pi-openai-fast

A small Pi extension that lets you turn on OpenAI Fast Mode from inside Pi.

When Fast Mode is active, the extension asks OpenAI for the priority service tier on supported OpenAI models and shows a simple fast indicator in Pi.

Fast Mode also follows newly launched Pi subagents, so workers, reviewers, scouts, and other child sessions can use the same Fast Mode preference automatically.

Install

pi install git:github.com/studioarray/pi-openai-fast

Use it

Inside Pi, run:

/fast

That toggles Fast Mode on or off for your current Pi session.

You can also start a Pi run with Fast Mode already requested:

pi --fast

Works with subagents

Turn on /fast once in your parent Pi session, then launch subagents as usual. Newly started subagents inherit the same Fast Mode preference.

That means a subagent can request OpenAI priority too, as long as it is using a supported model and has this extension available.

For a quick sanity check, ask a subagent to print PI_OPENAI_FAST_DESIRED. A value of 1 means Fast Mode was handed off to that subagent.

How it behaves

Fast Mode only turns on when both of these are true:

1. You have requested Fast Mode with /fast or --fast.
2. Your current Pi model is in the supported-model list.

If you turn Fast Mode on while using an unsupported model, Pi keeps your preference but does not send priority requests until you switch to a supported model.

By default, /fast is session-only. If you want Pi to remember your choice between runs, enable persistence in the config below.

Supported models

Fast Mode is currently supported by these Pi model keys:

[
  "openai/gpt-5.4",
  "openai/gpt-5.5",
  "openai-codex/gpt-5.4",
  "openai-codex/gpt-5.5"
]

You can change this list in your config. Model names must match Pi's provider/model key exactly.

Configure it

Config files can live in either place:

• Global: ~/.pi/agent/extensions/pi-openai-fast.json
• Project: .pi/extensions/pi-openai-fast.json

Project config overrides global config.

Example config:

{
  "persistState": true,
  "desiredActive": true,
  "supportedModels": [
    "openai/gpt-5.4",
    "openai/gpt-5.5",
    "openai-codex/gpt-5.4",
    "openai-codex/gpt-5.5"
  ],
  "footer": {
    "mode": "replace"
  }
}

Common options:

• persistState: set to true if /fast should be remembered between Pi runs.
• desiredActive: the saved on/off preference used when persistState is true.
• supportedModels: exact model keys that may use Fast Mode.
• footer.mode:
  • replace shows fast next to the model name in Pi's footer. This is the default.
  • status leaves Pi's normal footer alone and shows a plain status indicator.
  • off hides Fast Mode UI feedback. Priority requests still work when Fast Mode is active.

Customize the fast label color

In the default replace footer mode, the fast label follows your Pi theme automatically.

If you want custom colors, set one or both of these fields:

{
  "footer": {
    "mode": "replace",
    "darkFastColor": "#00ffaa",
    "lightFastColor": "#0066cc"
  }
}

If a custom color is invalid or missing, Pi falls back to the theme-matched color.

Troubleshooting

I turned Fast Mode on, but I do not see fast.

Check that your current model is in supportedModels. Also check that footer.mode is not set to off.

My /fast choice is not remembered after restarting Pi.

Set "persistState": true in your config.

My subagent does not seem to be using Fast Mode.

Subagents only inherit Fast Mode when they start after /fast is turned on. The subagent also needs to use a supported model. To debug, ask it to print PI_OPENAI_FAST_DESIRED; 1 means the preference was inherited.

I see a config warning.

Check that your JSON is valid and that every entry in supportedModels is an exact provider/model key.

Does this guarantee faster responses?

No. The extension requests OpenAI's priority service tier when possible. Actual availability, latency, and billing behavior depend on OpenAI and your account.

Reference attribution

Inspired by pi-better-openai.