diff --git a/src/message-agent-executor.test.ts b/src/message-agent-executor.test.ts
index 9972ea7..fe92ff7 100644
--- a/src/message-agent-executor.test.ts
+++ b/src/message-agent-executor.test.ts
@@ -1030,6 +1030,92 @@ describe('runAgentForGroup room memory', () => {
       undefined,
     );
   });
+
+  it('does not enqueue a second generic follow-up when reviewer approval already moved the task to merge_ready', async () => {
+    const group = { ...makeGroup(), folder: 'test-group' };
+    const deps = makeDeps();
+
+    vi.mocked(serviceRouting.getEffectiveChannelLease).mockReturnValue({
+      chat_jid: 'group@test',
+      owner_agent_type: 'claude-code',
+      reviewer_agent_type: 'claude-code',
+      arbiter_agent_type: null,
+      owner_service_id: 'claude',
+      reviewer_service_id: 'claude',
+      arbiter_service_id: null,
+      activated_at: null,
+      reason: null,
+      explicit: false,
+    });
+    vi.mocked(
+      pairedExecutionContext.preparePairedExecutionContext,
+    ).mockReturnValue({
+      task: {
+        id: 'paired-task-merge-ready',
+        chat_jid: 'group@test',
+        group_folder: 'test-group',
+        owner_service_id: 'claude',
+        reviewer_service_id: 'claude',
+        title: null,
+        source_ref: 'HEAD',
+        plan_notes: null,
+        round_trip_count: 1,
+        review_requested_at: '2026-03-31T00:00:00.000Z',
+        status: 'in_review',
+        arbiter_verdict: null,
+        arbiter_requested_at: null,
+        completion_reason: null,
+        created_at: '2026-03-31T00:00:00.000Z',
+        updated_at: '2026-03-31T00:00:00.000Z',
+      },
+      workspace: null,
+      envOverrides: {},
+    });
+    vi.mocked(db.getPairedTaskById).mockReturnValue({
+      id: 'paired-task-merge-ready',
+      chat_jid: 'group@test',
+      group_folder: 'test-group',
+      owner_service_id: 'claude',
+      reviewer_service_id: 'claude',
+      title: null,
+      source_ref: 'HEAD',
+      plan_notes: null,
+      round_trip_count: 1,
+      review_requested_at: '2026-03-31T00:00:00.000Z',
+      status: 'merge_ready',
+      arbiter_verdict: null,
+      arbiter_requested_at: null,
+      completion_reason: null,
+      created_at: '2026-03-31T00:00:00.000Z',
+      updated_at: '2026-03-31T00:00:00.000Z',
+    });
+    vi.mocked(agentRunner.runAgentProcess).mockImplementation(
+      async (_group, _input, _onProcess, onOutput) => {
+        await onOutput?.({
+          status: 'success',
+          result: 'DONE\nreview complete',
+          output: { visibility: 'public', text: 'DONE\nreview complete' },
+          phase: 'final',
+        });
+        return {
+          status: 'success',
+          result: 'DONE\nreview complete',
+        };
+      },
+    );
+
+    const result = await runAgentForGroup(deps, {
+      group,
+      prompt: 'please review',
+      chatJid: 'group@test',
+      runId: 'run-review-merge-ready',
+      forcedRole: 'reviewer',
+      onOutput: async () => {},
+    });
+
+    expect(result).toBe('success');
+    expect(deps.queue.enqueueMessageCheck).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
 });
 
 describe('runAgentForGroup Claude rotation', () => {
diff --git a/src/message-agent-executor.ts b/src/message-agent-executor.ts
index 66220b6..44661f1 100644
--- a/src/message-agent-executor.ts
+++ b/src/message-agent-executor.ts
@@ -1124,8 +1124,20 @@ export async function runAgentForGroup(
       pairedExecutionStatus === 'succeeded' &&
       pairedSawOutput
     ) {
+      const completedRole = roomRoleContext?.role ?? 'owner';
       const finishedCheck = getPairedTaskById(pairedExecutionContext.task.id);
-      if (finishedCheck?.status !== 'completed') {
+      const skipGenericFollowUpForInlineFinalize =
+        completedRole === 'reviewer' && finishedCheck?.status === 'merge_ready';
+      if (skipGenericFollowUpForInlineFinalize) {
+        log.info(
+          {
+            taskId: pairedExecutionContext.task.id,
+            role: completedRole,
+            taskStatus: finishedCheck?.status ?? null,
+          },
+          'Skipping generic follow-up after reviewer approval because inline finalize will handle the owner handoff',
+        );
+      } else if (finishedCheck?.status !== 'completed') {
         deps.queue.enqueueMessageCheck(chatJid);
       }
     }
diff --git a/src/paired-execution-context.test.ts b/src/paired-execution-context.test.ts
index c441299..af7b99c 100644
--- a/src/paired-execution-context.test.ts
+++ b/src/paired-execution-context.test.ts
@@ -391,6 +391,27 @@ describe('paired execution context', () => {
     // Should not throw; just logs.
   });
 
+  it('ignores late completions after the paired task is already completed', () => {
+    vi.mocked(db.getPairedTaskById).mockReturnValue(
+      buildPairedTask({
+        status: 'completed',
+        completion_reason: 'done',
+      }),
+    );
+
+    completePairedExecutionContext({
+      taskId: 'task-1',
+      role: 'owner',
+      status: 'succeeded',
+      summary: 'DONE',
+    });
+
+    expect(db.updatePairedTask).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(
+      pairedWorkspaceManager.markPairedTaskReviewReady,
+    ).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it('completes owner finalize when only the commit object changed after approval', () => {
     const repoDir = createCanonicalRepoWithCommit('reviewed');
     const approvedSourceRef = resolveTreeRef(repoDir);
diff --git a/src/paired-execution-context.ts b/src/paired-execution-context.ts
index 86dd418..966702d 100644
--- a/src/paired-execution-context.ts
+++ b/src/paired-execution-context.ts
@@ -429,6 +429,18 @@ export function completePairedExecutionContext(args: {
 
   const task = getPairedTaskById(taskId);
   if (!task) return;
+  if (task.status === 'completed') {
+    logger.info(
+      {
+        taskId,
+        role,
+        status,
+        completionReason: task.completion_reason ?? null,
+      },
+      'Ignoring late paired execution completion for an already completed task',
+    );
+    return;
+  }
 
   // On failure: for reviewers, still check verdict from summary — output may
   // have been delivered even though the executor classified it as failed