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Excessive API calls and cost explosion from overthinking

7/10 High

Gemini API exhibits 'overthinking' behavior where it makes numerous unnecessary tool calls to accomplish simple tasks, causing unexpected cost spikes. One user reported $1 per minute in charges from only 18 API calls due to the model's inability to efficiently execute simple operations.

Gemini API
Category
performance
Workaround
none
Stage
deploy
Freshness
persistent
Scope
single_lib
Upstream
open
Recurring
Yes
Buyer Type
individual

Sources

Collection History

Query: “What are the most common pain points with Gemini API for developers in 2025?”3/30/2026

What's worse, this unreliability can hit your wallet. One user on the Cursor forum posted a screenshot of their bill, exclaiming, 'CURSOR IS A LEGIT FRAUD TODAY 18 CALLS TO GEMINI TO FIX API ROUTE!!! IT OVERTHINKS AND BURNS THE REQUESTS AT INSANE SPEEDS 1$ PER MINUTE IS ■■■■■■■ INSANE'.

Created: 3/30/2026Updated: 3/30/2026