diff --git a/extensions/telegram/src/setup-surface.test.ts b/extensions/telegram/src/setup-surface.test.ts
index e14ce7db3da..145e1356d2f 100644
--- a/extensions/telegram/src/setup-surface.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/telegram/src/setup-surface.test.ts
@@ -191,6 +191,34 @@ describe("telegramSetupWizard.dmPolicy", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("uses configured defaultAccount for omitted DM policy account context", () => {
+    const cfg = {
+      channels: {
+        telegram: {
+          defaultAccount: "alerts",
+          dmPolicy: "disabled",
+          allowFrom: ["123"],
+          accounts: {
+            alerts: {
+              dmPolicy: "allowlist",
+              botToken: "tok",
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    };
+
+    expect(telegramSetupWizard.dmPolicy?.getCurrent(cfg)).toBe("allowlist");
+    expect(telegramSetupWizard.dmPolicy?.resolveConfigKeys?.(cfg)).toEqual({
+      policyKey: "channels.telegram.accounts.alerts.dmPolicy",
+      allowFromKey: "channels.telegram.accounts.alerts.allowFrom",
+    });
+
+    const next = telegramSetupWizard.dmPolicy?.setPolicy(cfg, "open");
+    expect(next?.channels?.telegram?.dmPolicy).toBe("disabled");
+    expect(next?.channels?.telegram?.accounts?.alerts?.dmPolicy).toBe("open");
+  });
+
   it('writes open policy state to the named account and preserves inherited allowFrom with "*"', () => {
     const next = telegramSetupWizard.dmPolicy?.setPolicy(
       {
diff --git a/extensions/telegram/src/setup-surface.ts b/extensions/telegram/src/setup-surface.ts
index f0fc3b7a8e4..e31999dd738 100644
--- a/extensions/telegram/src/setup-surface.ts
+++ b/extensions/telegram/src/setup-surface.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import { inspectTelegramAccount } from "./account-inspect.js";
 import {
   listTelegramAccountIds,
   mergeTelegramAccountConfig,
+  resolveDefaultTelegramAccountId,
   resolveTelegramAccount,
 } from "./accounts.js";
 import {
@@ -82,20 +83,21 @@ const dmPolicy: ChannelSetupDmPolicy = {
   channel,
   policyKey: "channels.telegram.dmPolicy",
   allowFromKey: "channels.telegram.allowFrom",
-  resolveConfigKeys: (_cfg, accountId) =>
-    accountId && accountId !== DEFAULT_ACCOUNT_ID
+  resolveConfigKeys: (cfg, accountId) =>
+    (accountId ?? resolveDefaultTelegramAccountId(cfg)) !== DEFAULT_ACCOUNT_ID
       ? {
-          policyKey: `channels.telegram.accounts.${accountId}.dmPolicy`,
-          allowFromKey: `channels.telegram.accounts.${accountId}.allowFrom`,
+          policyKey: `channels.telegram.accounts.${accountId ?? resolveDefaultTelegramAccountId(cfg)}.dmPolicy`,
+          allowFromKey: `channels.telegram.accounts.${accountId ?? resolveDefaultTelegramAccountId(cfg)}.allowFrom`,
         }
       : {
           policyKey: "channels.telegram.dmPolicy",
           allowFromKey: "channels.telegram.allowFrom",
         },
   getCurrent: (cfg, accountId) =>
-    mergeTelegramAccountConfig(cfg, accountId ?? DEFAULT_ACCOUNT_ID).dmPolicy ?? "pairing",
+    mergeTelegramAccountConfig(cfg, accountId ?? resolveDefaultTelegramAccountId(cfg)).dmPolicy ??
+    "pairing",
   setPolicy: (cfg, policy, accountId) => {
-    const resolvedAccountId = accountId ?? DEFAULT_ACCOUNT_ID;
+    const resolvedAccountId = accountId ?? resolveDefaultTelegramAccountId(cfg);
     const merged = mergeTelegramAccountConfig(cfg, resolvedAccountId);
     return patchChannelConfigForAccount({
       cfg,