diff --git a/src/backend/pullrequests/index.test.ts b/src/backend/pullrequests/index.test.ts
index 0cc3051..475302e 100644
--- a/src/backend/pullrequests/index.test.ts
+++ b/src/backend/pullrequests/index.test.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {
 	createPullRequestComment,
 	findOpenPullRequestForBranch,
 	getPullRequest,
+	listEffectiveDefaultReviewers,
 	listPullRequests,
 	type PullRequest,
 	type PullRequestDetail,
@@ -547,6 +548,68 @@ describe("createPullRequest", () => {
 		expect(seenBody!.draft).toBe(true);
 	});
 
+	test("omits the reviewers field when reviewerUuids is undefined", async () => {
+		let seenBody: Record<string, any> | null = null;
+		server.use(
+			http.post(PR_LIST_PATH, async ({ request }) => {
+				seenBody = (await request.json()) as Record<string, any>;
+				return HttpResponse.json(makePrDetail({ id: 110 }), { status: 201 });
+			}),
+		);
+
+		await createPullRequest(creds, ref, {
+			title: "no reviewers",
+			description: "",
+			sourceBranch: "feature/x",
+			destinationBranch: "main",
+		});
+
+		expect(seenBody!).not.toHaveProperty("reviewers");
+	});
+
+	test("omits the reviewers field when reviewerUuids is empty", async () => {
+		let seenBody: Record<string, any> | null = null;
+		server.use(
+			http.post(PR_LIST_PATH, async ({ request }) => {
+				seenBody = (await request.json()) as Record<string, any>;
+				return HttpResponse.json(makePrDetail({ id: 111 }), { status: 201 });
+			}),
+		);
+
+		await createPullRequest(creds, ref, {
+			title: "empty reviewers",
+			description: "",
+			sourceBranch: "feature/x",
+			destinationBranch: "main",
+			reviewerUuids: [],
+		});
+
+		expect(seenBody!).not.toHaveProperty("reviewers");
+	});
+
+	test("sends reviewers as [{type:'account', uuid}] when reviewerUuids is non-empty", async () => {
+		let seenBody: Record<string, any> | null = null;
+		server.use(
+			http.post(PR_LIST_PATH, async ({ request }) => {
+				seenBody = (await request.json()) as Record<string, any>;
+				return HttpResponse.json(makePrDetail({ id: 112 }), { status: 201 });
+			}),
+		);
+
+		await createPullRequest(creds, ref, {
+			title: "with reviewers",
+			description: "",
+			sourceBranch: "feature/x",
+			destinationBranch: "main",
+			reviewerUuids: ["{alice}", "{bob}"],
+		});
+
+		expect(seenBody!.reviewers).toEqual([
+			{ type: "account", uuid: "{alice}" },
+			{ type: "account", uuid: "{bob}" },
+		]);
+	});
+
 	test("throws PullRequestError on 400 (validation failure)", async () => {
 		server.use(
 			http.post(PR_LIST_PATH, () =>
@@ -569,6 +632,68 @@ describe("createPullRequest", () => {
 	});
 });
 
+describe("listEffectiveDefaultReviewers", () => {
+	const PATH = `${BITBUCKET_BASE}/repositories/ws/repo/effective-default-reviewers`;
+
+	test("returns uuids in document order, skipping entries without one", async () => {
+		server.use(
+			http.get(PATH, () =>
+				HttpResponse.json({
+					values: [
+						{
+							type: "default_reviewer_and_type",
+							reviewer_type: "repository",
+							user: { uuid: "{alice}", nickname: "alice" },
+						},
+						{
+							type: "default_reviewer_and_type",
+							reviewer_type: "project",
+							user: { uuid: "{bob}", nickname: "bob" },
+						},
+						// pathological: missing user → skip silently
+						{ type: "default_reviewer_and_type", reviewer_type: "project" },
+						// pathological: empty uuid → skip silently
+						{
+							type: "default_reviewer_and_type",
+							reviewer_type: "project",
+							user: { uuid: "", nickname: "ghost" },
+						},
+					],
+				}),
+			),
+		);
+
+		const out = await listEffectiveDefaultReviewers(creds, ref);
+		expect(out).toEqual(["{alice}", "{bob}"]);
+	});
+
+	test("empty list when no defaults configured", async () => {
+		server.use(http.get(PATH, () => HttpResponse.json({ values: [] })));
+
+		const out = await listEffectiveDefaultReviewers(creds, ref);
+		expect(out).toEqual([]);
+	});
+
+	test("treats missing values array as empty", async () => {
+		server.use(http.get(PATH, () => HttpResponse.json({})));
+
+		const out = await listEffectiveDefaultReviewers(creds, ref);
+		expect(out).toEqual([]);
+	});
+
+	test("throws PullRequestError on 403", async () => {
+		server.use(
+			http.get(PATH, () =>
+				HttpResponse.json({ type: "error" }, { status: 403 }),
+			),
+		);
+
+		const err = await listEffectiveDefaultReviewers(creds, ref).catch((e) => e);
+		expect(err).toBeInstanceOf(PullRequestError);
+		expect((err as PullRequestError).status).toBe(403);
+	});
+});
+
 describe("createPullRequestComment", () => {
 	const COMMENTS_PATH = (id: number) =>
 		`${BITBUCKET_BASE}/repositories/ws/repo/pullrequests/${id}/comments`;
diff --git a/src/backend/pullrequests/index.ts b/src/backend/pullrequests/index.ts
index 7669f4b..07441ac 100644
--- a/src/backend/pullrequests/index.ts
+++ b/src/backend/pullrequests/index.ts
@@ -191,16 +191,24 @@ export type CreatePullRequestInput = {
 	sourceBranch: string;
 	destinationBranch: string;
 	draft?: boolean;
+	/**
+	 * UUIDs (curly-brace form) to send as reviewers. The caller is responsible
+	 * for resolving + filtering them (e.g. removing the author, deduping). We
+	 * pass them through verbatim.
+	 */
+	reviewerUuids?: string[];
 };
 
