diff --git a/Sources/NucleicApp/ModelCatalog.swift b/Sources/NucleicApp/ModelCatalog.swift
index bc73b390..5271e2a3 100644
--- a/Sources/NucleicApp/ModelCatalog.swift
+++ b/Sources/NucleicApp/ModelCatalog.swift
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ enum ModelCatalog {
     static let defaultModelKey = "nucleic.defaultModel"
     static let defaultEffortKey = "nucleic.defaultEffort"
     static let defaultAutoKey = "nucleic.defaultAuto"
+    static let defaultAutoShipKey = "nucleic.defaultAutoShip"
 
     static var storedDefaultModel: String {
         UserDefaults.standard.string(forKey: defaultModelKey) ?? fallbackModel
@@ -55,4 +56,7 @@ enum ModelCatalog {
     static var storedDefaultAuto: Bool {
         UserDefaults.standard.bool(forKey: defaultAutoKey)
     }
+    static var storedDefaultAutoShip: Bool {
+        UserDefaults.standard.bool(forKey: defaultAutoShipKey)
+    }
 }
diff --git a/Sources/NucleicApp/NucleicApp.swift b/Sources/NucleicApp/NucleicApp.swift
index 4233077b..bc111cbb 100644
--- a/Sources/NucleicApp/NucleicApp.swift
+++ b/Sources/NucleicApp/NucleicApp.swift
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ struct NucleicApp: App {
             store.defaultModel = ModelCatalog.storedDefaultModel
             store.defaultEffort = ModelCatalog.storedDefaultEffort
             store.defaultAuto = ModelCatalog.storedDefaultAuto
+            store.defaultAutoShip = ModelCatalog.storedDefaultAutoShip
             _store = State(initialValue: store)
         } catch {
             fatalError("Could not open the Nucleic store at \(support.path): \(error)")
diff --git a/Sources/NucleicApp/SettingsView.swift b/Sources/NucleicApp/SettingsView.swift
index 4e17c327..e00a3e88 100644
--- a/Sources/NucleicApp/SettingsView.swift
+++ b/Sources/NucleicApp/SettingsView.swift
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ struct SettingsView: View {
     @AppStorage(ModelCatalog.defaultModelKey) private var defaultModel = ModelCatalog.fallbackModel
     @AppStorage(ModelCatalog.defaultEffortKey) private var defaultEffort = ModelCatalog.fallbackEffort
     @AppStorage(ModelCatalog.defaultAutoKey) private var defaultAuto = false
+    @AppStorage(ModelCatalog.defaultAutoShipKey) private var defaultAutoShip = false
     @AppStorage(AppTextSize.storageKey) private var textSizeRaw = AppTextSize.medium.rawValue
     @AppStorage(ColorVisionMode.storageKey) private var colorVisionRaw = ColorVisionMode.standard.rawValue
     @AppStorage(AppAppearance.storageKey) private var appearanceRaw = AppAppearance.dark.rawValue
@@ -67,6 +68,10 @@ struct SettingsView: View {
                 Text("Auto mode lets Claude auto-approve safe actions; destructive ones still ask.")
                     .font(.caption).foregroundStyle(.secondary)
                     .fixedSize(horizontal: false, vertical: true)
+                Toggle("Autoship new chats", isOn: $defaultAutoShip)
+                Text("Autoship merges a finished chat's branch back into the project automatically. It implies Auto mode.")
+                    .font(.caption).foregroundStyle(.secondary)
+                    .fixedSize(horizontal: false, vertical: true)
             }
 
             Section("Apple Intelligence") {
@@ -96,11 +101,16 @@ struct SettingsView: View {
         .onChange(of: defaultModel) { _, _ in pushDefaults() }
         .onChange(of: defaultEffort) { _, _ in pushDefaults() }
         .onChange(of: defaultAuto) { _, _ in pushDefaults() }
+        .onChange(of: defaultAutoShip) { _, _ in
+            if defaultAutoShip { defaultAuto = true }  // shipping implies autonomous
+            pushDefaults()
+        }
     }
 
     private func pushDefaults() {
         store.defaultModel = defaultModel
         store.defaultEffort = defaultEffort
         store.defaultAuto = defaultAuto
+        store.defaultAutoShip = defaultAutoShip
     }
 }