diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 042b5711e5e..cf33ae7d512 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 - Amazon Bedrock/aws-sdk auth: stop injecting the fake `AWS_PROFILE` apiKey marker when no AWS auth env vars exist, so instance-role and other default-chain setups keep working without poisoning provider config. (#61194) Thanks @wirjo.
 - Providers/Google: add model-level `cacheRetention` support for direct Gemini system prompts by creating, reusing, and refreshing `cachedContents` automatically on Google AI Studio runs. (#51372) Thanks @rafaelmariano-glitch.
 - Windows/restart: fall back to the installed Startup-entry launcher when the scheduled task was never registered, so `/restart` can relaunch the gateway on Windows setups where `schtasks` install fell back during onboarding. (#58943) Thanks @imechZhangLY.
+- Exec/heartbeat: use the canonical `exec-event` wake reason for `notifyOnExit` so background exec completions still trigger follow-up turns when `HEARTBEAT.md` is empty or comments-only. (#41479) Thanks @rstar327.
 
 ## 2026.4.2
 
diff --git a/src/agents/bash-tools.exec-runtime.ts b/src/agents/bash-tools.exec-runtime.ts
index c092f064148..f56addac4d0 100644
--- a/src/agents/bash-tools.exec-runtime.ts
+++ b/src/agents/bash-tools.exec-runtime.ts
@@ -331,9 +331,7 @@ function maybeNotifyOnExit(session: ProcessSession, status: "completed" | "faile
     ? `Exec ${status} (${session.id.slice(0, 8)}, ${exitLabel}) :: ${output}`
     : `Exec ${status} (${session.id.slice(0, 8)}, ${exitLabel})`;
   enqueueSystemEvent(summary, { sessionKey });
-  requestHeartbeatNow(
-    scopedHeartbeatWakeOptions(sessionKey, { reason: `exec:${session.id}:exit` }),
-  );
+  requestHeartbeatNow(scopedHeartbeatWakeOptions(sessionKey, { reason: "exec-event" }));
 }
 
 export function createApprovalSlug(id: string) {
diff --git a/src/agents/bash-tools.test.ts b/src/agents/bash-tools.test.ts
index 5828b2f48ad..2bf9e8f368e 100644
--- a/src/agents/bash-tools.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/bash-tools.test.ts
@@ -559,12 +559,12 @@ describe("exec notifyOnExit", () => {
       wakeHandler as unknown as Parameters<typeof setHeartbeatWakeHandler>[0],
     );
     try {
-      const sessionId = await startBackgroundCommand(tool, echoAfterDelay("notify"));
+      const _sessionId = await startBackgroundCommand(tool, echoAfterDelay("notify"));
 
       await expect
         .poll(() => wakeHandler.mock.calls[0]?.[0], NOTIFY_POLL_OPTIONS)
         .toMatchObject({
-          reason: `exec:${sessionId}:exit`,
+          reason: "exec-event",
           sessionKey: DEFAULT_NOTIFY_SESSION_KEY,
         });
     } finally {
@@ -579,12 +579,12 @@ describe("exec notifyOnExit", () => {
       wakeHandler as unknown as Parameters<typeof setHeartbeatWakeHandler>[0],
     );
     try {
-      const sessionId = await startBackgroundCommand(tool, echoAfterDelay("notify"));
+      const _sessionId = await startBackgroundCommand(tool, echoAfterDelay("notify"));
 
       await expect
         .poll(() => wakeHandler.mock.calls[0]?.[0], NOTIFY_POLL_OPTIONS)
         .toEqual({
-          reason: `exec:${sessionId}:exit`,
+          reason: "exec-event",
         });
     } finally {
       dispose();