diff --git a/lib/app/app_controller_desktop_thread_actions.dart b/lib/app/app_controller_desktop_thread_actions.dart
index 1122a8fe..42519d54 100644
--- a/lib/app/app_controller_desktop_thread_actions.dart
+++ b/lib/app/app_controller_desktop_thread_actions.dart
@@ -236,7 +236,9 @@ extension AppControllerDesktopThreadActions on AppController {
     var connectionState = currentAssistantConnectionState;
     if (!connectionState.connected &&
         isBridgeAcpRuntimeConfiguredInternal() &&
-        !bridgeCapabilitiesRefreshAttemptedInternal) {
+        bridgeCapabilityRefreshNeededForAssistantTargetInternal(
+          currentTarget,
+        )) {
       try {
         await refreshAcpCapabilitiesInternal(forceRefresh: true);
         connectionState = currentAssistantConnectionState;
diff --git a/lib/app/app_controller_desktop_thread_sessions.dart b/lib/app/app_controller_desktop_thread_sessions.dart
index cb12b908..bea88ab0 100644
--- a/lib/app/app_controller_desktop_thread_sessions.dart
+++ b/lib/app/app_controller_desktop_thread_sessions.dart
@@ -173,6 +173,18 @@ AssistantThreadConnectionState resolveGatewayThreadConnectionStateInternal({
   );
 }
 
+bool bridgeCapabilityReadyForExecutionTargetInternal({
+  required AssistantExecutionTarget target,
+  required bool bridgeConfigured,
+  required List<SingleAgentProvider> providers,
+  required List<AssistantExecutionTarget> availableTargets,
+}) {
+  if (!bridgeConfigured || providers.isEmpty) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  return availableTargets.isEmpty || availableTargets.contains(target);
+}
+
 extension AppControllerDesktopThreadSessions on AppController {
   AssistantExecutionTarget resolveAssistantExecutionTargetFromRecordsInternal(
     TaskThread? primaryRecord, {
@@ -361,10 +373,12 @@ extension AppControllerDesktopThreadSessions on AppController {
     final providers = providerCatalogForExecutionTarget(target);
     final availableTargets = bridgeAvailableExecutionTargets;
     final bridgeConfigured = isBridgeAcpRuntimeConfiguredInternal();
-    final bridgeReady =
-        bridgeConfigured &&
-        providers.isNotEmpty &&
-        (availableTargets.isEmpty || availableTargets.contains(target));
+    final bridgeReady = bridgeCapabilityReadyForExecutionTargetInternal(
+      target: target,
+      bridgeConfigured: bridgeConfigured,
+      providers: providers,
+      availableTargets: availableTargets,
+    );
     final bridgeEndpoint = resolveBridgeAcpEndpointInternal();
     final bridgeLabel = bridgeEndpoint?.host.trim().isNotEmpty == true
         ? bridgeEndpoint!.host.trim()
@@ -382,6 +396,26 @@ extension AppControllerDesktopThreadSessions on AppController {
     );
   }
 
+  bool bridgeCapabilityReadyForAssistantTargetInternal(
+    AssistantExecutionTarget target,
+  ) {
+    return bridgeCapabilityReadyForExecutionTargetInternal(
+      target: target,
+      bridgeConfigured: isBridgeAcpRuntimeConfiguredInternal(),
+      providers: providerCatalogForExecutionTarget(target),
+      availableTargets: bridgeAvailableExecutionTargets,
+    );
+  }
+
+  bool bridgeCapabilityRefreshNeededForAssistantTargetInternal(
+    AssistantExecutionTarget target,
+  ) {
+    if (!isBridgeAcpRuntimeConfiguredInternal()) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    return !bridgeCapabilityReadyForAssistantTargetInternal(target);
+  }
+
   String get assistantConnectionStatusLabel =>
       currentAssistantConnectionState.primaryLabel;
   String get assistantConnectionTargetLabel =>
diff --git a/test/features/assistant/assistant_connection_status_test.dart b/test/features/assistant/assistant_connection_status_test.dart
index 4423c822..80261dc5 100644
--- a/test/features/assistant/assistant_connection_status_test.dart
+++ b/test/features/assistant/assistant_connection_status_test.dart
@@ -28,6 +28,33 @@ void main() {
       },
     );
 
