diff --git a/crates/ml/src/trainers/dqn/config.rs b/crates/ml/src/trainers/dqn/config.rs
index d8d6f1ee2..67f86a7fb 100644
--- a/crates/ml/src/trainers/dqn/config.rs
+++ b/crates/ml/src/trainers/dqn/config.rs
@@ -1317,7 +1317,7 @@ impl DQNHyperparameters {
             dd_threshold: 0.02,
             loss_aversion: 1.5,
             time_decay_rate: 0.0005,
-            q_gap_threshold: 0.0, // disabled by default — hyperopt can search [0.0, 0.5]
+            q_gap_threshold: 0.05, // Tier 2 default: mild conviction gating (hyperopt searches [0.0, 0.5])
             use_huber_loss: true, // Default: Huber loss enabled (more robust)
             huber_delta: 100.0,   // BUG #12 FIX: Scale delta 100x for gradient explosion fix (was 1.0)
             use_double_dqn: true, // Default: Double DQN enabled (prevents overestimation bias)
@@ -1444,7 +1444,7 @@ impl DQNHyperparameters {
             dropout_anneal_steps: 10000,          // Default: 10K steps for annealing
 
             // P1.7: Hindsight Experience Replay
-            her_ratio: 0.0,                       // Default: disabled (hyperopt will tune 0.0-0.8)
+            her_ratio: 0.2,                       // Tier 2 default: 20% HER relabeling (hyperopt tunes 0.0-0.8)
             her_strategy: "future".to_owned(),   // Default: future strategy (better than final)
 
             // P1.9: Generalized Advantage Estimation