diff --git a/extensions/whatsapp/src/auto-reply/monitor/on-message.audio-preflight.test.ts b/extensions/whatsapp/src/auto-reply/monitor/on-message.audio-preflight.test.ts
index 5d8c33c2b9e..93791fe5b9b 100644
--- a/extensions/whatsapp/src/auto-reply/monitor/on-message.audio-preflight.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/whatsapp/src/auto-reply/monitor/on-message.audio-preflight.test.ts
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ function makeAudioMsg(): WebInboundMsg {
     id: "msg-1",
     from: "+15550000002",
     to: "+15550000001",
+    accessControlPassed: true,
     body: "<media:audio>",
     chatType: "direct",
     mediaType: "audio/ogg; codecs=opus",
@@ -146,4 +147,45 @@ describe("createWebOnMessageHandler audio preflight", () => {
       }),
     );
   });
+
+  it("skips early DM ack/preflight when access-control was not explicitly passed through", async () => {
+    const handler = createWebOnMessageHandler({
+      cfg: {
+        channels: {
+          whatsapp: {
+            ackReaction: { enabled: true },
+          },
+        },
+      } as never,
+      verbose: false,
+      connectionId: "conn-1",
+      maxMediaBytes: 1024 * 1024,
+      groupHistoryLimit: 20,
+      groupHistories: new Map(),
+      groupMemberNames: new Map(),
+      echoTracker: makeEchoTracker() as never,
+      backgroundTasks: new Set(),
+      replyResolver: vi.fn() as never,
+      replyLogger: {
+        info: () => {},
+        warn: () => {},
+        debug: () => {},
+        error: () => {},
+      } as never,
+      baseMentionConfig: {} as never,
+      account: { authDir: "/tmp/auth", accountId: "default" },
+    });
+
+    await handler({ ...makeAudioMsg(), accessControlPassed: undefined });
+
+    expect(events).toEqual([]);
+    expect(transcribeFirstAudioMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(maybeSendAckReactionMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(processMessageMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.not.objectContaining({
+        preflightAudioTranscript: expect.anything(),
+        ackAlreadySent: true,
+      }),
+    );
+  });
 });
diff --git a/extensions/whatsapp/src/auto-reply/monitor/on-message.ts b/extensions/whatsapp/src/auto-reply/monitor/on-message.ts
index 0a84f9cd2e3..d79372600fa 100644
--- a/extensions/whatsapp/src/auto-reply/monitor/on-message.ts
+++ b/extensions/whatsapp/src/auto-reply/monitor/on-message.ts
@@ -176,13 +176,17 @@ export function createWebOnMessageHandler(params: {
 
     // Preflight audio transcription: run once here, before broadcast fan-out, so
     // all agents share the same transcript instead of each making a separate STT call.
+    // For DMs, only do this on the real inbound path after access-control/pairing
+    // checks have already passed in inbound/monitor.ts. That keeps external STT and
+    // early ack feedback behind the same auth-first gate as the rest of DM handling.
     // null = preflight was attempted but produced no transcript (failed / disabled / no audio);
     // undefined = preflight was not attempted (non-audio message).
     let preflightAudioTranscript: string | null | undefined;
     const hasAudioBody =
       msg.mediaType?.startsWith("audio/") === true && msg.body === "<media:audio>";
+    const canRunEarlyDmPreflight = msg.chatType === "group" || msg.accessControlPassed === true;
     let ackAlreadySent = false;
-    if (hasAudioBody && msg.mediaPath) {
+    if (canRunEarlyDmPreflight && hasAudioBody && msg.mediaPath) {
       await maybeSendAckReaction({
         cfg: params.cfg,
         msg,
diff --git a/extensions/whatsapp/src/inbound/monitor.ts b/extensions/whatsapp/src/inbound/monitor.ts
index ef73d214d70..1926904e19d 100644
--- a/extensions/whatsapp/src/inbound/monitor.ts
+++ b/extensions/whatsapp/src/inbound/monitor.ts
@@ -567,6 +567,7 @@ export async function attachWebInboxToSocket(
       conversationId: inbound.from,
       to: self.e164 ?? "me",
       accountId: inbound.access.resolvedAccountId,
+      accessControlPassed: true,
       body: enriched.body,
       pushName: senderName,
       timestamp,
diff --git a/extensions/whatsapp/src/inbound/types.ts b/extensions/whatsapp/src/inbound/types.ts
index 0890dc65231..f30c333b9f4 100644
--- a/extensions/whatsapp/src/inbound/types.ts
+++ b/extensions/whatsapp/src/inbound/types.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ export type WebInboundMessage = {
   conversationId: string; // alias for clarity (same as from)
   to: string;
   accountId: string;
+  /** Set by the real inbound monitor after access-control / pairing checks pass. */
+  accessControlPassed?: boolean;
   body: string;
   pushName?: string;
   timestamp?: number;
diff --git a/extensions/whatsapp/src/monitor-inbox.blocks-messages-from-unauthorized-senders-not-allowfrom.test-support.ts b/extensions/whatsapp/src/monitor-inbox.blocks-messages-from-unauthorized-senders-not-allowfrom.test-support.ts
index 677993d7bc6..16cf52798f3 100644
--- a/extensions/whatsapp/src/monitor-inbox.blocks-messages-from-unauthorized-senders-not-allowfrom.test-support.ts
+++ b/extensions/whatsapp/src/monitor-inbox.blocks-messages-from-unauthorized-senders-not-allowfrom.test-support.ts
@@ -150,7 +150,12 @@ describe("web monitor inbox", () => {
 
     expect(onMessage).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     expect(onMessage).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-      expect.objectContaining({ from: "+123", to: "+123", body: "self ping" }),
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        from: "+123",
+        to: "+123",
+        body: "self ping",
+        accessControlPassed: true,
+      }),
     );
     expect(sock.readMessages).not.toHaveBeenCalled();