diff --git a/crates/solverforge-config/WIREFRAME.md b/crates/solverforge-config/WIREFRAME.md
index a81b7c31..361e1269 100644
--- a/crates/solverforge-config/WIREFRAME.md
+++ b/crates/solverforge-config/WIREFRAME.md
@@ -198,7 +198,9 @@ Derives: `Debug, Clone, Default, Deserialize, Serialize`.
 `acceptor`, `forager`, and `move_selector`.
 
 When `phases` is omitted, the solver runtime uses the canonical model-aware
-default profile, including construction and any selected built-in search phases.
+default profile: construction, then the default local search when the top-level
+`termination` has an effective limit. Without one the profile is construction
+only, because that local search would never end.
 When only `move_selector` is omitted for an explicit `AcceptorForager` local
 search phase, the canonical runtime resolves model-aware selector defaults from
 declared runtime capabilities. Nearby scalar
diff --git a/crates/solverforge-config/src/solver_config.rs b/crates/solverforge-config/src/solver_config.rs
index 65a353f8..5761c37d 100644
--- a/crates/solverforge-config/src/solver_config.rs
+++ b/crates/solverforge-config/src/solver_config.rs
@@ -40,7 +40,9 @@ pub struct SolverConfig {
     pub score_director: Option<DirectorConfig>,
 
     /// Phases, run in order. Omitted or empty: the model-aware default
-    /// profile.
+    /// profile, which is construction followed by the default local search
+    /// when `termination` has an effective limit, and construction only
+    /// otherwise, because that local search would never end.
     #[serde(default)]
     pub phases: Vec<PhaseConfig>,