropic Claude Code SDK). Alternatives: `llmist` (supports OpenRouter, Anthropic, OpenAI), `codex` (OpenAI Codex CLI), `opencode` (OpenCode server).
 
 **Credential management** — All secrets are stored in the `project_credentials` table, scoped to a project. Optional AES-256-GCM encryption via `CREDENTIAL_MASTER_KEY`.
 
diff --git a/config/projects.json b/config/projects.json
index fa2e10f5..7a32e990 100644
--- a/config/projects.json
+++ b/config/projects.json
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
 			"branchPrefix": "feature/",
 
 			"agentEngine": {
-				"default": "llmist",
+				"default": "claude-code",
 				"overrides": {
 					"implementation": "claude-code",
 					"respond-to-review": "claude-code",
diff --git a/docs/getting-started.md b/docs/getting-started.md
index 45804fd6..5064266b 100644
--- a/docs/getting-started.md
+++ b/docs/getting-started.md
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ node bin/cascade.js projects credentials-set my-project \
 
 Which credentials you need depends on which agent engine you plan to use. You can always add more later.
 
-#### LLMist engine (default)
+#### LLMist engine
 
 LLMist supports OpenRouter, Anthropic, and OpenAI. Store the key for whichever provider you prefer:
 
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ node bin/cascade.js projects credentials-set my-project \
   --name "OpenAI"
 ```
 
-#### Claude Code engine
+#### Claude Code engine (default)
 
 Requires either an Anthropic API key or a Claude Max subscription token:
 
@@ -207,12 +207,12 @@ You can also manage all of this through the dashboard UI: **Projects** > select
 
 ## 7. Choose Agent Engine
 
-Cascade supports multiple agent engines. The default is **LLMist** — change it if you want to use a different engine.
+Cascade supports multiple agent engines. The default is **Claude Code** — change it if you want to use a different engine.
 
 | Engine | Description |
 |--------|-------------|
-| `llmist` | LLMist SDK with Cascade gadgets (default) |
-| `claude-code` | Anthropic Claude Code SDK |
+| `claude-code` | Anthropic Claude Code SDK (default) |
+| `llmist` | LLMist SDK with Cascade gadgets |
 | `codex` | OpenAI Codex CLI |
 | `opencode` | OpenCode headless agent |
 
diff --git a/src/agents/registry.ts b/src/agents/registry.ts
index d33f2f2c..34ec2b63 100644
--- a/src/agents/registry.ts
+++ b/src/agents/registry.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import { logger } from '../utils/logging.js';
  * Engine resolution order:
  * 1. Project-level agent type override
  * 2. Project-level default engine
- * 3. Fallback: 'llmist'
+ * 3. Fallback: 'claude-code'
  *
  * All engines — including llmist — go through the shared adapter
  * (executeWithEngine), which handles repo setup, lifecycle, progress
diff --git a/src/backends/catalog.ts b/src/backends/catalog.ts
index 8b1a5ba3..725f763b 100644
--- a/src/backends/catalog.ts
+++ b/src/backends/catalog.ts
@@ -172,8 +172,8 @@ export const OPENCODE_ENGINE_DEFINITION: AgentEngineDefinition = {
 };
 
 export const DEFAULT_ENGINE_CATALOG: AgentEngineDefinition[] = [
-	LLMIST_ENGINE_DEFINITION,
 	CLAUDE_CODE_ENGINE_DEFINITION,
+	LLMIST_ENGINE_DEFINITION,
 	CODEX_ENGINE_DEFINITION,
 	OPENCODE_ENGINE_DEFINITION,
 ];
diff --git a/src/backends/resolution.ts b/src/backends/resolution.ts
index ef6d853d..2b1170d5 100644
--- a/src/backends/resolution.ts
+++ b/src/backends/resolution.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import type { ProjectConfig } from '../types/index.js';
 
-export const DEFAULT_ENGINE = 'llmist';
+export const DEFAULT_ENGINE = 'claude-code';
 
 /**
  * Resolve which engine name to use for a given agent type.
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ export const DEFAULT_ENGINE = 'llmist';
  * Resolution order (most specific wins):
  * 1. Project-level agent type override: project.agentEngine.overrides[agentType]
  * 2. Project-level default: project.agentEngine.default
- * 3. Hardcoded fallback: DEFAULT_ENGINE ('llmist')
+ * 3. Hardcoded fallback: DEFAULT_ENGINE ('claude-code')
  */
 export function resolveEngineName(agentType: string, project: ProjectConfig): string {
 	return (
diff --git a/src/config/schema.ts b/src/config/schema.ts
index 9ca7ccc1..bada8df7 100644
--- a/src/config/schema.ts
+++ b/src/config/schema.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ export const PROJECT_DEFAULTS = {
