diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/dispatch-from-config.test.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/dispatch-from-config.test.ts
index c3c6a25b46f..4e48b95a541 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply/dispatch-from-config.test.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/dispatch-from-config.test.ts
@@ -2692,6 +2692,54 @@ describe("dispatchReplyFromConfig", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("releases inbound dedupe when dispatch fails before completion", async () => {
+    setNoAbort();
+    const cfg = { diagnostics: { enabled: true } } as OpenClawConfig;
+    const ctx = buildTestCtx({
+      Provider: "whatsapp",
+      OriginatingChannel: "whatsapp",
+      OriginatingTo: "whatsapp:+15555550124",
+      To: "whatsapp:+15555550124",
+      AccountId: "default",
+      MessageSid: "msg-dup-error",
+      SessionKey: "agent:main:whatsapp:direct:+15555550124",
+      CommandBody: "hello",
+      RawBody: "hello",
+      Body: "hello",
+    });
+    const replyResolver = vi
+      .fn<
+        (_ctx: MsgContext, _opts?: GetReplyOptions, _cfg?: OpenClawConfig) => Promise<ReplyPayload>
+      >()
+      .mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error("dispatch failed"))
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({ text: "retry succeeds" });
+
+    await expect(
+      dispatchReplyFromConfig({
+        ctx,
+        cfg,
+        dispatcher: createDispatcher(),
+        replyResolver,
+      }),
+    ).rejects.toThrow("dispatch failed");
+
+    await dispatchReplyFromConfig({
+      ctx,
+      cfg,
+      dispatcher: createDispatcher(),
+      replyResolver,
+    });
+
+    expect(replyResolver).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+    expect(diagnosticMocks.logMessageProcessed).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        channel: "whatsapp",
+        outcome: "error",
+        error: "Error: dispatch failed",
+      }),
+    );
+  });
+
   it("passes configOverride to replyResolver when provided", async () => {
     setNoAbort();
     const cfg = emptyConfig;
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/dispatch-from-config.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/dispatch-from-config.ts
index 7370606f2c5..dcfcdab25f9 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply/dispatch-from-config.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/dispatch-from-config.ts
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ import type {
   DispatchFromConfigParams,
   DispatchFromConfigResult,
 } from "./dispatch-from-config.types.js";
-import { shouldSkipDuplicateInbound } from "./inbound-dedupe.js";
+import { claimInboundDedupe, commitInboundDedupe, releaseInboundDedupe } from "./inbound-dedupe.js";
 import { resolveReplyRoutingDecision } from "./routing-policy.js";
 import { resolveRunTypingPolicy } from "./typing-policy.js";
 
@@ -255,7 +255,8 @@ export async function dispatchReplyFromConfig(
     });
   };
 
-  if (shouldSkipDuplicateInbound(ctx)) {
+  const inboundDedupeClaim = claimInboundDedupe(ctx);
+  if (inboundDedupeClaim.status === "duplicate" || inboundDedupeClaim.status === "inflight") {
     recordProcessed("skipped", { reason: "duplicate" });
     return { queuedFinal: false, counts: dispatcher.getQueuedCounts() };
   }
@@ -1032,6 +1033,9 @@ export async function dispatchReplyFromConfig(
 
