diff --git a/extensions/discord/src/monitor/message-handler.process.test.ts b/extensions/discord/src/monitor/message-handler.process.test.ts
index 88665fac845..89018c7dfcd 100644
--- a/extensions/discord/src/monitor/message-handler.process.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/discord/src/monitor/message-handler.process.test.ts
@@ -410,6 +410,30 @@ describe("processDiscordMessage ack reactions", () => {
     expect(emojis).toContain("🏁");
   });
 
+  it("falls back to plain ack when status reactions are disabled", async () => {
+    dispatchInboundMessage.mockImplementationOnce(async (params?: DispatchInboundParams) => {
+      await params?.replyOptions?.onReasoningStream?.();
+      return createNoQueuedDispatchResult();
+    });
+
+    const ctx = await createBaseContext({
+      cfg: {
+        messages: {
+          ackReaction: "👀",
+          statusReactions: {
+            enabled: false,
+            timing: { debounceMs: 0 },
+          },
+        },
+        session: { store: "/tmp/openclaw-discord-process-test-sessions.json" },
+      },
+    });
+
+    await runProcessDiscordMessage(ctx);
+
+    expect(getReactionEmojis()).toEqual(["👀"]);
+  });
+
   it("shows compacting reaction during auto-compaction and resumes thinking", async () => {
     vi.useFakeTimers();
     dispatchInboundMessage.mockImplementationOnce(async (params?: DispatchInboundParams) => {
@@ -466,6 +490,26 @@ describe("processDiscordMessage ack reactions", () => {
 
     expect(sendMocks.removeReactionDiscord).toHaveBeenCalledWith("c1", "m1", "👀", { rest: {} });
   });
+
+  it("removes the plain ack reaction when status reactions are disabled and removeAckAfterReply is enabled", async () => {
+    const ctx = await createBaseContext({
+      cfg: {
+        messages: {
+          ackReaction: "👀",
+          removeAckAfterReply: true,
+          statusReactions: {
+            enabled: false,
+          },
+        },
+        session: { store: "/tmp/openclaw-discord-process-test-sessions.json" },
+      },
+    });
+
+    await runProcessDiscordMessage(ctx);
+
+    expect(getReactionEmojis()).toEqual(["👀"]);
+    expect(sendMocks.removeReactionDiscord).toHaveBeenCalledWith("c1", "m1", "👀", { rest: {} });
+  });
 });
 
 describe("processDiscordMessage session routing", () => {
diff --git a/extensions/discord/src/monitor/message-handler.process.ts b/extensions/discord/src/monitor/message-handler.process.ts
index 1c8687f2a77..dd095bc55bc 100644
--- a/extensions/discord/src/monitor/message-handler.process.ts
+++ b/extensions/discord/src/monitor/message-handler.process.ts
@@ -193,7 +193,9 @@ export async function processDiscordMessage(
         shouldBypassMention,
       }),
     );
-  const statusReactionsEnabled = shouldAckReaction();
+  const shouldSendAckReaction = shouldAckReaction();
+  const statusReactionsEnabled =
+    shouldSendAckReaction && cfg.messages?.statusReactions?.enabled !== false;
   // Discord outbound helpers expect Carbon's request client shape explicitly.
   const discordRest = client.rest as unknown as RequestClient;
   const discordAdapter: StatusReactionAdapter = {
@@ -225,6 +227,15 @@ export async function processDiscordMessage(
   });
   if (statusReactionsEnabled) {
     void statusReactions.setQueued();
+  } else if (shouldSendAckReaction && ackReaction) {
+    void discordAdapter.setReaction(ackReaction).catch((err) => {
+      logAckFailure({
+        log: logVerbose,
+        channel: "discord",
+        target: `${messageChannelId}/${message.id}`,
+        error: err,
+      });
+    });
   }
   const { createReplyDispatcherWithTyping, dispatchInboundMessage } = await loadReplyRuntime();
 
@@ -931,6 +942,15 @@ export async function processDiscordMessage(
           void statusReactions.restoreInitial();
         }
       }
+    } else if (shouldSendAckReaction && ackReaction && removeAckAfterReply) {
+      void discordAdapter.removeReaction(ackReaction).catch((err) => {
+        logAckFailure({
+          log: logVerbose,
+          channel: "discord",
+          target: `${messageChannelId}/${message.id}`,
+          error: err,
+        });
+      });
     }
   }
   if (dispatchAborted) {