diff --git a/src/gateway/server-methods/system-agent.test.ts b/src/gateway/server-methods/system-agent.test.ts
index 5632beaa8d63..2b9e3bc9d201 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-methods/system-agent.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-methods/system-agent.test.ts
@@ -966,6 +966,9 @@ describe("openclaw.chat", () => {
     ).resolves.toMatchObject({ payload: { wizardSettling: true } });
     releaseFollowUp.resolve();
     await followUpPresented.promise;
+    const historyBeforeObservation = engine.historyLength();
+    await engine.resolveOperatorApproval(null, "queue-drain");
+    expect(engine.historyLength()).toBe(historyBeforeObservation);
 
     const droppedReply = await callChat(context, {
       sessionId: "lost-follow-up",
@@ -976,9 +979,18 @@ describe("openclaw.chat", () => {
       throw new Error("retained follow-up response must contain a step");
     }
     const followUpStepId = droppedReply.payload.step.id;
+    const followUpText = droppedReply.payload.reply;
     if (typeof followUpStepId !== "string") {
       throw new Error("retained follow-up step must contain an id");
     }
+    if (typeof followUpText !== "string") {
+      throw new Error("retained follow-up response must contain reply text");
+    }
+    expect(
+      transcriptStoreMocks.appendTranscriptTurn.mock.calls.filter(
+        ([turn]) => turn.role === "assistant" && turn.text === followUpText,
+      ),
+    ).toHaveLength(1);
     expect(engine.hasPendingQrCode()).toBe(false);
     expect(engine.hasRecoverableQrReply()).toBe(true);
 
@@ -996,6 +1008,11 @@ describe("openclaw.chat", () => {
     await expect(
       callChat(context, { sessionId: "lost-follow-up", pollStepId: qrStepId }),
     ).resolves.toEqual(droppedReply);
+    expect(
+      transcriptStoreMocks.appendTranscriptTurn.mock.calls.filter(
+        ([turn]) => turn.role === "assistant" && turn.text === followUpText,
+      ),
+    ).toHaveLength(1);
 
     await expect(
       callChat(context, {
@@ -1004,6 +1021,19 @@ describe("openclaw.chat", () => {
       }),
     ).resolves.toMatchObject({ ok: true });
     expect(engine.hasRecoverableQrReply()).toBe(false);
+    const persistedTurns = transcriptStoreMocks.appendTranscriptTurn.mock.calls.map(
+      ([turn]) => turn,
+    );
+    expect(
+      persistedTurns.filter(
+        (turn) =>
+          (turn.role === "assistant" && turn.text === followUpText) ||
+          (turn.role === "user" && turn.text === "OpenClaw"),
+      ),
+    ).toEqual([
+      expect.objectContaining({ role: "assistant", text: followUpText }),
+      expect.objectContaining({ role: "user", text: "OpenClaw" }),
+    ]);
     await expect(
       callChat(context, { sessionId: "lost-follow-up", pollStepId: qrStepId }),
     ).resolves.toMatchObject({
diff --git a/src/system-agent/chat-engine.passive-poll.test.ts b/src/system-agent/chat-engine.passive-poll.test.ts
index 6daca8ba4566..2f50cc1e53fd 100644
--- a/src/system-agent/chat-engine.passive-poll.test.ts
+++ b/src/system-agent/chat-engine.passive-poll.test.ts
@@ -141,15 +141,25 @@ describe("SystemAgentChatEngine passive QR polling", () => {
       await expect(engine.pollStep(qrStepId)).resolves.toMatchObject({ wizardSettling: true });
       releaseFollowUp.resolve();
       await followUpPresented.promise;
+      const historyBeforeObservation = engine.historyLength();
+      await engine.resolveOperatorApproval(null, "queue-drain");
+      expect(engine.historyLength()).toBe(historyBeforeObservation);
 
-      let followUp: Awaited<ReturnType<SystemAgentChatEngine["pollStep"]>> | undefined;
-      await vi.waitFor(async () => {
-        followUp = await engine.pollStep(qrStepId);
-        expect(followUp.step?.type).toBe("text");
-      });
-      const droppedReply = expectDefined(followUp, "follow-up reply");
+      const droppedReply = await engine.pollStep(qrStepId);
+      expect(droppedReply.step?.type).toBe("text");
       const followUpStep = expectDefined(droppedReply.step, "follow-up step");
+      const followUpText = droppedReply.text;
+      expect(
+        engine
+          .historySince(0)
+          .filter((turn) => turn.role === "assistant" && turn.text === followUpText),
+      ).toHaveLength(1);
       await expect(engine.pollStep(qrStepId)).resolves.toEqual(droppedReply);
+      expect(
+        engine
+          .historySince(0)
+          .filter((turn) => turn.role === "assistant" && turn.text === followUpText),
+      ).toHaveLength(1);
       expect(engine.hasPendingQrCode()).toBe(false);
       expect(engine.hasRecoverableQrReply()).toBe(true);
 
diff --git a/src/system-agent/chat-engine.ts b/src/system-agent/chat-engine.ts
index b9df5087a5d5..17a9f66c7004 100644
--- a/src/system-agent/chat-engine.ts
+++ b/src/system-agent/chat-engine.ts
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ export type SystemAgentChatEngineOptions = {
 
 type RetainedPollReply = {
   expiresAtMs: number;
-  terminalHistoryRecorded: boolean;
+  historyRecorded: boolean;
   reply: SystemAgentChatReply;
 };
 
@@ -145,8 +145,7 @@ export class SystemAgentChatEngine {
       this.wizard.hasPendingQrCode() ||
       this.passivePollObservations.size > 0 ||
       [...this.retainedPollReplies.values()].some(
-        ({ reply, terminalHistoryRecorded }) =>
-          isTerminalPollReply(reply) && !terminalHistoryRecorded,
+        ({ reply, historyRecorded }) => isTerminalPollReply(reply) && !historyRecorded,
       )
     );
   }
@@ -155,8 +154,7 @@ export class SystemAgentChatEngine {
   hasRecoverableQrReply(): boolean {
     this.pruneExpiredPollReplies();
     return [...this.retainedPollReplies.values()].some(
-      ({ reply, terminalHistoryRecorded }) =>
-        !isTerminalPollReply(reply) || terminalHistoryRecorded,
+      ({ reply, historyRecorded }) => !isTerminalPollReply(reply) || historyRecorded,
     );
   }
 
@@ -266,7 +264,7 @@ export class SystemAgentChatEngine {
               expiresAtMs:
                 result.passiveQrRetentionExpiresAtMs ??
                 Date.now() + SYSTEM_AGENT_HOSTED_WIZARD_TIMEOUT_MS,
-              terminalHistoryRecorded: false,
+              historyRecorded: false,
               reply: { ...reply },
             });
           }
@@ -301,10 +299,10 @@ export class SystemAgentChatEngine {
   }
 
   private recordObservedPollReply(retained: RetainedPollReply): SystemAgentChatReply {
-    if (isTerminalPollReply(retained.reply) && !retained.terminalHistoryRecorded) {
-      // Only the request that observes completion may make it durable. The
+    if (!retained.historyRecorded) {
+      // Only the request that observes a retained reply may make it durable. The
       // background observer can finish after its Gateway request has returned.
-      retained.terminalHistoryRecorded = true;
+      retained.historyRecorded = true;
       if (retained.reply.text) {
         this.history.push({ role: "assistant", text: retained.reply.text });
       }