diff --git a/gpt_oss/evals/__main__.py b/gpt_oss/evals/__main__.py
index 40d56c12..83ff06f0 100644
--- a/gpt_oss/evals/__main__.py
+++ b/gpt_oss/evals/__main__.py
@@ -3,14 +3,15 @@
 from datetime import datetime
 
 from . import report
-from .basic_eval import BasicEval
-from .gpqa_eval import GPQAEval
 from .aime_eval import AIME25Eval
-from .healthbench_eval import HealthBenchEval
+from .basic_eval import BasicEval
 from .chat_completions_sampler import (
     OPENAI_SYSTEM_MESSAGE_API,
     ChatCompletionsSampler,
 )
+from .cli_utils import resolve_gpqa_debug_mode, resolve_n_repeats, resolve_num_examples
+from .gpqa_eval import GPQAEval
+from .healthbench_eval import HealthBenchEval
 from .responses_sampler import ResponsesSampler
 
 
@@ -95,24 +96,24 @@ def main():
     )
 
     def get_evals(eval_name, debug_mode):
-        num_examples = (
-            args.examples if args.examples is not None else (5 if debug_mode else None)
-        )
+        num_examples = resolve_num_examples(args.examples, debug_mode, 5)
+        healthbench_num_examples = resolve_num_examples(args.examples, debug_mode, 10)
+        n_repeats = resolve_n_repeats(args.examples, debug_mode)
         # Set num_examples = None to reproduce full evals
         match eval_name:
             case "basic":
                 return BasicEval()
             case "gpqa":
                 return GPQAEval(
-                    n_repeats=1 if args.debug else 8,
+                    n_repeats=n_repeats,
                     num_examples=num_examples,
-                    debug=debug_mode,
+                    debug=resolve_gpqa_debug_mode(args.examples, debug_mode),
                     n_threads=args.n_threads or 1,
                 )
             case "healthbench":
                 return HealthBenchEval(
                     grader_model=grading_sampler,
-                    num_examples=10 if debug_mode else num_examples,
+                    num_examples=healthbench_num_examples,
                     n_repeats=1,
                     n_threads=args.n_threads or 1,
                     subset_name=None,
@@ -120,7 +121,7 @@ def get_evals(eval_name, debug_mode):
             case "healthbench_hard":
                 return HealthBenchEval(
                     grader_model=grading_sampler,
-                    num_examples=10 if debug_mode else num_examples,
+                    num_examples=healthbench_num_examples,
                     n_repeats=1,
                     n_threads=args.n_threads or 1,
                     subset_name="hard",
@@ -128,14 +129,14 @@ def get_evals(eval_name, debug_mode):
             case "healthbench_consensus":
                 return HealthBenchEval(
                     grader_model=grading_sampler,
-                    num_examples=10 if debug_mode else num_examples,
+                    num_examples=healthbench_num_examples,
                     n_repeats=1,
                     n_threads=args.n_threads or 1,
                     subset_name="consensus",
                 )
             case "aime25":
                 return AIME25Eval(
-                    n_repeats=1 if args.debug else 8,
+                    n_repeats=n_repeats,
                     num_examples=num_examples,
                     n_threads=args.n_threads or 1,
                 )
diff --git a/gpt_oss/evals/cli_utils.py b/gpt_oss/evals/cli_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..911b8fa0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gpt_oss/evals/cli_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+def resolve_num_examples(
+    explicit_examples: int | None, debug_mode: bool, debug_default: int
+) -> int | None:
+    if explicit_examples is not None:
+        if explicit_examples == 0:
+            return debug_default if debug_mode else None
+        return explicit_examples
+    return debug_default if debug_mode else None
+
+
+def resolve_n_repeats(explicit_examples: int | None, debug_mode: bool) -> int:
+    explicit_subset = explicit_examples is not None and explicit_examples != 0
+    return 1 if explicit_subset or debug_mode else 8
+
+
+def resolve_gpqa_debug_mode(explicit_examples: int | None, debug_mode: bool) -> bool:
+    return debug_mode and explicit_examples is None
diff --git a/tests/gpt_oss/evals/test_cli_examples.py b/tests/gpt_oss/evals/test_cli_examples.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f141d2c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/gpt_oss/evals/test_cli_examples.py
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+from gpt_oss.evals.cli_utils import (
+    resolve_gpqa_debug_mode,
+    resolve_n_repeats,
+    resolve_num_examples,
+)
+
+
+def test_explicit_examples_override_debug_default() -> None:
+    assert resolve_num_examples(2, debug_mode=True, debug_default=10) == 2
+
+
+def test_debug_default_is_used_without_explicit_examples() -> None:
+    assert resolve_num_examples(None, debug_mode=True, debug_default=10) == 10
+
+
+def test_full_eval_keeps_unlimited_examples() -> None:
+    assert resolve_num_examples(None, debug_mode=False, debug_default=10) is None
+
+
+def test_zero_examples_keeps_full_run_outside_debug() -> None:
+    assert resolve_num_examples(0, debug_mode=False, debug_default=10) is None
+
+
+def test_zero_examples_uses_debug_default_in_debug_mode() -> None:
+    assert resolve_num_examples(0, debug_mode=True, debug_default=10) == 10
+
+
+def test_explicit_subset_uses_single_repeat() -> None:
+    assert resolve_n_repeats(2, debug_mode=False) == 1
+
+
+def test_debug_run_uses_single_repeat() -> None:
+    assert resolve_n_repeats(None, debug_mode=True) == 1
+
+
+def test_full_run_keeps_eight_repeats() -> None:
+    assert resolve_n_repeats(None, debug_mode=False) == 8
+
+
+def test_zero_examples_keeps_full_run_repeats() -> None:
+    assert resolve_n_repeats(0, debug_mode=False) == 8
+
+
+def test_gpqa_fixed_debug_example_is_default_only() -> None:
+    assert resolve_gpqa_debug_mode(None, debug_mode=True) is True
+    assert resolve_gpqa_debug_mode(2, debug_mode=True) is False
+    assert resolve_gpqa_debug_mode(None, debug_mode=False) is False