diff --git a/internal/channel/inbound/channel.go b/internal/channel/inbound/channel.go
index fa73479d..ee4f6aaf 100644
--- a/internal/channel/inbound/channel.go
+++ b/internal/channel/inbound/channel.go
@@ -279,8 +279,6 @@ func (p *ChannelInboundProcessor) HandleInbound(ctx context.Context, cfg channel
 		p.markInboxItemRead(ctx, inboxItem)
 	}
 
-	userMessagePersisted := p.persistInboundUser(ctx, resolved.RouteID, identity, msg, text, attachments, "active_chat")
-
 	// Issue chat token for reply routing.
 	chatToken := ""
 	if p.jwtSecret != "" && strings.TrimSpace(msg.ReplyTarget) != "" {
@@ -425,7 +423,7 @@ func (p *ChannelInboundProcessor) HandleInbound(ctx context.Context, cfg channel
 		Query:                   text,
 		CurrentChannel:          msg.Channel.String(),
 		Channels:                []string{msg.Channel.String()},
-		UserMessagePersisted:    userMessagePersisted,
+		UserMessagePersisted:    false,
 		Attachments:             attachments,
 		OutboundAssetCollector:  assetCollector,
 	})
@@ -680,71 +678,6 @@ func metadataBool(metadata map[string]any, key string) bool {
 	}
 }
 
-func (p *ChannelInboundProcessor) persistInboundUser(
-	ctx context.Context,
-	routeID string,
-	identity InboundIdentity,
-	msg channel.InboundMessage,
-	query string,
-	attachments []conversation.ChatAttachment,
-	triggerMode string,
-) bool {
-	if p.message == nil {
-		return false
-	}
-	botID := strings.TrimSpace(identity.BotID)
-	if botID == "" {
-		return false
-	}
-	var attachmentPaths []string
-	for _, att := range attachments {
-		if ap := strings.TrimSpace(att.Path); ap != "" {
-			attachmentPaths = append(attachmentPaths, ap)
-		}
-	}
-	headerifiedQuery := flow.FormatUserHeader(
-		strings.TrimSpace(msg.Message.ID),
-		strings.TrimSpace(identity.ChannelIdentityID),
-		strings.TrimSpace(identity.DisplayName),
-		msg.Channel.String(),
-		strings.TrimSpace(msg.Conversation.Type),
-		strings.TrimSpace(msg.Conversation.Name),
-		attachmentPaths,
-		query,
-	)
-	payload, err := json.Marshal(conversation.ModelMessage{
-		Role:    "user",
-		Content: conversation.NewTextContent(headerifiedQuery),
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		if p.logger != nil {
-			p.logger.Warn("marshal inbound user message failed", slog.Any("error", err))
-		}
-		return false
-	}
-	meta := map[string]any{
-		"route_id":     strings.TrimSpace(routeID),
-		"platform":     msg.Channel.String(),
-		"trigger_mode": strings.TrimSpace(triggerMode),
-	}
-	if _, err := p.message.Persist(ctx, messagepkg.PersistInput{
-		BotID:                   botID,
-		RouteID:                 strings.TrimSpace(routeID),
-		SenderChannelIdentityID: strings.TrimSpace(identity.ChannelIdentityID),
-		SenderUserID:            strings.TrimSpace(identity.UserID),
-		Platform:                msg.Channel.String(),
-		ExternalMessageID:       strings.TrimSpace(msg.Message.ID),
-		Role:                    "user",
-		Content:                 payload,
-		Metadata:                meta,
-		Assets:                  chatAttachmentsToAssetRefs(attachments),
-	}); err != nil && p.logger != nil {
-		p.logger.Warn("persist inbound user message failed", slog.Any("error", err))
-		return false
-	}
-	return true
-}
-
 func (p *ChannelInboundProcessor) createInboxItem(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	ident InboundIdentity,
@@ -1887,36 +1820,6 @@ func channelAttachmentsToAssetRefs(attachments []channel.Attachment, role string
 	return refs
 }
 
-func chatAttachmentsToAssetRefs(attachments []conversation.ChatAttachment) []messagepkg.AssetRef {
-	if len(attachments) == 0 {
-		return nil
-	}
-	refs := make([]messagepkg.AssetRef, 0, len(attachments))
-	for idx, att := range attachments {
-		contentHash := strings.TrimSpace(att.ContentHash)
-		if contentHash == "" {
-			continue
-		}
-		ref := messagepkg.AssetRef{
-			ContentHash: contentHash,
-			Role:        "attachment",
-			Ordinal:     idx,
-			Mime:        strings.TrimSpace(att.Mime),
-			SizeBytes:   att.Size,
-		}
-		if att.Metadata != nil {
-			if sk, ok := att.Metadata["storage_key"].(string); ok {
-				ref.StorageKey = sk
-			}
-		}
-		refs = append(refs, ref)
-	}
-	if len(refs) == 0 {
-		return nil
-	}
-	return refs
-}
-
 func mapChannelToChatAttachments(attachments []channel.Attachment) []conversation.ChatAttachment {
 	if len(attachments) == 0 {
 		return nil
diff --git a/internal/channel/inbound/channel_test.go b/internal/channel/inbound/channel_test.go
index cc6d4f32..8092f686 100644
--- a/internal/channel/inbound/channel_test.go
+++ b/internal/channel/inbound/channel_test.go
@@ -629,8 +629,8 @@ func TestChannelInboundProcessorGroupMentionTriggersReply(t *testing.T) {
 	if len(sender.sent) != 1 {
 		t.Fatalf("expected one outbound reply, got %d", len(sender.sent))
 	}
-	if !gateway.gotReq.UserMessagePersisted {
-		t.Fatalf("expected UserMessagePersisted=true for pre-persisted inbound message")
+	if gateway.gotReq.UserMessagePersisted {
+		t.Fatalf("expected UserMessagePersisted=false: user message persistence is deferred to storeRound")
 	}
 }
 
