diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/data/ws/HermesWsClient.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/data/ws/HermesWsClient.kt
index c3e5b137..d202a8f8 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/data/ws/HermesWsClient.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/data/ws/HermesWsClient.kt
@@ -157,6 +157,15 @@ object HermesWsClient {
     /** Observable connection status */
     val connectionStatus: StateFlow<ConnectionStatus> = _connectionStatus.asStateFlow()
 
+    // ── Reply-pending tracking ─────────────────────────────────────────
+    // True while at least one agent turn is in flight. Drives the chat
+    // notification foreground service: it only runs while a reply is
+    // actually pending, instead of for the whole time the app is
+    // backgrounded (issue #794).
+    @Volatile
+    var pendingReply: Boolean = false
+        private set
+
     // ── Credential warning (issue #534) ─────────────────────────────────
     // Backend surfaces `credential_warning` in `gateway.ready` / `session.info`
     // WS payloads (desktop `requestDesktopOnboarding`). Mobile has no equivalent
@@ -207,6 +216,25 @@ object HermesWsClient {
                 }
             }
         }
+        // Track whether a reply is actually in flight so the chat notification
+        // foreground service only runs while the user is waiting for one
+        // (issue #794), instead of for the whole time the app is backgrounded.
+        // Also covers turns started from other devices on the same session.
+        wsScope.launch {
+            events.collect { event ->
+                when (event) {
+                    is WsEvent.MessageStart,
+                    is WsEvent.MessageToken,
+                    is WsEvent.ThinkingDelta,
+                    is WsEvent.ReasoningDelta,
+                    is WsEvent.ToolStart,
+                    -> pendingReply = true
+
+                    is WsEvent.MessageComplete -> pendingReply = false
+                    else -> {}
+                }
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     // ── Connection helpers ────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -584,12 +612,17 @@ object HermesWsClient {
         sessionId: String,
         text: String,
         onSent: ((String) -> Unit)? = null,
-    ): String =
-        send(
+    ): String {
+        // A reply is now pending — even before the first MessageStart event
+        // (the agent may be in its tool phase), so backgrounding the app in
+        // that window still arms the notification service (issue #794).
+        pendingReply = true
+        return send(
             method = WsMethods.PROMPT_SUBMIT,
             params = mapOf("session_id" to sessionId, "text" to text),
             onSent = onSent,
         )
+    }
 
     /**
      * Convenience: redirect the active model turn while it is still generating
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/notification/ChatNotificationService.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/notification/ChatNotificationService.kt
index 71af6dfe..a90b8081 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/notification/ChatNotificationService.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/notification/ChatNotificationService.kt
@@ -42,11 +42,16 @@ import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean
  * message notifications, which is correct.
  *
  * Lifecycle:
- * - Started by [NotificationHelper.start] when the user sends a message and
- *   the app is about to go to the background (called from ChatScreen's
- *   onStop / onPause).
+ * - Started by [NotificationHelper.start] when the app goes to the
+ *   background while a reply is still pending (the user sent a message or
+ *   replied from a notification and the agent has not finished yet).
+ *   [NotificationHelper.start] is a no-op when nothing is pending, so the
+ *   service — and its mandatory persistent notification — only exists
+ *   while the user is actually waiting for a reply (issue #794).
  * - Stopped by [NotificationHelper.stop] when the app returns to the
- *   foreground (called from ChatScreen's onStart / onResume).
+ *   foreground (called from ChatScreen's onStart / onResume), or by the
+ *   service itself once the pending reply completes in the background
+ *   (the reply notification replaces the persistent "waiting" one).
  *
  * The service collects [WsEvent]s from [HermesWsClient] — the same stream
  * the ChatViewModel collects — and watches for [WsEvent.MessageComplete]
@@ -64,6 +69,8 @@ class ChatNotificationService : Service() {
         fun setAppForeground(foreground: Boolean) {
             isAppInForeground.set(foreground)
         }
+
+        fun isAppInForeground(): Boolean = isAppInForeground.get()
     }
 
     private val serviceScope = CoroutineScope(Dispatchers.IO + SupervisorJob())
@@ -92,6 +99,15 @@ class ChatNotificationService : Service() {
                                                 .replace("\n", " ")
                                                 .ifBlank { getString(R.string.notif_new_message) }
                                         showReplyNotification(preview, event.sessionId)
+                                        // The wait is over — retire the foreground
+                                        // service. The reply notification above
+                                        // replaces the persistent "waiting" one,
+                                        // and the pendingReply flag is cleared by
+                                        // HermesWsClient's own collector, so the
+                                        // service is not restarted on the next
+                                        // ON_STOP (issue #794).
+                                        stopForeground(STOP_FOREGROUND_REMOVE)
+                                        stopSelf()
                                     }
 
                                     is WsEvent.ClarifyRequest -> {
@@ -235,6 +251,11 @@ class ChatNotificationService : Service() {
 object NotificationHelper {
     fun start(context: Context) {
         if (AuthManager.getToken().isNullOrBlank()) return
+        // Only run the foreground service while a reply is actually pending
+        // (issue #794) — otherwise the mandatory persistent "Waiting for
+        // Hermes replies" notification appears on every background even
+        // when nothing is in flight.
+        if (!HermesWsClient.pendingReply) return
         val intent = Intent(context, ChatNotificationService::class.java)
         if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.O) {
             context.startForegroundService(intent)
@@ -253,4 +274,6 @@ object NotificationHelper {
     ) {
         ChatNotificationService.setAppForeground(foreground)
     }
+
+    fun isAppInForeground(): Boolean = ChatNotificationService.isAppInForeground()
 }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/notification/NotificationReplyReceiver.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/notification/NotificationReplyReceiver.kt
index d391ebb1..6baecda7 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/notification/NotificationReplyReceiver.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/notification/NotificationReplyReceiver.kt
@@ -92,6 +92,15 @@ open class NotificationReplyReceiver : BroadcastReceiver() {
                             val repliedNotification = buildReplyNotification(context)
                             val manager = context.getSystemService(Context.NOTIFICATION_SERVICE) as NotificationManager
                             manager.notify(ChatNotificationService.PENDING_NOTIFICATION_ID, repliedNotification)
+
+                            // The follow-up turn is now pending — keep the
+                            // foreground service alive if it retired after the
+                            // previous reply completed, so the next
+                            // MessageComplete still notifies while backgrounded
+                            // (issue #794). No-op when the app is foreground.
+                            if (!NotificationHelper.isAppInForeground()) {
+                                NotificationHelper.start(context)
+                            }
                         }
                     }
                 } catch (e: Exception) {