diff --git a/app.py b/app.py
index 31239a0..c0afde6 100644
--- a/app.py
+++ b/app.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
 
-from fastapi import FastAPI, HTTPException, WebSocket, WebSocketDisconnect, Depends, Security, Query, BackgroundTasks, Request
+from fastapi import FastAPI, HTTPException, WebSocket, WebSocketDisconnect, Depends, Security, Query, BackgroundTasks, Request, Body
 from fastapi.responses import JSONResponse, FileResponse
 from fastapi.exceptions import RequestValidationError
 from fastapi.security.api_key import APIKeyHeader
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ async def cleanup_expired_episodes():
 
 # ── Models ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 class ResetRequest(BaseModel):
-    task_id: TaskId
+    task_id: Optional[TaskId] = TaskId.BUG_DETECTION
     seed:    int = 42
 
 class ResetResponse(BaseModel):
@@ -216,12 +216,44 @@ def health_check():
 
 @app.post("/reset", response_model=ResetResponse)
 @limiter.limit(f"{settings.rate_limit_per_minute}/minute")
-def reset_env(request: Request, req: ResetRequest, _: None = Depends(verify_api_key)):
+async def reset_env(
+    request: Request,
+    task_id: Optional[TaskId] = Query(None),
+    seed: Optional[int] = Query(None),
+    _: None = Depends(verify_api_key)
+):
+    # Determine task_id and seed with manual fallback strategy
+    final_task_id = TaskId.BUG_DETECTION
+    final_seed = 42
+
+    # 1. Try to extract from body manually (handles empty/malformed bodies)
+    try:
+        body = await request.json()
+        if body and isinstance(body, dict):
+            if body.get("task_id"):
+                try:
+                    final_task_id = TaskId(body["task_id"])
+                except ValueError:
+                    pass
+            if body.get("seed") is not None:
+                final_seed = int(body["seed"])
+    except Exception:
+        # Ignore body parsing errors (empty/malformed) and fall back
+        pass
+    
+    # 2. Query parameters override body if provided explicitly
+    if task_id:
+        final_task_id = task_id
+    if seed is not None:
+        final_seed = seed
+
     episode_id = str(uuid.uuid4())
     env        = CodeLensEnv()
-    result     = env.reset(req.task_id, req.seed)
+    result     = env.reset(final_task_id, final_seed)
     episodes[episode_id] = env
     episode_timestamps[episode_id] = datetime.now(timezone.utc)
+    
+    logger.info(f"Reset environment (Robust): task={final_task_id.value}, seed={final_seed}, id={episode_id}")
     return ResetResponse(episode_id=episode_id, result=result)
 
 @app.post("/step/{episode_id}", response_model=StepResult)
diff --git a/tests/test_api.py b/tests/test_api.py
index 853f49a..383b906 100644
--- a/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/tests/test_api.py
@@ -68,7 +68,8 @@ def test_api_health_fields(client):
 
 def test_api_reset_invalid_task(client):
     resp = client.post("/reset", json={"task_id": "invalid_task", "seed": 0})
-    assert resp.status_code == 422
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    assert resp.json()["result"]["task_id"] == "bug_detection" # Fallback
 
 def test_api_step_invalid_action_type(client):
     reset_resp = client.post("/reset", json={"task_id": "bug_detection", "seed": 0})
@@ -139,3 +140,31 @@ def test_api_leaderboard_pagination(client):
     
     # Test ordering (best first)
     assert data["entries"][0]["score"] >= data["entries"][1]["score"]
+
+def test_api_reset_robustness(client):
+    # 1. No body at all
+    resp = client.post("/reset")
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    assert resp.json()["result"]["task_id"] == "bug_detection"
+
+    # 2. Empty JSON body
+    resp = client.post("/reset", json={})
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    assert resp.json()["result"]["task_id"] == "bug_detection"
+
+    # 3. Invalid JSON (should not trigger 422 now)
+    resp = client.post("/reset", content="invalid json {", headers={"Content-Type": "application/json"})
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    assert resp.json()["result"]["task_id"] == "bug_detection"
+
+    # 4. Plain text body (unexpected header, should still pass)
+    resp = client.post("/reset", content="just some text", headers={"Content-Type": "text/plain"})
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    assert resp.json()["result"]["task_id"] == "bug_detection"
+
+    # 5. Query params override
+    resp = client.post("/reset?task_id=security_audit&seed=100")
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    data = resp.json()
+    assert data["result"]["task_id"] == "security_audit"
+    assert data["result"]["seed"] == 100