diff --git a/src/web/active-listener.ts b/src/web/active-listener.ts
index 633d03c7d..6f046df07 100644
--- a/src/web/active-listener.ts
+++ b/src/web/active-listener.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,24 @@ let _currentListener: ActiveWebListener | null = null;
 
 const listeners = new Map<string, ActiveWebListener>();
 
+export function resolveWebAccountId(accountId?: string | null): string {
+  return (accountId ?? "").trim() || DEFAULT_ACCOUNT_ID;
+}
+
+export function requireActiveWebListener(accountId?: string | null): {
+  accountId: string;
+  listener: ActiveWebListener;
+} {
+  const id = resolveWebAccountId(accountId);
+  const listener = listeners.get(id) ?? null;
+  if (!listener) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `No active WhatsApp Web listener (account: ${id}). Start the gateway, then link WhatsApp with: clawdbot providers login --provider whatsapp --account ${id}.`,
+    );
+  }
+  return { accountId: id, listener };
+}
+
 export function setActiveWebListener(listener: ActiveWebListener | null): void;
 export function setActiveWebListener(
   accountId: string | null | undefined,
@@ -47,7 +65,7 @@ export function setActiveWebListener(
           listener: accountIdOrListener ?? null,
         };
 
-  const id = (accountId ?? "").trim() || DEFAULT_ACCOUNT_ID;
+  const id = resolveWebAccountId(accountId);
   if (!listener) {
     listeners.delete(id);
   } else {
@@ -61,6 +79,6 @@ export function setActiveWebListener(
 export function getActiveWebListener(
   accountId?: string | null,
 ): ActiveWebListener | null {
-  const id = (accountId ?? "").trim() || DEFAULT_ACCOUNT_ID;
+  const id = resolveWebAccountId(accountId);
   return listeners.get(id) ?? null;
 }
diff --git a/src/web/outbound.ts b/src/web/outbound.ts
index 5ae333431..eca4ded5c 100644
--- a/src/web/outbound.ts
+++ b/src/web/outbound.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { normalizePollInput, type PollInput } from "../polls.js";
 import { toWhatsappJid } from "../utils.js";
 import {
   type ActiveWebSendOptions,
-  getActiveWebListener,
+  requireActiveWebListener,
 } from "./active-listener.js";
 import { loadWebMedia } from "./media.js";
 
@@ -13,15 +13,6 @@ const outboundLog = createSubsystemLogger("gateway/providers/whatsapp").child(
   "outbound",
 );
 
-function requireActiveListener(accountId?: string | null) {
-  const active = getActiveWebListener(accountId);
-  if (active) return active;
-  const id = (accountId ?? "").trim() || "default";
-  throw new Error(
-    `No active WhatsApp Web listener (account: ${id}). Start the gateway, then link WhatsApp with: clawdbot providers login --provider whatsapp --account ${id}.`,
-  );
-}
-
 export async function sendMessageWhatsApp(
   to: string,
   body: string,
@@ -35,7 +26,8 @@ export async function sendMessageWhatsApp(
   let text = body;
   const correlationId = randomUUID();
   const startedAt = Date.now();
-  const active = requireActiveListener(options.accountId);
+  const { listener: active, accountId: resolvedAccountId } =
+    requireActiveWebListener(options.accountId);
   const logger = getChildLogger({
     module: "web-outbound",
     correlationId,
@@ -71,13 +63,14 @@ export async function sendMessageWhatsApp(
       { jid, hasMedia: Boolean(options.mediaUrl) },
       "sending message",
     );
-    if (!active) throw new Error("Active web listener missing");
     await active.sendComposingTo(to);
+    const hasExplicitAccountId = Boolean(options.accountId?.trim());
+    const accountId = hasExplicitAccountId ? resolvedAccountId : undefined;
     const sendOptions: ActiveWebSendOptions | undefined =
-      options.gifPlayback || options.accountId
+      options.gifPlayback || accountId
         ? {
             ...(options.gifPlayback ? { gifPlayback: true } : {}),
-            accountId: options.accountId,
+            accountId,
           }
         : undefined;
     const result = sendOptions
@@ -112,7 +105,7 @@ export async function sendReactionWhatsApp(
   },
 ): Promise<void> {
   const correlationId = randomUUID();
-  const active = requireActiveListener(options.accountId);
+  const { listener: active } = requireActiveWebListener(options.accountId);
   const logger = getChildLogger({
     module: "web-outbound",
     correlationId,
@@ -148,7 +141,7 @@ export async function sendPollWhatsApp(
 ): Promise<{ messageId: string; toJid: string }> {
   const correlationId = randomUUID();
   const startedAt = Date.now();
-  const active = requireActiveListener(options.accountId);
+  const { listener: active } = requireActiveWebListener(options.accountId);
   const logger = getChildLogger({
     module: "web-outbound",
     correlationId,