 	progressModel: 'openrouter:google/gemini-2.5-flash-lite',
 	progressIntervalMinutes: 5,
 	workItemBudgetUsd: 5,
-	agentEngine: 'llmist',
+	agentEngine: 'claude-code',
 } as const;
 
 const AgentEngineConfigSchema = z.object({
diff --git a/tests/unit/api/routers/projects.test.ts b/tests/unit/api/routers/projects.test.ts
index a13d74b6..f46d22db 100644
--- a/tests/unit/api/routers/projects.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/api/routers/projects.test.ts
@@ -615,7 +615,7 @@ describe('projectsRouter', () => {
 			expect(PROJECT_DEFAULTS.progressModel).toBe('openrouter:google/gemini-2.5-flash-lite');
 			expect(PROJECT_DEFAULTS.progressIntervalMinutes).toBe(5);
 			expect(PROJECT_DEFAULTS.workItemBudgetUsd).toBe(5);
-			expect(PROJECT_DEFAULTS.agentEngine).toBe('llmist');
+			expect(PROJECT_DEFAULTS.agentEngine).toBe('claude-code');
 		});
 
 		it('CLAUDE_CODE_SETTING_DEFAULTS match the resolver fallback values', () => {
diff --git a/tests/unit/backends/catalog.test.ts b/tests/unit/backends/catalog.test.ts
index 2ec13cc5..b71e0e6a 100644
--- a/tests/unit/backends/catalog.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/backends/catalog.test.ts
@@ -42,9 +42,9 @@ describe('DEFAULT_ENGINE_CATALOG', () => {
 		}
 	});
 
-	it('is ordered: llmist, claude-code, codex, opencode', () => {
-		expect(DEFAULT_ENGINE_CATALOG[0].id).toBe('llmist');
-		expect(DEFAULT_ENGINE_CATALOG[1].id).toBe('claude-code');
+	it('is ordered: claude-code, llmist, codex, opencode', () => {
+		expect(DEFAULT_ENGINE_CATALOG[0].id).toBe('claude-code');
+		expect(DEFAULT_ENGINE_CATALOG[1].id).toBe('llmist');
 		expect(DEFAULT_ENGINE_CATALOG[2].id).toBe('codex');
 		expect(DEFAULT_ENGINE_CATALOG[3].id).toBe('opencode');
 	});
diff --git a/tests/unit/backends/resolution.test.ts b/tests/unit/backends/resolution.test.ts
index 954a1f15..0a80c2c9 100644
--- a/tests/unit/backends/resolution.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/backends/resolution.test.ts
@@ -29,14 +29,14 @@ describe('resolveEngineName', () => {
 		expect(resolveEngineName('implementation', project)).toBe('custom-backend');
 	});
 
-	it('returns "llmist" when no project config', () => {
+	it('returns "claude-code" when no project config', () => {
 		const project = makeProject(); // no agentEngine
-		expect(resolveEngineName('implementation', project)).toBe('llmist');
+		expect(resolveEngineName('implementation', project)).toBe('claude-code');
 	});
 
-	it('returns "llmist" when nothing configured', () => {
+	it('returns "claude-code" when nothing configured', () => {
 		const project = makeProject(); // no agentEngine
-		expect(resolveEngineName('implementation', project)).toBe('llmist');
+		expect(resolveEngineName('implementation', project)).toBe('claude-code');
 	});
 
 	it('prioritizes override > project default > fallback', () => {
diff --git a/tests/unit/cli/dashboard/agents/agents.test.ts b/tests/unit/cli/dashboard/agents/agents.test.ts
index a6d87075..00f818ef 100644
--- a/tests/unit/cli/dashboard/agents/agents.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/cli/dashboard/agents/agents.test.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ const sampleAgentConfig = {
 	projectId: 'my-project',
 	model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
 	maxIterations: 50,
-	agentEngine: 'llmist',
+	agentEngine: 'claude-code',
 	maxConcurrency: null,
 	prompt: null,
 };
diff --git a/tests/unit/cli/dashboard/projects/projects.test.ts b/tests/unit/cli/dashboard/projects/projects.test.ts
index b96273db..6b6013ce 100644
--- a/tests/unit/cli/dashboard/projects/projects.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/cli/dashboard/projects/projects.test.ts
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ const sampleProject = {
 	baseBranch: 'main',
 	branchPrefix: 'cascade/',
 	model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
-	agentEngine: 'llmist',
+	agentEngine: 'claude-code',
 	workItemBudgetUsd: '5.00',
 	maxInFlightItems: 3,
 };
diff --git a/tests/unit/config/schema.test.ts b/tests/unit/config/schema.test.ts
index 7cbbab1e..94b39564 100644
--- a/tests/unit/config/schema.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/config/schema.test.ts
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ describe.concurrent('ProjectConfigSchema', () => {
