diff --git a/bench/control_sweep.py b/bench/control_sweep.py
index 27c24b6..80dae62 100644
--- a/bench/control_sweep.py
+++ b/bench/control_sweep.py
@@ -92,16 +92,16 @@ MODELS: dict[str, dict] = {
     "hermes": dict(
         endpoint="https://hermes.ai.unturf.com/v1",
         model="adamo1139/Hermes-3-Llama-3.1-8B-FP8-Dynamic",
-        extra=None, max_tokens=512),
+        extra=None, max_tokens=512, reasoning=False),
     "qwen-think": dict(
         endpoint="https://qwen.ai.unturf.com/v1",
         model="Qwen3.6-27B-UD-Q4_K_XL.gguf",
-        extra=None, max_tokens=1024),
+        extra=None, max_tokens=1024, reasoning=True),
     "qwen-nothink": dict(
         endpoint="https://qwen.ai.unturf.com/v1",
         model="Qwen3.6-27B-UD-Q4_K_XL.gguf",
         extra={"chat_template_kwargs": {"enable_thinking": False}},
-        max_tokens=512),
+        max_tokens=512, reasoning=False),
 }
 
 
@@ -207,16 +207,48 @@ def _process_item(idx: int, it: dict, variants: list[str],
                     # are added inside query() via
                     # claim_lattice_structured_output_extras() and
                     # merge with this per-model extras dict.
-                    r = query(question=q_asked, qa_db=qa_db,
-                              chat_client=cl(arborist_ref),
-                              model_id=MODELS[arborist_ref]["model"],
-                              shards_dir=shards_dir,
-                              extra_body=MODELS[arborist_ref]["extra"],
-                              policy=dict(DEFAULT_QUERY_POLICY,
-                                          answer_mode="claim_lattice"))
-                    arb_raw = (r.get("raw_answer")
-                               or r.get("answer_text") or "")
-                    arb_mode = r.get("audit_mode")
+                    arb_policy = dict(DEFAULT_QUERY_POLICY,
+                                      answer_mode="claim_lattice")
+                    # Reasoning models emit a multi-line trace before
+                    # the JSON; the claim_lattice "\n\n" runaway-guard
+                    # stop sequence (tuned for single-line Hermes JSON)
+                    # truncates that trace to an EMPTY answer (measured
+                    # 2026-05-20: arborist+qwen-think produced 100%
+                    # empty → ABSTAINED). Clear the stop for reasoning
+                    # refs so the JSON actually lands. (With json-schema
+                    # grammar enforcement the reasoning trace is itself
+                    # suppressed, so output is clean single-line JSON —
+                    # but the stop must still be cleared or the first
+                    # structural newline truncates it.)
+                    reasoning_ref = bool(MODELS[arborist_ref].get("reasoning"))
+                    if reasoning_ref:
+                        arb_policy["claim_lattice_json_stop_sequences"] = []
+                    # Empty-output self-heal for reasoning refs: qwen-
+                    # think under json-schema grammar intermittently
+                    # emits an empty completion (~1/3 of calls, measured
+                    # 2026-05-20) — a model-side artefact, NOT a real
+                    # abstention. Retry (burning the cached empty) up to
+                    # 3 attempts so an artefact-empty doesn't masquerade
+                    # as ABSTAINED in the scorecard. Non-reasoning refs
+                    # don't exhibit this (qwen-nothink phase 3 had 0
+                    # spurious empties) so they take a single pass. We
+                    # never fabricate — an answer that is still empty
+                    # after retries is recorded as the empty it is.
+                    max_attempts = 3 if reasoning_ref else 1
+                    arb_raw, arb_mode = "", None
+                    for attempt in range(max_attempts):
+                        r = query(question=q_asked, qa_db=qa_db,
+                                  chat_client=cl(arborist_ref),
+                                  model_id=MODELS[arborist_ref]["model"],
+                                  shards_dir=shards_dir,
+                                  extra_body=MODELS[arborist_ref]["extra"],
+                                  policy=arb_policy,
+                                  burn_existing=(attempt > 0))
+                        arb_raw = (r.get("raw_answer")
+                                   or r.get("answer_text") or "")
+                        arb_mode = r.get("audit_mode")
+                        if arb_raw.strip():
+                            break
                 except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001
                     arb_raw = f"[arborist-error: {type(e).__name__}: {e}]"
                     arb_mode = "ERROR"