diff --git a/extensions/telegram/src/bot-message-dispatch-delivery.ts b/extensions/telegram/src/bot-message-dispatch-delivery.ts
index 13f928ece74f..a2f68fbe99ce 100644
--- a/extensions/telegram/src/bot-message-dispatch-delivery.ts
+++ b/extensions/telegram/src/bot-message-dispatch-delivery.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {
   resolveTranscriptBackedChannelFinalText,
 } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/channel-outbound";
 import { formatErrorMessage } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/error-runtime";
+import { createSubsystemLogger } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/logging-core";
 import type { ReplyPayload } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/reply-payload";
 import { isSingleUseReplyToMode } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/reply-reference";
 import { logVerbose } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/runtime-env";
@@ -73,6 +74,8 @@ type TelegramSendPayloadOptions = {
   bindPendingFinalDelivery?: <T extends ReplyPayload>(payload: T) => T;
 };
 
+const deliveryDowngradeLog = createSubsystemLogger("gateway/channels/telegram").child("delivery");
+
 const projectPayloadForDelivery = (turn: Turn, payload: ReplyPayload): ReplyPayload | undefined =>
   projectOutboundPayloadPlanForDelivery(
     createOutboundPayloadPlan([payload], {
@@ -303,6 +306,20 @@ export async function sendPayload(
       await projectionSequence.fail();
       return false;
     }
+    // Any other status silently downgrades a final from the durable custody
+    // funnel to the direct funnel; that downgrade must be attributable when a
+    // delivery later settles ambiguous (spurious "couldn't confirm" notices).
+    deliveryDowngradeLog.warn(
+      `durable final delivery not handled (status=${durable.status}${
+        "reason" in durable && durable.reason ? ` reason=${durable.reason}` : ""
+      }); falling back to direct send`,
+    );
+  } else if (options?.durable) {
+    deliveryDowngradeLog.warn(
+      `durable final delivery skipped (${
+        durableDelivery ? "prompt context sequence not fresh" : "durable deliverer unavailable"
+      }); falling back to direct send`,
+    );
   }
   try {
     const transcriptMirror = createTranscriptMirror(turn);
diff --git a/src/channels/turn/lifecycle.ts b/src/channels/turn/lifecycle.ts
index 3973298077a1..2bd6a7682c74 100644
--- a/src/channels/turn/lifecycle.ts
+++ b/src/channels/turn/lifecycle.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import {
 import { settlePendingFinalDelivery } from "../../infra/outbound/delivery-completion.js";
 import { createMessageSentEmitter } from "../../infra/outbound/message-sent-hook.js";
 import { summarizeOutboundPayloadForTransport } from "../../infra/outbound/payloads.js";
+import { createSubsystemLogger } from "../../logging/subsystem.js";
 import { getGlobalHookRunner } from "../../plugins/hook-runner-global.js";
 import { resolveMessageReceiptPrimaryId } from "../message/receipt.js";
 import { createChannelReplyPipeline } from "../message/reply-pipeline.js";
@@ -53,6 +54,8 @@ import type {
   PreparedChannelTurn,
 } from "./types.js";
 
+const settleLog = createSubsystemLogger("channels/turn/delivery-custody");
+
 type RoutedAssembledChannelTurn = Omit<
   AssembledChannelTurn,
   "delivery" | "dispatchReplyWithBufferedBlockDispatcher"
@@ -245,6 +248,11 @@ async function settleFailedPendingFinalDelivery(
   } else if (isPlatformMessageNotDispatchedError(error)) {
     await settlePendingFinalDelivery(completion, "prepared", ["queued", "unknown"]);
   } else {
+    // Unknown custody can surface later as a recovery notice; without this line
+    // the causing error is invisible and the notice looks spontaneous.