+    test('requires the target capability contract before reporting ready', () {
+      expect(
+        bridgeCapabilityReadyForExecutionTargetInternal(
+          target: AssistantExecutionTarget.gateway,
+          bridgeConfigured: true,
+          providers: const <SingleAgentProvider>[SingleAgentProvider.openclaw],
+          availableTargets: const <AssistantExecutionTarget>[
+            AssistantExecutionTarget.agent,
+          ],
+        ),
+        isFalse,
+      );
+
+      expect(
+        bridgeCapabilityReadyForExecutionTargetInternal(
+          target: AssistantExecutionTarget.gateway,
+          bridgeConfigured: true,
+          providers: const <SingleAgentProvider>[SingleAgentProvider.openclaw],
+          availableTargets: const <AssistantExecutionTarget>[
+            AssistantExecutionTarget.agent,
+            AssistantExecutionTarget.gateway,
+          ],
+        ),
+        isTrue,
+      );
+    });
+
     test('maps blocked bridge authorization into the token-missing state', () {
       final state = resolveGatewayThreadConnectionStateInternal(
         target: AssistantExecutionTarget.gateway,
diff --git a/test/runtime/assistant_connection_state_test.dart b/test/runtime/assistant_connection_state_test.dart
index 84dcba16..5f852ceb 100644
--- a/test/runtime/assistant_connection_state_test.dart
+++ b/test/runtime/assistant_connection_state_test.dart
@@ -54,6 +54,74 @@ void main() {
       },
     );
 
+    test(
+      'uses the same gateway capability readiness for status and send guard',
+      () async {
+        final controller = await _isolatedController(
+          initialBridgeProviderCatalog: const <SingleAgentProvider>[
+            SingleAgentProvider.codex,
+          ],
+          initialGatewayProviderCatalog: const <SingleAgentProvider>[
+            SingleAgentProvider.openclaw,
+          ],
+          initialAvailableExecutionTargets: const <AssistantExecutionTarget>[
+            AssistantExecutionTarget.agent,
+            AssistantExecutionTarget.gateway,
+          ],
+          environmentOverride: const <String, String>{
+            'BRIDGE_AUTH_TOKEN': 'bridge-token',
+          },
+        );
+        addTearDown(controller.dispose);
+
+        await controller.sessionsController.switchSession('session-1');
+        await controller.setAssistantExecutionTarget(
+          AssistantExecutionTarget.gateway,
+        );
+
+        final state = controller.currentAssistantConnectionState;
+        expect(state.connected, isTrue);
+        expect(
+          controller.bridgeCapabilityRefreshNeededForAssistantTargetInternal(
+            AssistantExecutionTarget.gateway,
+          ),
+          isFalse,
+        );
+      },
+    );
+
+    test(
+      'refreshes gateway capabilities when previous discovery missed openclaw',
+      () async {
+        final controller = await _isolatedController(
+          initialBridgeProviderCatalog: const <SingleAgentProvider>[
+            SingleAgentProvider.codex,
+          ],
+          initialAvailableExecutionTargets: const <AssistantExecutionTarget>[
+            AssistantExecutionTarget.agent,
+            AssistantExecutionTarget.gateway,
+          ],
+          environmentOverride: const <String, String>{
+            'BRIDGE_AUTH_TOKEN': 'bridge-token',
+          },
+        );
+        addTearDown(controller.dispose);
+
+        await controller.sessionsController.switchSession('session-1');
+        await controller.setAssistantExecutionTarget(
+          AssistantExecutionTarget.gateway,
+        );
+
+        expect(controller.currentAssistantConnectionState.connected, isFalse);
+        expect(
+          controller.bridgeCapabilityRefreshNeededForAssistantTargetInternal(
+            AssistantExecutionTarget.gateway,
+          ),
+          isTrue,
+        );
+      },
+    );
+
     test('keeps signed-out generic runtime failures disconnected', () async {
       final controller = await _isolatedController();
       addTearDown(controller.dispose);
@@ -221,6 +289,7 @@ Future<AppController> _isolatedController({
   List<SingleAgentProvider>? initialBridgeProviderCatalog,
   List<SingleAgentProvider>? initialGatewayProviderCatalog,
   List<AssistantExecutionTarget>? initialAvailableExecutionTargets,
+  Map<String, String> environmentOverride = const <String, String>{},
 }) async {
   final storeRoot = await Directory.systemTemp.createTemp(
     'xworkmate-assistant-connection-state-',
@@ -242,7 +311,7 @@ Future<AppController> _isolatedController({
   );
   await store.initialize();
   return AppController(
-          environmentOverride: const <String, String>{},
+    environmentOverride: environmentOverride,
     store: store,
     initialBridgeProviderCatalog: initialBridgeProviderCatalog,
     initialGatewayProviderCatalog: initialGatewayProviderCatalog,