@@ -649,7 +649,7 @@ func (s *failingOpenStreamSender) OpenStream(_ context.Context, _ string, _ chan
 	return nil, errors.New("open stream failed")
 }
 
-func TestChannelInboundProcessorPersistsActiveChatBeforeOpenStream(t *testing.T) {
+func TestChannelInboundProcessorDoesNotPersistBeforeOpenStream(t *testing.T) {
 	channelIdentitySvc := &fakeChannelIdentityService{channelIdentity: identities.ChannelIdentity{ID: "channelIdentity-openstream"}}
 	memberSvc := &fakeMemberService{isMember: true}
 	chatSvc := &fakeChatService{resolveResult: route.ResolveConversationResult{ChatID: "chat-openstream", RouteID: "route-openstream"}}
@@ -674,11 +674,8 @@ func TestChannelInboundProcessorPersistsActiveChatBeforeOpenStream(t *testing.T)
 	if err == nil || err.Error() != "stream unavailable" {
 		t.Fatalf("expected open stream error, got: %v", err)
 	}
-	if len(chatSvc.persistedIn) != 1 {
-		t.Fatalf("expected active-chat user turn to be persisted before stream open, got %d", len(chatSvc.persistedIn))
-	}
-	if got := chatSvc.persistedIn[0].ExternalMessageID; got != "msg-openstream-1" {
-		t.Fatalf("unexpected persisted external_message_id: %q", got)
+	if len(chatSvc.persistedIn) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("user message persistence is deferred to storeRound; expected 0 persisted, got %d", len(chatSvc.persistedIn))
 	}
 	if gateway.gotReq.Query != "" {
 		t.Fatalf("runner should not be called when stream open fails")
@@ -727,14 +724,8 @@ func TestChannelInboundProcessorPersistsAttachmentAssetRefs(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := processor.HandleInbound(context.Background(), cfg, msg, sender); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
 	}
-	if len(chatSvc.persistedIn) != 1 {
-		t.Fatalf("expected one persisted input, got %d", len(chatSvc.persistedIn))
-	}
-	if len(chatSvc.persistedIn[0].Assets) != 1 {
-		t.Fatalf("expected one persisted asset ref, got %d", len(chatSvc.persistedIn[0].Assets))
-	}
-	if got := chatSvc.persistedIn[0].Assets[0].ContentHash; got != "asset-1" {
-		t.Fatalf("expected persisted content_hash asset-1, got %q", got)
+	if len(chatSvc.persistedIn) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("user message persistence is deferred to storeRound; expected 0 persisted, got %d", len(chatSvc.persistedIn))
 	}
 	if len(gateway.gotReq.Attachments) != 1 {
 		t.Fatalf("expected one gateway attachment, got %d", len(gateway.gotReq.Attachments))
@@ -796,11 +787,8 @@ func TestChannelInboundProcessorIngestsPlatformKeyWithResolver(t *testing.T) {
 	if got := gateway.gotReq.Attachments[0].ContentHash; got != "asset-resolved-1" {
 		t.Fatalf("expected resolved asset id, got %q", got)
 	}
-	if len(chatSvc.persistedIn) != 1 || len(chatSvc.persistedIn[0].Assets) != 1 {
-		t.Fatalf("expected one persisted asset ref, got %+v", chatSvc.persistedIn)
-	}
-	if got := chatSvc.persistedIn[0].Assets[0].ContentHash; got != "asset-resolved-1" {
-		t.Fatalf("expected persisted content_hash asset-resolved-1, got %q", got)
+	if len(chatSvc.persistedIn) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("user message persistence is deferred to storeRound; expected 0 persisted, got %d", len(chatSvc.persistedIn))
 	}
 }
 
@@ -871,11 +859,8 @@ func TestChannelInboundProcessorIngestsBase64Attachment(t *testing.T) {
 	if !strings.HasPrefix(gotAttachment.Path, "/data/media/") {
 		t.Fatalf("expected attachment path under /data/media/, got %q", gotAttachment.Path)
 	}
-	if len(chatSvc.persistedIn) != 1 || len(chatSvc.persistedIn[0].Assets) != 1 {
-		t.Fatalf("expected one persisted asset ref, got %+v", chatSvc.persistedIn)
-	}
-	if got := chatSvc.persistedIn[0].Assets[0].ContentHash; got != "asset-base64-1" {
-		t.Fatalf("expected persisted content_hash asset-base64-1, got %q", got)
+	if len(chatSvc.persistedIn) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("user message persistence is deferred to storeRound; expected 0 persisted, got %d", len(chatSvc.persistedIn))
 	}
 }