diff --git a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/ConnectionsStore.swift b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/ConnectionsStore.swift
index feb4239c5..578a94c6c 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/ConnectionsStore.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/ConnectionsStore.swift
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ struct DiscordGuildForm: Identifiable {
         key: String = "",
         slug: String = "",
         requireMention: Bool = false,
-        reactionNotifications: String = "allowlist",
+        reactionNotifications: String = "own",
         users: String = "",
         channels: [DiscordGuildChannelForm] = []
     ) {
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@ final class ConnectionsStore {
                         let reactionModeRaw = entry["reactionNotifications"]?.stringValue ?? ""
                         let reactionNotifications = ["off", "own", "all", "allowlist"].contains(reactionModeRaw)
                             ? reactionModeRaw
-                            : "allowlist"
+                            : "own"
                         let users = entry["users"]?.arrayValue?
                             .compactMap { item -> String? in
                                 if let str = item.stringValue { return str }
diff --git a/docs/configuration.md b/docs/configuration.md
index fd8eff783..65a0d3c6a 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/configuration.md
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ Configure the Discord bot by setting the bot token and optional gating:
       "123456789012345678": {               // guild id (preferred) or slug
         slug: "friends-of-clawd",
         requireMention: false,              // per-guild default
-        reactionNotifications: "allowlist", // off | own | all | allowlist
+        reactionNotifications: "own",       // off | own | all | allowlist
         users: ["987654321098765432"],      // optional per-guild user allowlist
         channels: {
           general: { allow: true },
@@ -283,9 +283,9 @@ Clawdis starts Discord only when a `discord` config section exists. The token is
 Guild slugs are lowercase with spaces replaced by `-`; channel keys use the slugged channel name (no leading `#`). Prefer guild ids as keys to avoid rename ambiguity.
 Reaction notification modes:
 - `off`: no reaction events.
-- `own`: all reactions on the bot's own messages.
+- `own`: reactions on the bot's own messages (default).
 - `all`: all reactions on all messages.
-- `allowlist`: reactions from `guilds.<id>.users` on all messages.
+- `allowlist`: reactions from `guilds.<id>.users` on all messages (empty list disables).
 
 ### `imessage` (imsg CLI)
 
diff --git a/docs/discord.md b/docs/discord.md
index 30c0336e0..edfa1792a 100644
--- a/docs/discord.md
+++ b/docs/discord.md
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ Note: Guild context `[from:]` lines include `author.tag` + `id` to make ping-rea
       "123456789012345678": {
         slug: "friends-of-clawd",
         requireMention: false,
-        reactionNotifications: "allowlist",
+        reactionNotifications: "own",
         users: ["987654321098765432", "steipete"],
         channels: {
           general: { allow: true },
@@ -121,9 +121,9 @@ Note: Guild context `[from:]` lines include `author.tag` + `id` to make ping-rea
 
 Reaction notifications use `guilds.<id>.reactionNotifications`:
 - `off`: no reaction events.
-- `own`: all reactions on the bot's own messages.
+- `own`: reactions on the bot's own messages (default).
 - `all`: all reactions on all messages.
-- `allowlist`: reactions from `guilds.<id>.users` on all messages.
+- `allowlist`: reactions from `guilds.<id>.users` on all messages (empty list disables).
 
 ### Tool action defaults
 
diff --git a/src/discord/monitor.test.ts b/src/discord/monitor.test.ts
index 385e970a5..b9f6bb6ac 100644
--- a/src/discord/monitor.test.ts
+++ b/src/discord/monitor.test.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
   resolveDiscordGuildEntry,
   resolveDiscordReplyTarget,
   resolveGroupDmAllow,
+  shouldEmitDiscordReactionNotification,
 } from "./monitor.js";
 
 const fakeGuild = (id: string, name: string) =>
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ const makeEntries = (
     out[key] = {
       slug: value.slug,
       requireMention: value.requireMention,
+      reactionNotifications: value.reactionNotifications,
       users: value.users,
       channels: value.channels,
     };
@@ -207,3 +209,87 @@ describe("discord reply target selection", () => {
     ).toBe("123");
   });
 });
+
+describe("discord reaction notification gating", () => {
+  it("defaults to own when mode is unset", () => {
+    expect(
+      shouldEmitDiscordReactionNotification({
+        mode: undefined,
+        botId: "bot-1",
+        messageAuthorId: "bot-1",
+        userId: "user-1",
+      }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+    expect(
+      shouldEmitDiscordReactionNotification({
+        mode: undefined,
+        botId: "bot-1",
+        messageAuthorId: "user-1",
+        userId: "user-2",
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("skips when mode is off", () => {
+    expect(
+      shouldEmitDiscordReactionNotification({
+        mode: "off",
+        botId: "bot-1",
+        messageAuthorId: "bot-1",
+        userId: "user-1",
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("allows all reactions when mode is all", () => {
+    expect(
+      shouldEmitDiscordReactionNotification({
+        mode: "all",
+        botId: "bot-1",
+        messageAuthorId: "user-1",
+        userId: "user-2",
+      }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("requires bot ownership when mode is own", () => {
+    expect(
+      shouldEmitDiscordReactionNotification({
+        mode: "own",
+        botId: "bot-1",
+        messageAuthorId: "bot-1",
+        userId: "user-2",
+      }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+    expect(
+      shouldEmitDiscordReactionNotification({
+        mode: "own",
+        botId: "bot-1",
+        messageAuthorId: "user-2",
+        userId: "user-3",
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("requires allowlist matches when mode is allowlist", () => {
+    expect(
+      shouldEmitDiscordReactionNotification({
+        mode: "allowlist",
+        botId: "bot-1",
+        messageAuthorId: "user-1",
+        userId: "user-2",
+        allowlist: [],
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+    expect(
+      shouldEmitDiscordReactionNotification({
+        mode: "allowlist",
+        botId: "bot-1",
+        messageAuthorId: "user-1",
+        userId: "123",
+        userName: "steipete",
+        allowlist: ["123", "other"],
+      }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/discord/monitor.ts b/src/discord/monitor.ts
index 8ae637219..b511cbd15 100644
--- a/src/discord/monitor.ts
+++ b/src/discord/monitor.ts
@@ -559,28 +559,17 @@ export async function monitorDiscordProvider(opts: MonitorDiscordOpts = {}) {
       const botId = client.user?.id;
       if (botId && user.id === botId) return;
 
