diff --git a/skills/slack/tests/hold.test.sh b/skills/slack/tests/hold.test.sh
index 4537b68a6b..0d493e6df4 100755
--- a/skills/slack/tests/hold.test.sh
+++ b/skills/slack/tests/hold.test.sh
@@ -44,10 +44,11 @@ row() { sk_run -- listen --status --root "$1"; LINE="$(printf '%s' "$OUT" | sed
 refuse_next_post() { sk_ctl /_test/fault '{"method": "chat.postMessage", "error": "not_in_channel", "times": 1}' >/dev/null; }
 # A status timestamp acknowledges a completed poll. The parent suite bounds
 # this wait even if the relay or the settings reader stops making progress.
-polled_after() { # ROOT LAST_POLL
+polled_after() { # ROOT LAST_POLL [RESUMED]
   local tries=0 value
   while [ "$tries" -lt 100 ]; do
-    value="$(jq -r --argjson after "$2" '.last_poll > $after' "$1/tmp/slack/status.json" 2>/dev/null)"
+    value="$(jq -r --argjson after "$2" --argjson resumed "${3:-false}" \
+      '.last_poll > $after and ($resumed == false or (.last_poll_ok and .held_by == ""))' "$1/tmp/slack/status.json" 2>/dev/null)"
     [ "$value" != true ] || return 0
     tries=$((tries + 1)); sleep 0.1
   done
@@ -594,6 +595,29 @@ while read -r name source caller control; do
   if [ "$control" = mutant ]; then
     sk_mutant no-poll-presence relay.py 'presence = load_presence\(self.path\)' 'presence = self.presence'
   fi
+  if [ "$control:$caller" = real:none ]; then
+    sk_copy "resume-$name"
+    # Pause the real refused poll before it records its completion time.
+    # Removal then precedes that old reading's status write on every run.
+    python3 - "${SK_BIN%/*}/lib/relay.py" <<'PY'
+from pathlib import Path
+import sys
+
+path = Path(sys.argv[1])
+text = path.read_text()
+needle = '        delivered = max(self.state.delivered, key=float, default="")'
+assert text.count(needle) == 1
+barrier = '''        arm = self.path / "tmp/resume-arm"
+        if not ok and "setting-invalid" in error and arm.exists():
+            arm.unlink()
+            (self.path / "tmp/resume-entered").touch()
+            while not (self.path / "tmp/resume-release").exists():
+                time.sleep(0.01)
+'''
+path.write_text(text.replace(needle, barrier + needle))
+PY
+    [ "$?" -eq 0 ] || exit 1
+  fi
   case "$caller" in
     empty) sk_relay_start "$R" --root "$S" SLACK_JARVIS_SESSION_FILE= ;;
     *) sk_relay_start "$R" --root "$S" ;;
@@ -631,6 +655,12 @@ while read -r name source caller control; do
       assert_has "$(jq -r .last_error "$R/tmp/slack/status.json")" "setting-invalid=SLACK_JARVIS_SESSION_MAX_AGE=invalid root=$R" \
         "$name: the refused reading names its root"
       row "$S"; assert_eq "$(field "$LINE" state)" ok "$name: a refused reading leaves its peer ok"
+      touch "$R/tmp/resume-arm" || exit 1
+      TRIES=0
+      while [ ! -f "$R/tmp/resume-entered" ] && [ "$TRIES" -lt 100 ]; do
+        TRIES=$((TRIES + 1)); sleep 0.1
+      done
+      [ -f "$R/tmp/resume-entered" ] || { bad "refused poll did not reach the resume barrier" "$R"; exit 1; }
       case "$source" in
         toml) rm -- "$R/kendex.settings.toml" ;;
         local) rm -- "$R/.kendex/settings.toml" ;;
@@ -638,7 +668,10 @@ while read -r name source caller control; do
         named) printf 'SLACK_JARVIS_SESSION_FILE=\n' > "$R/private.env" ;;
       esac
       AFTER="$(jq -r .last_poll "$R/tmp/slack/status.json")"
-      polled_after "$R" "$AFTER" || exit 1
+      touch "$R/tmp/resume-release" || exit 1
+      # A refused poll can finish after removal. Its timestamp does not
+      # acknowledge the new setting; wait for a successful, unheld poll.
+      polled_after "$R" "$AFTER" true || exit 1
       row "$R"; assert_eq "$(field "$LINE" state)=$(field "$LINE" held-by)" "ok=" "$name: removing or emptying the setting resumes"
       assert_eq "$(count "$CHANNEL" "Changed hold $name.")=$(count "$CHANNEL" "Invalid hold $name.")" "1=1" \
         "$name: resume posts the held notices once"