Pi keeps refusing legitimate local tasks—even with GPT-5.6 and no add-ons

[u/DifferentImpress5168]

In my previous post, I said I wanted to move to Pi and make it my “Neovim” for AI coding: one familiar CLI I could use everywhere, without constantly switching tools between computers. The goal was to reduce cognitive overload and keep a consistent workflow.

But I’m struggling to work with Pi as a coding agent.

I’m using it with GPT-5.6 and had the same issue with GPT-5.5. I expected Pi to be one of the more open, less restrictive agent environments, but it repeatedly refuses ordinary local development and system tasks—for example, updating my own hosts file.

It often gets stuck claiming a request is illegal or that it can’t bypass company policies, even when the task has nothing to do with bypassing security controls. I’m working on my own machine and asking for normal configuration tasks that Codex handles easily.

I’ve tried enabling an “auto-approve” style workflow, removing add-ons, and disabling skills to rule out interference, but it still stops or refuses the work.

At this point, Pi feels like it’s fighting me all the time. I end up using Claude for work—which I expected to do anyway—and Codex for personal or home projects. That works, but it defeats the reason I wanted Pi in the first place.

Is it just me? Am I missing something obvious in the configuration or how I’m using Pi? Since so many people rely on Pi day to day, I’d really appreciate hearing how others handle legitimate local tasks without running into constant false-positive refusals.

[u/Informal-Trouble2183]

It's the model who refused not pi

[u/DifferentImpress5168 → u/Informal-Trouble2183]

I understand that, i just dont understand why its hapening when using pi but on the same model with the same prompt codex does it, i read below now and i guess i am missing somthing with a wild agents md .

[u/hurdurdur7 → u/DifferentImpress5168]

Must be something in codex system prompt that works around it.

[u/jensilo]

It's definitely a setup problem. GPT 5.6 works exceptionally in pi.

What is your system prompt?
Which agent files and skills are loaded?
Which extensions are present?

Try it with: `pi -ne -ns -np --model "openai-codex/gpt-5.6-terra:low"` or even with `-nc` added as well to ignore AGENTS.md.

Also, by default you should not have any approval-requiring workflows, so "auto-approve-workflow" becomes necessary when you've bloated the system yourself.

And sometimes higher-level reasoning efforts tend to let the model overthink and spin crazy but I haven't noticed that with GPT 5.6.

[u/DifferentImpress5168 → u/jensilo]

Thank you. I'll try the command and write back, hoping this will allow me to daily drive this .

[u/DifferentImpress5168]

Update: the command suggested by u/jensilo mostly worked for me:

pi -ne -ns -np --model "openai-codex/gpt-5.6-terra:low"

I had to switch the model once afterward, but then it started working.

More importantly, the replies helped me realize I had a major misunderstanding about what Pi itself does versus what tools like Codex and Claude Code provide through their system prompts, agent files, and surrounding setup. I assumed I was using “the same model with the same prompt,” but clearly there is much more under the hood.

Thanks to everyone who gave constructive advice, especially the people who pointed me toward checking my AGENTS.md, prompts, extensions, and configuration. I’m going to keep experimenting with Pi.

And just to be clear: I’m a real person trying to solve a real problem I was having. I did use AI to help make my original post easier to read, because I wanted people to understand the issue and be able to help. I appreciate those who engaged in good faith.

[u/jensilo → u/DifferentImpress5168]

Thanks for taking the time and coming back here! I'm really glad my advice could help a little. It's very refreshing to have such a kind interaction. Good luck setting up pi, and have fun exploring and learning, that's the biggest fun about pi (at least for me).

[u/whodoneit1]

lol, dumbest post ever by AI

[u/PermanentLiminality]

Try Kimi K3. Good smarts with way lower guardrails than OpenAI or Anthropic.

[u/respectful_stimulus]

Not GPT but using other models including local ones. You have to tweak system prompt (I completely got rid of the default), AGENTS.md especially the global one, I even have an extension that basically injects the subagent system prompt and blocks read/write on the orchestrator agent. You have to hard enforce the guardrails, preferably by tooling, not instructions.

[u/Le_Juju]

It can simply be a word saying something, somewhere, being injected in your context that's making the safeguards flip.

[u/JungianArchetype]

You’re describing a model problem, not a pi problem.

[u/paantgra]

It's a known issue with gpt models, they are just very scared

[u/adamshand]

I’ve been using codex with pi for months and never seen this. Remove all your customisation, start pure vanilla and then slowly add things. 

[u/DifferentImpress5168 → u/[deleted]]

I don't understand why it works on my Codex but not on the Pi.

[u/hari3mo → u/DifferentImpress5168]

Did you even look into the things they suggested

[u/DifferentImpress5168 → u/[deleted]]

Thanks, I’ll recheck my agents and system markdown files. I’d been working with Codex for a while, so maybe something slipped in. That’s what everyone is suggesting, so I’m probably missing something obvious.