     const counts = dispatcher.getQueuedCounts();
     counts.final += routedFinalCount;
+    if (inboundDedupeClaim.status === "claimed") {
+      commitInboundDedupe(inboundDedupeClaim.key);
+    }
     recordProcessed(
       "completed",
       pluginFallbackReason ? { reason: pluginFallbackReason } : undefined,
@@ -1039,6 +1043,9 @@ export async function dispatchReplyFromConfig(
     markIdle("message_completed");
     return { queuedFinal, counts };
   } catch (err) {
+    if (inboundDedupeClaim.status === "claimed") {
+      releaseInboundDedupe(inboundDedupeClaim.key);
+    }
     recordProcessed("error", { error: String(err) });
     markIdle("message_error");
     throw err;
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/inbound-dedupe.test.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/inbound-dedupe.test.ts
index c71aeb598dd..f73a8a9edb6 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply/inbound-dedupe.test.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/inbound-dedupe.test.ts
@@ -40,4 +40,36 @@ describe("inbound dedupe", () => {
       inboundB.resetInboundDedupe();
     }
   });
+
+  it("shares claim/release state across distinct module instances", async () => {
+    const inboundA = await importFreshModule<typeof import("./inbound-dedupe.js")>(
+      import.meta.url,
+      "./inbound-dedupe.js?scope=claim-a",
+    );
+    const inboundB = await importFreshModule<typeof import("./inbound-dedupe.js")>(
+      import.meta.url,
+      "./inbound-dedupe.js?scope=claim-b",
+    );
+
+    inboundA.resetInboundDedupe();
+    inboundB.resetInboundDedupe();
+
+    try {
+      const firstClaim = inboundA.claimInboundDedupe(sharedInboundContext);
+      expect(firstClaim).toMatchObject({ status: "claimed" });
+      expect(inboundB.claimInboundDedupe(sharedInboundContext)).toMatchObject({
+        status: "inflight",
+      });
+      if (firstClaim.status !== "claimed") {
+        throw new Error("expected claimed inbound dedupe result");
+      }
+      inboundB.releaseInboundDedupe(firstClaim.key);
+      expect(inboundA.claimInboundDedupe(sharedInboundContext)).toMatchObject({
+        status: "claimed",
+      });
+    } finally {
+      inboundA.resetInboundDedupe();
+      inboundB.resetInboundDedupe();
+    }
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/inbound-dedupe.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/inbound-dedupe.ts
index b85cf73d5d4..90fd48f25cf 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply/inbound-dedupe.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/inbound-dedupe.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { logVerbose, shouldLogVerbose } from "../../globals.js";
 import { resolveGlobalDedupeCache, type DedupeCache } from "../../infra/dedupe.js";
 import { parseAgentSessionKey } from "../../sessions/session-key-utils.js";
+import { resolveGlobalSingleton } from "../../shared/global-singleton.js";
 import {
   normalizeOptionalLowercaseString,
   normalizeOptionalString,
@@ -15,11 +16,22 @@ const DEFAULT_INBOUND_DEDUPE_MAX = 5000;
  * message cannot bypass dedupe by entering through a different chunk copy.
  */
 const INBOUND_DEDUPE_CACHE_KEY = Symbol.for("openclaw.inboundDedupeCache");
+const INBOUND_DEDUPE_INFLIGHT_KEY = Symbol.for("openclaw.inboundDedupeInflight");
 
 const inboundDedupeCache: DedupeCache = resolveGlobalDedupeCache(INBOUND_DEDUPE_CACHE_KEY, {
   ttlMs: DEFAULT_INBOUND_DEDUPE_TTL_MS,
   maxSize: DEFAULT_INBOUND_DEDUPE_MAX,
 });
+const inboundDedupeInFlight = resolveGlobalSingleton(
+  INBOUND_DEDUPE_INFLIGHT_KEY,
+  () => new Set<string>(),
+);
+
+export type InboundDedupeClaimResult =
+  | { status: "invalid" }
+  | { status: "duplicate"; key: string }
+  | { status: "inflight"; key: string }
+  | { status: "claimed"; key: string };
 
 const resolveInboundPeerId = (ctx: MsgContext) =>
   ctx.OriginatingTo ?? ctx.To ?? ctx.From ?? ctx.SessionKey;
@@ -79,6 +91,42 @@ export function shouldSkipDuplicateInbound(
   return skipped;
 }
 
+export function claimInboundDedupe(
+  ctx: MsgContext,
+  opts?: { cache?: DedupeCache; now?: number; inFlight?: Set<string> },
+): InboundDedupeClaimResult {
+  const key = buildInboundDedupeKey(ctx);
+  if (!key) {
+    return { status: "invalid" };
+  }
+  const cache = opts?.cache ?? inboundDedupeCache;
+  if (cache.peek(key, opts?.now)) {
+    return { status: "duplicate", key };
+  }
+  const inFlight = opts?.inFlight ?? inboundDedupeInFlight;
+  if (inFlight.has(key)) {
+    return { status: "inflight", key };
+  }
+  inFlight.add(key);
+  return { status: "claimed", key };
+}
+
+export function commitInboundDedupe(
+  key: string,
+  opts?: { cache?: DedupeCache; now?: number; inFlight?: Set<string> },
+): void {
+  const cache = opts?.cache ?? inboundDedupeCache;
+  cache.check(key, opts?.now);
+  const inFlight = opts?.inFlight ?? inboundDedupeInFlight;
+  inFlight.delete(key);
+}
+
+export function releaseInboundDedupe(key: string, opts?: { inFlight?: Set<string> }): void {
+  const inFlight = opts?.inFlight ?? inboundDedupeInFlight;
+  inFlight.delete(key);
+}
+
 export function resetInboundDedupe(): void {
   inboundDedupeCache.clear();
+  inboundDedupeInFlight.clear();
 }