Experimental features in Genesis are opt-in preview surfaces. They are behind explicit flags because they still need real-world mileage before they deserve a stable default or a long-lived public contract.
Treat them differently from normal config:
- Keep them off by default unless the related doc tells you to try one.
- Expect shape and behavior to change faster than stable config.
- Prefer the stable path first when one already exists.
- If you are rolling Genesis out broadly, test experimental flags in a smaller environment before baking them into a shared baseline.
Currently documented flags
| Surface | Key | Use it when | More |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local model runtime | agents.defaults.experimental.localModelLean |
A smaller or stricter local backend chokes on Genesis's full default tool surface | Local Models |
| Memory search | agents.defaults.memorySearch.experimental.sessionMemory |
You want memory_search to index prior session transcripts and accept the extra storage/indexing cost |
Memory configuration reference |
| Structured planning tool | tools.experimental.planTool |
You want the structured update_plan tool exposed for multi-step work tracking in compatible runtimes and UIs |
Gateway configuration reference |
Local model lean mode
agents.defaults.experimental.localModelLean: true is a pressure-release valve
for weaker local-model setups. It trims heavyweight default tools like
browser, cron, and message so the prompt shape is smaller and less brittle
for small-context or stricter OpenAI-compatible backends.
That is intentionally not the normal path. If your backend handles the full runtime cleanly, leave this off.
Experimental does not mean hidden
If a feature is experimental, Genesis should say so plainly in docs and in the config path itself. What it should not do is smuggle preview behavior into a stable-looking default knob and pretend that is normal. That's how config surfaces get messy.