diff --git a/hooks/ponytail-config.js b/hooks/ponytail-config.js
index f32fb7c..a96d6d0 100644
--- a/hooks/ponytail-config.js
+++ b/hooks/ponytail-config.js
@@ -33,6 +33,15 @@ function normalizePersistedMode(mode) {
   return normalizeMode(mode) || normalizeConfigMode(mode);
 }
 
+// "stop ponytail" / "normal mode" turn ponytail off, but only as a standalone
+// command. Matching the phrase anywhere in the message turned it off mid-task
+// for ordinary requests like "add a normal mode toggle" — so require the whole
+// message to be the command, ignoring case and trailing punctuation.
+function isDeactivationCommand(text) {
+  const t = String(text || '').trim().toLowerCase().replace(/[.!?\s]+$/, '');
+  return t === 'stop ponytail' || t === 'normal mode';
+}
+
 function getConfigDir() {
   if (process.env.XDG_CONFIG_HOME) {
     return path.join(process.env.XDG_CONFIG_HOME, 'ponytail');
@@ -98,5 +107,6 @@ module.exports = {
   normalizeMode,
   normalizeConfigMode,
   normalizePersistedMode,
+  isDeactivationCommand,
   writeDefaultMode,
 };
diff --git a/hooks/ponytail-mode-tracker.js b/hooks/ponytail-mode-tracker.js
index d4fda46..5e85937 100644
--- a/hooks/ponytail-mode-tracker.js
+++ b/hooks/ponytail-mode-tracker.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 // ponytail — UserPromptSubmit hook to track which ponytail mode is active
 // Inspects user input for /ponytail commands and writes mode to flag file
 
-const { getDefaultMode } = require('./ponytail-config');
+const { getDefaultMode, isDeactivationCommand } = require('./ponytail-config');
 const { clearMode, setMode, writeHookOutput } = require('./ponytail-runtime');
 
 let input = '';
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ process.stdin.on('end', () => {
     }
 
     // Detect deactivation
-    if (/\b(stop ponytail|normal mode)\b/i.test(prompt)) {
+    if (isDeactivationCommand(prompt)) {
       clearMode();
       writeHookOutput('UserPromptSubmit', 'off', 'PONYTAIL MODE OFF');
     }
diff --git a/pi-extension/index.js b/pi-extension/index.js
index 5d74798..b8a35e8 100644
--- a/pi-extension/index.js
+++ b/pi-extension/index.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ const {
   normalizeMode,
   normalizeConfigMode,
   normalizePersistedMode,
+  isDeactivationCommand,
   writeDefaultMode,
 } = require("../hooks/ponytail-config.js");
 const { getPonytailInstructions, filterSkillBodyForMode } = require("../hooks/ponytail-instructions.js");
@@ -133,7 +134,7 @@ export default function ponytailExtension(pi) {
     if (event?.source === "extension") return;
 
     const text = String(event?.text || "");
-    if (currentMode !== "off" && /\b(stop ponytail|normal mode)\b/i.test(text)) {
+    if (currentMode !== "off" && isDeactivationCommand(text)) {
       setMode("off");
     }
   });
diff --git a/pi-extension/test/extension.test.js b/pi-extension/test/extension.test.js
index 1c5f7c0..1e3817c 100644
--- a/pi-extension/test/extension.test.js
+++ b/pi-extension/test/extension.test.js
@@ -121,3 +121,15 @@ test("normal mode disables persistent instructions", async () => withTempConfig(
   const disabled = await events.get("before_agent_start")({ systemPrompt: "BASE" }, ctx);
   assert.equal(disabled, undefined);
 }));
+
+test("a request mentioning normal mode stays active", async () => withTempConfig(async () => {
+  const { commands, events } = createPiHarness();
+  const ctx = createCommandContext();
+
+  await events.get("session_start")({ reason: "startup" }, ctx);
+  await commands.get("ponytail").handler("ultra", ctx);
+  await events.get("input")({ text: "add a normal mode toggle next to dark mode", source: "interactive" }, ctx);
+
+  const result = await events.get("before_agent_start")({ systemPrompt: "BASE" }, ctx);
+  assert.match(result.systemPrompt, /PONYTAIL MODE ACTIVE/);
+}));
diff --git a/tests/hooks.test.js b/tests/hooks.test.js
index 46e7be6..4f0d9b3 100644
--- a/tests/hooks.test.js
+++ b/tests/hooks.test.js
@@ -64,6 +64,23 @@ assert.equal(fs.existsSync(codexState), false);
 output = JSON.parse(result.stdout);
 assert.equal(output.systemMessage, 'PONYTAIL:OFF');
 
+// A request that merely mentions "normal mode" must not deactivate ponytail.
+result = run('ponytail-mode-tracker.js', codexEnv, JSON.stringify({ prompt: '@ponytail lite' }));
+assert.equal(result.status, 0, result.stderr);
+assert.equal(fs.readFileSync(codexState, 'utf8'), 'lite');
+
+result = run(
+  'ponytail-mode-tracker.js',
+  codexEnv,
+  JSON.stringify({ prompt: 'add a normal mode toggle next to dark mode' }),
+);
+assert.equal(result.status, 0, result.stderr);
+assert.equal(
+  fs.readFileSync(codexState, 'utf8'),
+  'lite',
+  'incidental "normal mode" in a request must not turn ponytail off',
+);
+
 const claudeEnv = {
   HOME: home,
   USERPROFILE: home,