diff --git a/android/core/data/src/main/java/io/picoclaw/android/core/data/repository/AssistantConnectionImpl.kt b/android/core/data/src/main/java/io/picoclaw/android/core/data/repository/AssistantConnectionImpl.kt
index 3640da070..d4e5e09af 100644
--- a/android/core/data/src/main/java/io/picoclaw/android/core/data/repository/AssistantConnectionImpl.kt
+++ b/android/core/data/src/main/java/io/picoclaw/android/core/data/repository/AssistantConnectionImpl.kt
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ class AssistantConnectionImpl(
                     "status_end" -> _statusText.value = null
                     "tool_request" -> handleToolRequest(dto.content)
                     else -> {
-                        _statusText.value = null
                         _messages.emit(AssistantMessage(content = dto.content, type = dto.type))
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/android/feature/chat/src/main/java/io/picoclaw/android/feature/chat/assistant/AssistantManager.kt b/android/feature/chat/src/main/java/io/picoclaw/android/feature/chat/assistant/AssistantManager.kt
index 72a427499..26921e7fe 100644
--- a/android/feature/chat/src/main/java/io/picoclaw/android/feature/chat/assistant/AssistantManager.kt
+++ b/android/feature/chat/src/main/java/io/picoclaw/android/feature/chat/assistant/AssistantManager.kt
@@ -190,13 +190,14 @@ class AssistantManager(
 
         val statusJob = launch {
             connection.statusText.collect { label ->
-                if (label != null) heartbeat.trySend(Unit)
+                heartbeat.trySend(Unit)
             }
         }
 
         try {
             _state.update { it.copy(phase = VoicePhase.THINKING, statusText = null) }
 
+            var hasSpoken = false
             while (true) {
                 val result = select<WaitResult> {
                     speechQueue.onReceive { WaitResult.Message(it) }
@@ -206,15 +207,21 @@ class AssistantManager(
 
                 when (result) {
                     WaitResult.Timeout -> {
-                        _state.update {
-                            it.copy(phase = VoicePhase.ERROR, errorMessage = "Response timed out")
+                        if (!hasSpoken) {
+                            _state.update {
+                                it.copy(phase = VoicePhase.ERROR, errorMessage = "Response timed out")
+                            }
+                            delay(2000)
                         }
-                        delay(2000)
                         return@coroutineScope
                     }
-                    WaitResult.Heartbeat -> continue
+                    WaitResult.Heartbeat -> {
+                        if (hasSpoken && connection.statusText.value == null) return@coroutineScope
+                        continue
+                    }
                     is WaitResult.Message -> {
                         speakAndDrain(result.content, speechQueue)
+                        hasSpoken = true
                         val currentStatus = connection.statusText.value
                         if (currentStatus == null) return@coroutineScope
                         _state.update {
@@ -231,7 +238,7 @@ class AssistantManager(
     private suspend fun speakAndDrain(firstContent: String, speechQueue: Channel<String>) {
         val chunks = mutableListOf(firstContent)
         try {
-            _state.update { it.copy(phase = VoicePhase.SPEAKING, responseText = firstContent) }
+            _state.update { it.copy(phase = VoicePhase.SPEAKING, responseText = firstContent, statusText = null) }
             ttsWrapper.speak(firstContent)
             while (true) {
                 val next = speechQueue.tryReceive().getOrNull() ?: break
diff --git a/pkg/agent/loop.go b/pkg/agent/loop.go
index 17552b545..7a9cd73b3 100644
--- a/pkg/agent/loop.go
+++ b/pkg/agent/loop.go
@@ -296,17 +296,9 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 					return
 				}
 				if response != "" {
-					alreadySent := false
-					if tool, ok := al.tools.Get("message"); ok {
-						if mt, ok := tool.(*tools.MessageTool); ok {
-							alreadySent = mt.HasSentInRound()
-						}
-					}
-					if !alreadySent {
-						al.bus.PublishOutbound(bus.OutboundMessage{
-							Channel: m.Channel, ChatID: m.ChatID, Content: response,
-						})
-					}
+					al.bus.PublishOutbound(bus.OutboundMessage{
+						Channel: m.Channel, ChatID: m.ChatID, Content: response,
+					})
 				}
 			}(msg, sessionKey)
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/tools/message.go b/pkg/tools/message.go
index 21dd332a4..20e1c1a8d 100644
--- a/pkg/tools/message.go
+++ b/pkg/tools/message.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ type MessageTool struct {
 	sendCallback    SendCallback
 	defaultChannel  string
 	defaultChatID   string
-	sentInRound     bool // Tracks whether a message was sent in the current processing round
 	enabledChannels []string
 	stateResolver   StateResolver
 }
@@ -74,12 +73,6 @@ func (t *MessageTool) SetStateResolver(sr StateResolver) {
 func (t *MessageTool) SetContext(channel, chatID string) {
 	t.defaultChannel = channel
 	t.defaultChatID = chatID
-	t.sentInRound = false // Reset send tracking for new processing round
-}
-
-// HasSentInRound returns true if the message tool sent a message during the current round.
-func (t *MessageTool) HasSentInRound() bool {
-	return t.sentInRound
 }
 
 func (t *MessageTool) SetSendCallback(callback SendCallback) {
@@ -146,12 +139,6 @@ func (t *MessageTool) Execute(ctx context.Context, args map[string]interface{})
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Only mark as "sent in round" when the message went to the originating channel.
-	// Cross-channel sends (e.g. WS→Discord) must NOT suppress the response
-	// back to the sender's channel.
-	if channel == t.defaultChannel {
-		t.sentInRound = true
-	}
 	// Silent: user already received the message directly
 	return &ToolResult{
 		ForLLM: fmt.Sprintf("Message sent to %s:%s", channel, chatID),