 /**
  * POSTs a new pull request to Bitbucket. The source repo is implied by the
  * path (we only create PRs in the current repo, never from forks at this
- * stage). Reviewers are omitted: our Bitbucket workspaces auto-assign
- * reviewers based on code-owner settings.
+ * stage).
  *
  * `draft: true` is only included in the body when explicitly set; we never
  * send `draft: false` so the server's default applies.
+ *
+ * `reviewers` is only included when `reviewerUuids` is non-empty — sending
+ * an empty array is legal but noisy.
  */
 export async function createPullRequest(
 	credentials: Credentials,
@@ -221,6 +229,14 @@ export async function createPullRequest(
 				source: { branch: { name: input.sourceBranch } },
 				destination: { branch: { name: input.destinationBranch } },
 				...(input.draft ? { draft: true } : {}),
+				...(input.reviewerUuids && input.reviewerUuids.length > 0
+					? {
+							reviewers: input.reviewerUuids.map((uuid) => ({
+								type: "account" as const,
+								uuid,
+							})),
+						}
+					: {}),
 			},
 		},
 	);
@@ -308,6 +324,52 @@ export async function findOpenPullRequestForBranch(
 	return first ? toPullRequest(first as RawPullRequest) : null;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Returns the UUIDs (curly-brace form) of the reviewers configured as defaults
+ * on the destination repo, including those inherited from the project. This
+ * matches what the Bitbucket UI shows under Repository settings → Default
+ * reviewers.
+ *
+ * Single page of pagelen=100 — real-world default-reviewer lists are tiny
+ * (<10). If anyone ever configures more we'll add pagination.
+ *
+ * Entries without a uuid are skipped silently. We surface a non-2xx as a
+ * PullRequestError; the caller MUST propagate it rather than silently
+ * creating a reviewerless PR.
+ */
+export async function listEffectiveDefaultReviewers(
+	credentials: Credentials,
+	ref: { workspace: string; slug: string },
+): Promise<string[]> {
+	const client = createBitbucketClient(credentials);
+	const { data, response } = await client.GET(
+		"/repositories/{workspace}/{repo_slug}/effective-default-reviewers",
+		{
+			params: {
+				path: { workspace: ref.workspace, repo_slug: ref.slug },
+			},
+		},
+	);
+
+	if (!response.ok || !data) {
+		throw new PullRequestError(
+			`Failed to fetch effective default reviewers: HTTP ${response.status}.`,
+			response.status,
+		);
+	}
+
+	const values = (data as { values?: Array<{ user?: { uuid?: string } }> })
+		.values;
+	if (!values) return [];
+
+	const uuids: string[] = [];
+	for (const entry of values) {
+		const uuid = entry.user?.uuid;
+		if (typeof uuid === "string" && uuid.length > 0) uuids.push(uuid);
+	}
+	return uuids;
+}
+
 export type PullRequestCommentResult = {
 	id: number;
 	url: string;
diff --git a/src/commands/pullrequest/create.ts b/src/commands/pullrequest/create.ts
index 48b7f7e..22e96d5 100644
--- a/src/commands/pullrequest/create.ts
+++ b/src/commands/pullrequest/create.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 import {
 	createPullRequest,
+	listEffectiveDefaultReviewers,
 	PullRequestError,
 } from "../../backend/pullrequests/index.ts";
+import { getCurrentUser, UserError } from "../../backend/user/index.ts";
 import { loadConfigOrExit } from "../../shared/config/index.ts";
 import {
 	BodyInputError,
@@ -60,12 +62,27 @@ export async function runPullRequestCreate(
 			bodyFile: options.bodyFile,
 		});
 
+		// Bitbucket's POST /pullrequests does not honor the repo's default
+		// reviewers configuration. To match the web UI we read the effective
+		// list (repo + project-inherited) and inline the UUIDs in the POST,
+		// minus the authenticated user (Bitbucket rejects a body where the
+		// author is also a reviewer). Failures here MUST propagate — we never
+		// silently create a reviewerless PR; that's the bug we're fixing.
+		const [me, defaultReviewerUuids] = await Promise.all([
+			getCurrentUser(config),
+			listEffectiveDefaultReviewers(config, ref),
+		]);
+		const reviewerUuids = defaultReviewerUuids.filter(
+			(uuid) => uuid !== me.uuid,
+		);
+
 		const pr = await createPullRequest(config, ref, {
 			title: options.title,
 			description: body,
 			sourceBranch: branch,
 			destinationBranch: destination,
 			draft: options.draft,
+			reviewerUuids,
 		});
 
 		renderer.message(pr.url);
@@ -73,6 +90,7 @@ export async function runPullRequestCreate(
 		if (
 			err instanceof RepositoryResolutionError ||
 			err instanceof PullRequestError ||
+			err instanceof UserError ||
 			err instanceof BodyInputError ||
 			err instanceof EditorError
 		) {