diff --git a/extensions/whatsapp/src/auto-reply/deliver-reply.test.ts b/extensions/whatsapp/src/auto-reply/deliver-reply.test.ts
index 69c444c4ce0..2ee30376145 100644
--- a/extensions/whatsapp/src/auto-reply/deliver-reply.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/whatsapp/src/auto-reply/deliver-reply.test.ts
@@ -624,6 +624,32 @@ describe("deliverWebReply", () => {
     expect(warnContext.mediaUrl).toBe("http://example.com/img.jpg");
   });
 
+  it("delivers the opening text chunk when the first media fails on a multi-chunk reply", async () => {
+    const msg = makeMsg();
+    mockLoadedImageMedia();
+    mockFirstSendMediaFailure(msg, "boom");
+
+    await deliverWebReply({
+      replyResult: { text: "ALPHALINEBRAVOLINE", mediaUrl: "http://example.com/img.jpg" },
+      msg,
+      maxMediaBytes: 1024 * 1024,
+      textLimit: 9,
+      replyLogger,
+      skipLog: true,
+    });
+
+    expect(replyText(msg, 0)).toContain("ALPHALINE");
+    expect(replyText(msg, 0)).toContain("⚠️ Media failed");
+    const allReplies = (
+      msg.platform.reply as unknown as { mock: { calls: unknown[][] } }
+    ).mock.calls
+      .map((call) => String(call[0]))
+      .join("\n");
+    expect(allReplies).toContain("ALPHALINE");
+    expect(allReplies).toContain("BRAVOLINE");
+    expect(allReplies).not.toContain("boom");
+  });
+
   it("still attempts later media after the first media fails", async () => {
     vi.clearAllMocks();
     const msg = makeMsg();
diff --git a/extensions/whatsapp/src/auto-reply/deliver-reply.ts b/extensions/whatsapp/src/auto-reply/deliver-reply.ts
index 1b92289e2fb..f9f53ff3833 100644
--- a/extensions/whatsapp/src/auto-reply/deliver-reply.ts
+++ b/extensions/whatsapp/src/auto-reply/deliver-reply.ts
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ export async function deliverWebReply(params: {
         return;
       }
       const warning = "⚠️ Media failed.";
-      const fallbackTextParts = [remainingText.shift() ?? caption ?? "", warning].filter(Boolean);
+      const fallbackTextParts = [caption ?? "", warning].filter(Boolean);
       const fallbackText = fallbackTextParts.join("\n");
       if (!fallbackText) {
         return;