 		expect(() => ProjectConfigSchema.parse(config)).toThrow('Unsupported engine settings');
 	});
 
-	it('applies default "llmist" for agentEngine.default when object provided', () => {
+	it('applies default "claude-code" for agentEngine.default when object provided', () => {
 		const config = {
 			id: 'test',
 			orgId: 'default',
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ describe.concurrent('ProjectConfigSchema', () => {
 		};
 
 		const result = ProjectConfigSchema.parse(config);
-		expect(result.agentEngine?.default).toBe('llmist');
+		expect(result.agentEngine?.default).toBe('claude-code');
 		expect(result.agentEngine?.overrides).toEqual({});
 	});
 
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ describe.concurrent('validateConfig', () => {
 		expect(() => validateConfig({ projects: [] })).toThrow();
 	});
 
-	it('applies default "llmist" for project agentEngine.default', () => {
+	it('applies default "claude-code" for project agentEngine.default', () => {
 		const config = {
 			projects: [
 				{
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ describe.concurrent('validateConfig', () => {
 		};
 
 		const result = validateConfig(config);
-		expect(result.projects[0].agentEngine?.default).toBe('llmist');
+		expect(result.projects[0].agentEngine?.default).toBe('claude-code');
 	});
 
 	it('accepts custom project agentEngine value', () => {
diff --git a/tests/unit/db/repositories/configRepository.test.ts b/tests/unit/db/repositories/configRepository.test.ts
index 15f43944..67f6141e 100644
--- a/tests/unit/db/repositories/configRepository.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/db/repositories/configRepository.test.ts
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ describe('configRepository', () => {
 			const proj = config.projects[0];
 
 			expect(proj.agentEngine).toBeDefined();
-			expect(proj.agentEngine?.default).toBe('llmist'); // Zod default
+			expect(proj.agentEngine?.default).toBe('claude-code'); // Zod default
 			expect(proj.agentEngine?.overrides).toEqual({
 				implementation: 'claude-code',
 			});
diff --git a/tools/resolve-config.ts b/tools/resolve-config.ts
index 9802e710..d9620238 100644
--- a/tools/resolve-config.ts
+++ b/tools/resolve-config.ts
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ async function resolveEffectiveConfig(
 		effectiveModel:
 			projectAc?.model ?? projectRow.model ?? 'openrouter:google/gemini-3-flash-preview',
 		effectiveMaxIterations: projectAc?.maxIterations ?? projectRow.maxIterations ?? 50,
-		effectiveEngine: projectAc?.agentEngine ?? projectRow.agentEngine ?? 'llmist',
+		effectiveEngine: projectAc?.agentEngine ?? projectRow.agentEngine ?? 'claude-code',
 		projectOverrides: {
 			model: projectRow.model,
 			maxIterations: projectRow.maxIterations,
diff --git a/web/src/components/projects/project-agent-configs.tsx b/web/src/components/projects/project-agent-configs.tsx
index eca45136..82781dbc 100644
--- a/web/src/components/projects/project-agent-configs.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/projects/project-agent-configs.tsx
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ function DefinitionAgentSection({
 	const effectiveEngine = engines.find((engine) => engine.id === effectiveEngineId);
 
 	// Resolved inherited engine — project override or system default
-	const inheritedEngine = projectEngine ?? systemDefaults?.agentEngine ?? 'llmist';
+	const inheritedEngine = projectEngine ?? systemDefaults?.agentEngine ?? 'claude-code';
 	// Per-field engine defaults for the EngineSettingsFields component
 	const engineDefaults =
 		systemDefaults && effectiveEngineId
diff --git a/web/src/components/projects/projects-table.tsx b/web/src/components/projects/projects-table.tsx
index cd00bfbe..eb9576be 100644
--- a/web/src/components/projects/projects-table.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/projects/projects-table.tsx
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ export function ProjectsTable({
 									<Badge variant="outline">{project.baseBranch ?? 'main'}</Badge>
 								</TableCell>
 								<TableCell className="hidden md:table-cell">
-									{project.agentEngine ?? 'llmist'}
+									{project.agentEngine ?? 'claude-code'}
 								</TableCell>
 								<TableCell className="hidden md:table-cell text-right tabular-nums">
 									{project.workItemBudgetUsd ? `$${project.workItemBudgetUsd}` : '-'}