-      const reactionMode = guildInfo?.reactionNotifications ?? "allowlist";
-      if (reactionMode === "off") return;
-      if (reactionMode === "own") {
-        const authorId = message.author?.id;
-        if (!botId || authorId !== botId) return;
-      }
-      if (reactionMode === "allowlist") {
-        const userAllow = guildInfo?.users;
-        if (!Array.isArray(userAllow) || userAllow.length === 0) return;
-        const users = normalizeDiscordAllowList(userAllow, [
-          "discord:",
-          "user:",
-        ]);
-        const userOk =
-          !!users &&
-          allowListMatches(users, {
-            id: user.id,
-            name: user.username,
-            tag: user.tag,
-          });
-        if (!userOk) return;
-      }
+      const reactionMode = guildInfo?.reactionNotifications ?? "own";
+      const shouldNotify = shouldEmitDiscordReactionNotification({
+        mode: reactionMode,
+        botId,
+        messageAuthorId: message.author?.id,
+        userId: user.id,
+        userName: user.username,
+        userTag: user.tag,
+        allowlist: guildInfo?.users,
+      });
+      if (!shouldNotify) return;
 
       const emojiLabel = formatDiscordReactionEmoji(resolvedReaction);
       const actorLabel = user.tag ?? user.username ?? user.id;
@@ -985,6 +974,43 @@ export function allowListMatches(
   return false;
 }
 
+export function shouldEmitDiscordReactionNotification(params: {
+  mode: "off" | "own" | "all" | "allowlist" | undefined;
+  botId?: string | null;
+  messageAuthorId?: string | null;
+  userId: string;
+  userName?: string | null;
+  userTag?: string | null;
+  allowlist?: Array<string | number> | null;
+}) {
+  const {
+    mode,
+    botId,
+    messageAuthorId,
+    userId,
+    userName,
+    userTag,
+    allowlist,
+  } = params;
+  const effectiveMode = mode ?? "own";
+  if (effectiveMode === "off") return false;
+  if (effectiveMode === "own") {
+    if (!botId || !messageAuthorId) return false;
+    return messageAuthorId === botId;
+  }
+  if (effectiveMode === "allowlist") {
+    if (!Array.isArray(allowlist) || allowlist.length === 0) return false;
+    const users = normalizeDiscordAllowList(allowlist, ["discord:", "user:"]);
+    if (!users) return false;
+    return allowListMatches(users, {
+      id: userId,
+      name: userName ?? undefined,
+      tag: userTag ?? undefined,
+    });
+  }
+  return true;
+}
+
 export function resolveDiscordGuildEntry(params: {
   guild: Guild | null;
   guildEntries: Record<string, DiscordGuildEntryResolved> | undefined;
diff --git a/ui/src/ui/controllers/config.ts b/ui/src/ui/controllers/config.ts
index 4cf9c2589..0581eb155 100644
--- a/ui/src/ui/controllers/config.ts
+++ b/ui/src/ui/controllers/config.ts
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ export function applyConfigSnapshot(state: ConfigState, snapshot: ConfigSnapshot
                   entry.reactionNotifications === "own" ||
                   entry.reactionNotifications === "allowlist"
                     ? entry.reactionNotifications
-                    : "allowlist",
+                    : "own",
                 users: toList(entry.users),
                 channels,
               };
diff --git a/ui/src/ui/views/connections.ts b/ui/src/ui/views/connections.ts
index 2f23d795d..ab9eca9d9 100644
--- a/ui/src/ui/views/connections.ts
+++ b/ui/src/ui/views/connections.ts
@@ -654,7 +654,7 @@ function renderProvider(
                               next[guildIndex] = {
                                 ...next[guildIndex],
                                 reactionNotifications: (e.target as HTMLSelectElement)
-                                  .value as "off" | "own" | "all",
+                                  .value as "off" | "own" | "all" | "allowlist",
                               };
                               props.onDiscordChange({ guilds: next });
                             }}
@@ -832,7 +832,7 @@ function renderProvider(
                         key: "",
                         slug: "",
                         requireMention: false,
-                        reactionNotifications: "allowlist",
+                        reactionNotifications: "own",
                         users: "",
                         channels: [],
                       },