diff --git a/codex-rs/core/src/features.rs b/codex-rs/core/src/features.rs
index 3cab14d1f..7ef7485ac 100644
--- a/codex-rs/core/src/features.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/core/src/features.rs
@@ -356,7 +356,8 @@ fn legacy_usage_notice(alias: &str, feature: Feature) -> (String, Option<String>
                 }
                 _ => alias,
             };
-            let summary = format!("`{label}` is deprecated. Use `web_search` instead.");
+            let summary =
+                format!("`{label}` is deprecated because web search is enabled by default.");
             (summary, Some(web_search_details().to_string()))
         }
         _ => {
@@ -374,7 +375,7 @@ fn legacy_usage_notice(alias: &str, feature: Feature) -> (String, Option<String>
 }
 
 fn web_search_details() -> &'static str {
-    "Set `web_search` to `\"live\"`, `\"cached\"`, or `\"disabled\"` at the top level (or under a profile) in config.toml."
+    "Set `web_search` to `\"live\"`, `\"cached\"`, or `\"disabled\"` at the top level (or under a profile) in config.toml if you want to override it."
 }
 
 /// Keys accepted in `[features]` tables.
diff --git a/codex-rs/core/tests/suite/deprecation_notice.rs b/codex-rs/core/tests/suite/deprecation_notice.rs
index a8323fcd7..0e4ffd88b 100644
--- a/codex-rs/core/tests/suite/deprecation_notice.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/core/tests/suite/deprecation_notice.rs
@@ -113,75 +113,43 @@ async fn emits_deprecation_notice_for_experimental_instructions_file() -> anyhow
 }
 
 #[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread", worker_threads = 2)]
-async fn emits_deprecation_notice_for_web_search_feature_flags() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+async fn emits_deprecation_notice_for_web_search_feature_flag_values() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     skip_if_no_network!(Ok(()));
 
-    let server = start_mock_server().await;
+    for enabled in [true, false] {
+        let server = start_mock_server().await;
 
-    let mut builder = test_codex().with_config(|config| {
-        let mut entries = BTreeMap::new();
-        entries.insert("web_search_request".to_string(), true);
-        config.features.apply_map(&entries);
-    });
+        let mut builder = test_codex().with_config(move |config| {
+            let mut entries = BTreeMap::new();
+            entries.insert("web_search_request".to_string(), enabled);
+            config.features.apply_map(&entries);
+        });
 
-    let TestCodex { codex, .. } = builder.build(&server).await?;
+        let TestCodex { codex, .. } = builder.build(&server).await?;
 
-    let notice = wait_for_event_match(&codex, |event| match event {
-        EventMsg::DeprecationNotice(ev) if ev.summary.contains("[features].web_search_request") => {
-            Some(ev.clone())
-        }
-        _ => None,
-    })
-    .await;
+        let notice = wait_for_event_match(&codex, |event| match event {
+            EventMsg::DeprecationNotice(ev)
+                if ev.summary.contains("[features].web_search_request") =>
+            {
+                Some(ev.clone())
+            }
+            _ => None,
+        })
+        .await;
 
-    let DeprecationNoticeEvent { summary, details } = notice;
-    assert_eq!(
-        summary,
-        "`[features].web_search_request` is deprecated. Use `web_search` instead.".to_string(),
-    );
-    assert_eq!(
-        details.as_deref(),
-        Some(
-            "Set `web_search` to `\"live\"`, `\"cached\"`, or `\"disabled\"` at the top level (or under a profile) in config.toml."
-        ),
-    );
-
-    Ok(())
-}
-
-#[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread", worker_threads = 2)]
-async fn emits_deprecation_notice_for_disabled_web_search_feature_flag() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
-    skip_if_no_network!(Ok(()));
-
-    let server = start_mock_server().await;
-
-    let mut builder = test_codex().with_config(|config| {
-        let mut entries = BTreeMap::new();
-        entries.insert("web_search_request".to_string(), false);
-        config.features.apply_map(&entries);
-    });
-
-    let TestCodex { codex, .. } = builder.build(&server).await?;
-
-    let notice = wait_for_event_match(&codex, |event| match event {
-        EventMsg::DeprecationNotice(ev) if ev.summary.contains("[features].web_search_request") => {
-            Some(ev.clone())
-        }
-        _ => None,
-    })
-    .await;
-
-    let DeprecationNoticeEvent { summary, details } = notice;
-    assert_eq!(
-        summary,
-        "`[features].web_search_request` is deprecated. Use `web_search` instead.".to_string(),
-    );
-    assert_eq!(
-        details.as_deref(),
-        Some(
-            "Set `web_search` to `\"live\"`, `\"cached\"`, or `\"disabled\"` at the top level (or under a profile) in config.toml."
-        ),
-    );
+        let DeprecationNoticeEvent { summary, details } = notice;
+        assert_eq!(
+            summary,
+            "`[features].web_search_request` is deprecated because web search is enabled by default."
+                .to_string(),
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            details.as_deref(),
+            Some(
+                "Set `web_search` to `\"live\"`, `\"cached\"`, or `\"disabled\"` at the top level (or under a profile) in config.toml if you want to override it."
+            ),
+        );
+    }
 
     Ok(())
 }