diff --git a/apps/openant-cli/cmd/parse.go b/apps/openant-cli/cmd/parse.go
index 988801f..563ca5a 100644
--- a/apps/openant-cli/cmd/parse.go
+++ b/apps/openant-cli/cmd/parse.go
@@ -34,12 +34,33 @@ var (
 func init() {
 	parseCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&parseOutput, "output", "o", "", "Output directory (default: project scan dir)")
 	parseCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&parseLanguage, "language", "l", "", "Language: python, javascript, go, c, ruby, php, auto")
-	parseCmd.Flags().StringVar(&parseLevel, "level", "all", "Processing level: all, reachable, codeql, exploitable")
+	parseCmd.Flags().StringVar(&parseLevel, "level", "reachable", "Processing level: all, reachable, codeql, exploitable")
 	parseCmd.Flags().StringVar(&parseDiffBase, "diff-base", "", "Incremental mode: tag units overlapping diff vs this ref")
 	parseCmd.Flags().IntVar(&parsePR, "pr", 0, "Incremental mode against a GitHub PR number (mutex with --diff-base)")
 	parseCmd.Flags().StringVar(&parseDiffScope, "diff-scope", "changed_functions", "Diff scope: changed_files, changed_functions, callers")
 }
 
+// buildParsePyArgs assembles the argv passed to the Python `openant parse`
+// subprocess. Defaults that match the Python CLI (language=auto,
+// level=reachable) are omitted so the Python side stays in charge of the
+// canonical default value.
+func buildParsePyArgs(repoPath, output, datasetName, language, level, manifestPath string) []string {
+	pyArgs := []string{"parse", repoPath, "--output", output}
+	if datasetName != "" {
+		pyArgs = append(pyArgs, "--name", datasetName)
+	}
+	if language != "auto" {
+		pyArgs = append(pyArgs, "--language", language)
+	}
+	if level != "reachable" {
+		pyArgs = append(pyArgs, "--level", level)
+	}
+	if manifestPath != "" {
+		pyArgs = append(pyArgs, "--diff-manifest", manifestPath)
+	}
+	return pyArgs
+}
+
 func runParse(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 	repoPath, ctx, err := resolveRepoArg(args)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -92,19 +113,7 @@ func runParse(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	pyArgs := []string{"parse", repoPath, "--output", parseOutput}
-	if datasetName != "" {
-		pyArgs = append(pyArgs, "--name", datasetName)
-	}
-	if parseLanguage != "auto" {
-		pyArgs = append(pyArgs, "--language", parseLanguage)
-	}
-	if parseLevel != "all" {
-		pyArgs = append(pyArgs, "--level", parseLevel)
-	}
-	if manifestPath != "" {
-		pyArgs = append(pyArgs, "--diff-manifest", manifestPath)
-	}
+	pyArgs := buildParsePyArgs(repoPath, parseOutput, datasetName, parseLanguage, parseLevel, manifestPath)
 
 	result, err := python.Invoke(rt.Path, pyArgs, "", quiet, resolvedAPIKey())
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/apps/openant-cli/cmd/parse_test.go b/apps/openant-cli/cmd/parse_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e080df2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/openant-cli/cmd/parse_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestParseLevelFlagDefaultIsReachable(t *testing.T) {
+	flag := parseCmd.Flag("level")
+	if flag == nil {
+		t.Fatal("parseCmd has no --level flag")
+	}
+	if got, want := flag.DefValue, "reachable"; got != want {
+		t.Errorf("--level default = %q, want %q", got, want)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParseLevelFlagUsageMentionsChoices(t *testing.T) {
+	flag := parseCmd.Flag("level")
+	if flag == nil {
+		t.Fatal("parseCmd has no --level flag")
+	}
+	for _, choice := range []string{"all", "reachable", "codeql", "exploitable"} {
+		if !strings.Contains(flag.Usage, choice) {
+			t.Errorf("--level usage missing %q: %q", choice, flag.Usage)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestBuildParsePyArgsLevelForwarding(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name      string
+		level     string
+		wantLevel bool // true if --level should appear in argv
+	}{
+		{"default reachable is omitted", "reachable", false},
+		{"all is forwarded", "all", true},
+		{"codeql is forwarded", "codeql", true},
+		{"exploitable is forwarded", "exploitable", true},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			args := buildParsePyArgs("/repo", "/out", "", "auto", tc.level, "")
+			gotLevel, gotValue := findFlag(args, "--level")
+			if gotLevel != tc.wantLevel {
+				t.Errorf("--level present = %v, want %v (argv=%v)", gotLevel, tc.wantLevel, args)
+			}
+			if tc.wantLevel && gotValue != tc.level {
+				t.Errorf("--level value = %q, want %q (argv=%v)", gotValue, tc.level, args)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestBuildParsePyArgsBaseline(t *testing.T) {
+	args := buildParsePyArgs("/repo", "/out", "org-repo-abc1234", "python", "exploitable", "/tmp/manifest.json")
+	want := []string{
+		"parse", "/repo",
+		"--output", "/out",
+		"--name", "org-repo-abc1234",
+		"--language", "python",
+		"--level", "exploitable",
+		"--diff-manifest", "/tmp/manifest.json",
+	}
+	if len(args) != len(want) {
+		t.Fatalf("argv = %v, want %v", args, want)
+	}
+	for i := range want {
+		if args[i] != want[i] {
+			t.Errorf("argv[%d] = %q, want %q (full=%v)", i, args[i], want[i], args)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// findFlag returns whether name is present in argv, and its following value
+// (or "" if it has no value).
+func findFlag(argv []string, name string) (bool, string) {
+	for i, a := range argv {
+		if a == name {
+			if i+1 < len(argv) {
+				return true, argv[i+1]
+			}
+			return true, ""
+		}
+	}
+	return false, ""
+}