diff --git a/src/telegram/bot.media.test.ts b/src/telegram/bot.media.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..000e3ac28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/telegram/bot.media.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,207 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+const useSpy = vi.fn();
+const onSpy = vi.fn();
+const stopSpy = vi.fn();
+const sendChatActionSpy = vi.fn();
+
+type ApiStub = {
+  config: { use: (arg: unknown) => void };
+  sendChatAction: typeof sendChatActionSpy;
+};
+
+const apiStub: ApiStub = {
+  config: { use: useSpy },
+  sendChatAction: sendChatActionSpy,
+};
+
+vi.mock("grammy", () => ({
+  Bot: class {
+    api = apiStub;
+    on = onSpy;
+    stop = stopSpy;
+    constructor(public token: string) {}
+  },
+  InputFile: class {},
+  webhookCallback: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+const throttlerSpy = vi.fn(() => "throttler");
+vi.mock("@grammyjs/transformer-throttler", () => ({
+  apiThrottler: () => throttlerSpy(),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../config/config.js", () => ({
+  loadConfig: () => ({}),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../auto-reply/reply.js", () => {
+  const replySpy = vi.fn(async (_ctx, opts) => {
+    await opts?.onReplyStart?.();
+    return undefined;
+  });
+  return { getReplyFromConfig: replySpy, __replySpy: replySpy };
+});
+
+describe("telegram inbound media", () => {
+  it("downloads media via file_path (no file.download)", async () => {
+    const { createTelegramBot } = await import("./bot.js");
+    const replyModule = await import("../auto-reply/reply.js");
+    const replySpy = replyModule.__replySpy as unknown as ReturnType<
+      typeof vi.fn
+    >;
+
+    onSpy.mockReset();
+    replySpy.mockReset();
+    sendChatActionSpy.mockReset();
+
+    const runtimeLog = vi.fn();
+    const runtimeError = vi.fn();
+    createTelegramBot({
+      token: "tok",
+      runtime: {
+        log: runtimeLog,
+        error: runtimeError,
+        exit: () => {
+          throw new Error("exit");
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    const handler = onSpy.mock.calls[0]?.[1] as (
+      ctx: Record<string, unknown>,
+    ) => Promise<void>;
+
+    const fetchSpy = vi
+      .spyOn(globalThis, "fetch" as never)
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        ok: true,
+        status: 200,
+        statusText: "OK",
+        headers: { get: () => "image/jpeg" },
+        arrayBuffer: async () =>
+          new Uint8Array([0xff, 0xd8, 0xff, 0x00]).buffer,
+      } as Response);
+
+    await handler({
+      message: {
+        message_id: 1,
+        chat: { id: 1234, type: "private" },
+        photo: [{ file_id: "fid" }],
+        date: 1736380800, // 2025-01-09T00:00:00Z
+      },
+      me: { username: "clawdis_bot" },
+      getFile: async () => ({ file_path: "photos/1.jpg" }),
+    });
+
+    expect(runtimeError).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(fetchSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "https://api.telegram.org/file/bottok/photos/1.jpg",
+    );
+    expect(replySpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    const payload = replySpy.mock.calls[0][0];
+    expect(payload.Body).toContain("<media:image>");
+
+    fetchSpy.mockRestore();
+  });
+
+  it("prefers proxyFetch over global fetch", async () => {
+    const { createTelegramBot } = await import("./bot.js");
+
+    onSpy.mockReset();
+
+    const runtimeLog = vi.fn();
+    const runtimeError = vi.fn();
+    const globalFetchSpy = vi
+      .spyOn(globalThis, "fetch" as never)
+      .mockImplementation(() => {
+        throw new Error("global fetch should not be called");
+      });
+    const proxyFetch = vi.fn().mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      ok: true,
+      status: 200,
+      statusText: "OK",
+      headers: { get: () => "image/jpeg" },
+      arrayBuffer: async () => new Uint8Array([0xff, 0xd8, 0xff]).buffer,
+    } as Response);
+
+    createTelegramBot({
+      token: "tok",
+      proxyFetch: proxyFetch as unknown as typeof fetch,
+      runtime: {
+        log: runtimeLog,
+        error: runtimeError,
+        exit: () => {
+          throw new Error("exit");
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    const handler = onSpy.mock.calls[0]?.[1] as (
+      ctx: Record<string, unknown>,
+    ) => Promise<void>;
+
+    await handler({
+      message: {
+        message_id: 2,
+        chat: { id: 1234, type: "private" },
+        photo: [{ file_id: "fid" }],
+      },
+      me: { username: "clawdis_bot" },
+      getFile: async () => ({ file_path: "photos/2.jpg" }),
+    });
+
+    expect(runtimeError).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(proxyFetch).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "https://api.telegram.org/file/bottok/photos/2.jpg",
+    );
+
+    globalFetchSpy.mockRestore();
+  });
+
+  it("logs a handler error when getFile returns no file_path", async () => {
+    const { createTelegramBot } = await import("./bot.js");
+    const replyModule = await import("../auto-reply/reply.js");
+    const replySpy = replyModule.__replySpy as unknown as ReturnType<
+      typeof vi.fn
+    >;
+
+    onSpy.mockReset();
+    replySpy.mockReset();
+
+    const runtimeLog = vi.fn();
+    const runtimeError = vi.fn();
+    const fetchSpy = vi.spyOn(globalThis, "fetch" as never);
+
+    createTelegramBot({
+      token: "tok",
+      runtime: {
+        log: runtimeLog,
+        error: runtimeError,
+        exit: () => {
+          throw new Error("exit");
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    const handler = onSpy.mock.calls[0]?.[1] as (
+      ctx: Record<string, unknown>,
+    ) => Promise<void>;
+
+    await handler({
+      message: {
+        message_id: 3,
+        chat: { id: 1234, type: "private" },
+        photo: [{ file_id: "fid" }],
+      },
+      me: { username: "clawdis_bot" },
+      getFile: async () => ({}),
+    });
+
+    expect(fetchSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(replySpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(runtimeError).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    const msg = String(runtimeError.mock.calls[0]?.[0] ?? "");
+    expect(msg).toContain("Telegram handler failed:");
+    expect(msg).toContain("file_path");
+
+    fetchSpy.mockRestore();
+  });
+});