diff --git a/src/auto-reply/dispatch.freshness.test.ts b/src/auto-reply/dispatch.freshness.test.ts
index c129a667a15..c4b74c656ca 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/dispatch.freshness.test.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/dispatch.freshness.test.ts
@@ -28,12 +28,10 @@ type Delivery = {
 
 function createDeferred<T>() {
   let resolve!: (value: T | PromiseLike<T>) => void;
-  let reject!: (reason?: unknown) => void;
-  const promise = new Promise<T>((res, rej) => {
+  const promise = new Promise<T>((res) => {
     resolve = res;
-    reject = rej;
   });
-  return { promise, resolve, reject };
+  return { promise, resolve };
 }
 
 function queuedFinalResult() {
@@ -88,7 +86,6 @@ describe("foreground reply freshness", () => {
   it("suppresses an older foreground final after a newer inbound turn starts for the same session target", async () => {
     const deliveries: Delivery[] = [];
     const olderStarted = createDeferred<void>();
-    const newerStarted = createDeferred<void>();
     const releaseOlderFinal = createDeferred<void>();
 
     hoisted.dispatchReplyFromConfigMock.mockImplementation(
@@ -100,7 +97,6 @@ describe("foreground reply freshness", () => {
           return queuedFinalResult();
         }
         if (params.ctx.MessageSid === "new-message") {
-          newerStarted.resolve();
           params.dispatcher.sendFinalReply({ text: "new final" });
           return queuedFinalResult();
         }
@@ -114,12 +110,10 @@ describe("foreground reply freshness", () => {
     );
     await olderStarted.promise;
 
-    const newerDispatch = dispatchWithDeliveries(
+    const newerResult = await dispatchWithDeliveries(
       buildForegroundCtx({ MessageSid: "new-message" }),
       deliveries,
     );
-    await newerStarted.promise;
-    const newerResult = await newerDispatch;
 
     releaseOlderFinal.resolve();
     const olderResult = await olderDispatch;
@@ -139,10 +133,9 @@ describe("foreground reply freshness", () => {
     const deliveries: Delivery[] = [];
     const beforeDeliverStarted = createDeferred<void>();
     const releaseBeforeDeliver = createDeferred<ReplyPayload | null>();
-    const newerStarted = createDeferred<void>();
-    const beforeDeliver = vi.fn(async () => {
+    const beforeDeliver = vi.fn(() => {
       beforeDeliverStarted.resolve();
-      return await releaseBeforeDeliver.promise;
+      return releaseBeforeDeliver.promise;
     });
 
     hoisted.dispatchReplyFromConfigMock.mockImplementation(
@@ -152,7 +145,6 @@ describe("foreground reply freshness", () => {
           return queuedFinalResult();
         }
         if (params.ctx.MessageSid === "new-message") {
-          newerStarted.resolve();
           return {
             queuedFinal: false,
             counts: { tool: 0, block: 0, final: 0 },
@@ -173,7 +165,6 @@ describe("foreground reply freshness", () => {
       buildForegroundCtx({ MessageSid: "new-message" }),
       deliveries,
     );
-    await newerStarted.promise;
 
     releaseBeforeDeliver.resolve({ text: "old rewritten final" });
     const olderResult = await olderDispatch;
@@ -193,7 +184,6 @@ describe("foreground reply freshness", () => {
   it("keeps concurrent foreground finals isolated for different targets sharing a session", async () => {
     const deliveries: Delivery[] = [];
     const firstStarted = createDeferred<void>();
-    const secondStarted = createDeferred<void>();
     const releaseFirstFinal = createDeferred<void>();
 
     hoisted.dispatchReplyFromConfigMock.mockImplementation(
@@ -205,7 +195,6 @@ describe("foreground reply freshness", () => {
           return queuedFinalResult();
         }
         if (params.ctx.MessageSid === "second-chat") {
-          secondStarted.resolve();
           params.dispatcher.sendFinalReply({ text: "second chat final" });
           return queuedFinalResult();
         }
@@ -234,7 +223,6 @@ describe("foreground reply freshness", () => {
       }),
       deliveries,
     );
-    await secondStarted.promise;
     await expect(secondDispatch).resolves.toEqual({
       queuedFinal: true,
       counts: { tool: 0, block: 0, final: 1 },
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/dispatch.ts b/src/auto-reply/dispatch.ts
index daefa9ed48b..24582209177 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/dispatch.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/dispatch.ts
@@ -92,8 +92,13 @@ function beginForegroundReplyFence(
   };
 }
 
-function isForegroundReplyFenceSuperseded(snapshot: ForegroundReplyFenceSnapshot): boolean {
-  return (foregroundReplyFenceByKey.get(snapshot.key)?.generation ?? 0) !== snapshot.generation;
+function isForegroundReplyFenceSuperseded(
+  snapshot: ForegroundReplyFenceSnapshot | undefined,
+): boolean {
+  return Boolean(
+    snapshot &&
+    (foregroundReplyFenceByKey.get(snapshot.key)?.generation ?? 0) !== snapshot.generation,
+  );
 }
 
 function endForegroundReplyFence(snapshot: ForegroundReplyFenceSnapshot): void {
@@ -283,26 +288,24 @@ export async function dispatchInboundMessageWithBufferedDispatcher(params: {
 }): Promise<DispatchInboundResult> {
   const finalized = finalizeInboundContext(params.ctx);
   const foregroundReplyFence = beginForegroundReplyFence(finalized);
-  let foregroundReplyFenceActive = true;
   const silentReplyContext = resolveDispatcherSilentReplyContext(finalized, params.cfg);
   const configuredBeforeDeliver =
     params.dispatcherOptions.beforeDeliver ?? buildMessageSendingBeforeDeliver(finalized);
-  const beforeDeliver: ReplyDispatchBeforeDeliver | undefined = foregroundReplyFence
-    ? async (payload, info) => {
-        const isSuperseded = () =>
-          foregroundReplyFenceActive && isForegroundReplyFenceSuperseded(foregroundReplyFence);
-        if (isSuperseded()) {
-          return null;
+  const beforeDeliver: ReplyDispatchBeforeDeliver | undefined =
+    foregroundReplyFence || configuredBeforeDeliver
+      ? async (payload, info) => {
+          if (isForegroundReplyFenceSuperseded(foregroundReplyFence)) {
+            return null;
+          }
+          const deliverPayload = configuredBeforeDeliver
+            ? await configuredBeforeDeliver(payload, info)
+            : payload;
+          if (!deliverPayload || isForegroundReplyFenceSuperseded(foregroundReplyFence)) {
+            return null;
+          }
+          return deliverPayload;
         }
-        const deliverPayload = configuredBeforeDeliver
-          ? await configuredBeforeDeliver(payload, info)
-          : payload;
-        if (!deliverPayload || isSuperseded()) {
-          return null;
-        }
-        return deliverPayload;
-      }
-    : configuredBeforeDeliver;
+      : undefined;
   const { dispatcher, replyOptions, markDispatchIdle, markRunComplete } =
     createReplyDispatcherWithTyping({
       ...params.dispatcherOptions,
@@ -322,7 +325,6 @@ export async function dispatchInboundMessageWithBufferedDispatcher(params: {
     });
   } finally {
     if (foregroundReplyFence) {
-      foregroundReplyFenceActive = false;
       endForegroundReplyFence(foregroundReplyFence);
     }
     markRunComplete();