+    settleLog.warn(
+      `pending final delivery settled unknown after send error: intent=${completion.intentId} ${formatErrorMessage(error)}`,
+    );
     await settlePendingFinalDelivery(completion, "unknown", ["queued", "unknown"]);
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/channels/turn/run-channel-turn.finalization-custody.test.ts b/src/channels/turn/run-channel-turn.finalization-custody.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..7ba63045c1e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/channels/turn/run-channel-turn.finalization-custody.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { setReplyPayloadMetadata, type ReplyPayload } from "../../auto-reply/reply-payload.js";
+import type { DispatchReplyWithDispatcher } from "../../auto-reply/reply/provider-dispatcher.types.js";
+import type { FinalizedMsgContext } from "../../auto-reply/templating.js";
+import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../../config/types.openclaw.js";
+import { createChannelPartialDeliveryError } from "./delivery-result.js";
+import { dispatchRoutedChannelTurn } from "./lifecycle.js";
+
+const dispatchReplyWithRoutedChannelDispatcherCore = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
+const getGlobalHookRunner = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
+const settlePendingFinalDelivery = vi.hoisted(() =>
+  vi.fn(async (_completion: unknown, state: string) => ({ state })),
+);
+
+vi.mock("../../auto-reply/dispatch.js", async (importOriginal) => {
+  const actual = await importOriginal<typeof import("../../auto-reply/dispatch.js")>();
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    dispatchInboundMessageWithRoutedChannelDispatcher: dispatchReplyWithRoutedChannelDispatcherCore,
+  };
+});
+
+vi.mock("../../plugins/hook-runner-global.js", async (importOriginal) => {
+  const actual = await importOriginal<typeof import("../../plugins/hook-runner-global.js")>();
+  return { ...actual, getGlobalHookRunner };
+});
+
+vi.mock("../../config/sessions/transcript.js", () => ({
+  readRecentUserAssistantTextForSession: vi.fn(async () => []),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../../infra/outbound/delivery-completion.js", async (importOriginal) => {
+  const actual =
+    await importOriginal<typeof import("../../infra/outbound/delivery-completion.js")>();
+  return { ...actual, settlePendingFinalDelivery };
+});
+
+const cfg: OpenClawConfig = {};
+
+function createCtx(overrides: Partial<FinalizedMsgContext> = {}): FinalizedMsgContext {
+  return {
+    Body: "hello",
+    RawBody: "hello",
+    CommandBody: "hello",
+    CommandAuthorized: false,
+    From: "sender",
+    To: "target",
+    SessionKey: "agent:main:test:peer",
+    Provider: "test",
+    Surface: "test",
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+describe("deferred finalization custody after a visible send", () => {
+  const completion = {
+    deliveryId: "delivery-final",
+    intentId: "intent-final",
+    sessionId: "session-final",
+    sessionKey: "agent:main:telegram:peer",
+    storePath: "/tmp/sessions.json",
+  };
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+    getGlobalHookRunner.mockReturnValue(null);
+    settlePendingFinalDelivery.mockImplementation(async (_completion, state: string) => ({
+      state,
+    }));
+  });
+
+  const run = (finalization: Promise<{ visibleReplySent: boolean; messageIds?: string[] }>) => {
+    const sourcePayload = setReplyPayloadMetadata(
+      { text: "reply" },
+      { pendingFinalDeliveryCompletion: completion },
+    );
+    const dispatch: DispatchReplyWithDispatcher = async (params) => {
+      await params.dispatcherOptions.deliver(sourcePayload, { kind: "final" });
+      return { queuedFinal: true, counts: { tool: 0, block: 0, final: 1 } };
+    };
+    dispatchReplyWithRoutedChannelDispatcherCore.mockImplementationOnce(dispatch);
+    return dispatchRoutedChannelTurn({
+      cfg,
+      channel: "telegram",
+      accountId: "acct",
+      route: { agentId: "main", sessionKey: completion.sessionKey },
+      ctxPayload: createCtx({ Surface: "telegram", OriginatingTo: "chat-1" }),
+      delivery: {
+        deliver: async (_payload: ReplyPayload) => ({
+          visibleReplySent: true,
+          finalization,
+        }),
+      },
+    });
+  };
+
+  it("settles delivered when deferred finalization resolves", async () => {
+    await run(Promise.resolve({ visibleReplySent: true, messageIds: ["56067"] }));
+
+    expect(settlePendingFinalDelivery).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(
+      { kind: "pending-final", ...completion },
+      "delivered",
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("keeps unknown custody when finalization rejects with a true partial", async () => {
+    // A partial proves something was visible, not that everything was; the
+    // remainder may be lost. Unknown custody plus the recovery notice ("ask
+    // for any missing remainder") is the designed outcome. Channels must not
+    // reject content-complete deliveries this way — cosmetic post-content
+    // failures stay channel-side (see telegram progress-window guards).
+    const partial = createChannelPartialDeliveryError(new Error("chunk 2 send failed"), {
+      visibleReplySent: true,
+      messageIds: ["56067"],
+    });
+
+    await expect(run(Promise.reject(partial))).rejects.toBeDefined();
+
+    expect(settlePendingFinalDelivery).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(
+      { kind: "pending-final", ...completion },
+      "unknown",
+      ["queued", "unknown"],
+    );
+  });
+});