diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index ff77bb300..8d63ff67c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@
 - Auto-reply: preserve spacing when stripping inline directives. (#539) — thanks @joshp123
 - Auto-reply: relax reply tag parsing to allow whitespace. (#560) — thanks @mcinteerj
 - Auto-reply: add per-provider block streaming toggles and coalesce streamed blocks to reduce line spam. (#536) — thanks @mcinteerj
+- Auto-reply: default block streaming off for non-Telegram providers unless explicitly enabled, and avoid splitting on forced flushes below max.
+- Auto-reply: raise default coalesce minChars for Signal/Slack/Discord and clarify streaming vs draft streaming in docs.
 - Auto-reply: default block streaming coalesce idle to 1s to reduce tiny chunks. — thanks @steipete
 - Auto-reply: fix /status usage summary filtering for the active provider.
 - Auto-reply: deduplicate followup queue entries using message id/routing to avoid duplicate replies. (#600) — thanks @samratjha96
diff --git a/docs/concepts/agent.md b/docs/concepts/agent.md
index 33774740d..1323609fc 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/agent.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/agent.md
@@ -83,13 +83,14 @@ When queue mode is `followup` or `collect`, inbound messages are held until the
 current turn ends, then a new agent turn starts with the queued payloads. See
 [`docs/queue.md`](/concepts/queue) for mode + debounce/cap behavior.
 
-Block streaming sends completed assistant blocks as soon as they finish; disable
-via `agents.defaults.blockStreamingDefault: "off"` if you only want the final response.
+Block streaming sends completed assistant blocks as soon as they finish; it is
+**off by default** (`agents.defaults.blockStreamingDefault: "off"`).
 Tune the boundary via `agents.defaults.blockStreamingBreak` (`text_end` vs `message_end`; defaults to text_end).
 Control soft block chunking with `agents.defaults.blockStreamingChunk` (defaults to
 800–1200 chars; prefers paragraph breaks, then newlines; sentences last).
 Coalesce streamed chunks with `agents.defaults.blockStreamingCoalesce` to reduce
-single-line spam (idle-based merging before send).
+single-line spam (idle-based merging before send). Non-Telegram providers require
+explicit `*.blockStreaming: true` to enable block replies.
 Verbose tool summaries are emitted at tool start (no debounce); Control UI
 streams tool output via agent events when available.
 More details: [Streaming + chunking](/concepts/streaming).
diff --git a/docs/concepts/messages.md b/docs/concepts/messages.md
index 707edf13c..531e5b635 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/messages.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/messages.md
@@ -57,11 +57,11 @@ Block streaming sends partial replies as the model produces text blocks.
 Chunking respects provider text limits and avoids splitting fenced code.
 
 Key settings:
-- `agents.defaults.blockStreamingDefault` (`on|off`)
+- `agents.defaults.blockStreamingDefault` (`on|off`, default off)
 - `agents.defaults.blockStreamingBreak` (`text_end|message_end`)
 - `agents.defaults.blockStreamingChunk` (`minChars|maxChars|breakPreference`)
 - `agents.defaults.blockStreamingCoalesce` (idle-based batching)
-- Provider overrides: `*.blockStreaming` and `*.blockStreamingCoalesce`
+- Provider overrides: `*.blockStreaming` and `*.blockStreamingCoalesce` (non-Telegram providers require explicit `*.blockStreaming: true`)
 
 Details: [Streaming + chunking](/concepts/streaming).
 
diff --git a/docs/concepts/streaming.md b/docs/concepts/streaming.md
index ff6a385c2..1093140bd 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/streaming.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/streaming.md
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ Legend:
 - `provider send`: actual outbound messages (block replies).
 
 **Controls:**
-- `agents.defaults.blockStreamingDefault`: `"on"`/`"off"` (default on).
+- `agents.defaults.blockStreamingDefault`: `"on"`/`"off"` (default off).
 - Provider overrides: `*.blockStreaming` (and per-account variants) to force `"on"`/`"off"` per provider.
 - `agents.defaults.blockStreamingBreak`: `"text_end"` or `"message_end"`.
 - `agents.defaults.blockStreamingChunk`: `{ minChars, maxChars, breakPreference? }`.
@@ -69,14 +69,19 @@ progressive output.
 - Joiner is derived from `blockStreamingChunk.breakPreference`
   (`paragraph` → `\n\n`, `newline` → `\n`, `sentence` → space).
 - Provider overrides are available via `*.blockStreamingCoalesce` (including per-account configs).
+- Default coalesce `minChars` is bumped to 1500 for Signal/Slack/Discord unless overridden.
 
 ## “Stream chunks or everything”
 
 This maps to:
-- **Stream chunks:** `blockStreamingDefault: "on"` + `blockStreamingBreak: "text_end"` (emit as you go).
+- **Stream chunks:** `blockStreamingDefault: "on"` + `blockStreamingBreak: "text_end"` (emit as you go). Non-Telegram providers also need `*.blockStreaming: true`.
 - **Stream everything at end:** `blockStreamingBreak: "message_end"` (flush once, possibly multiple chunks if very long).
 - **No block streaming:** `blockStreamingDefault: "off"` (only final reply).
 
+**Provider note:** For non-Telegram providers, block streaming is **off unless**
+`*.blockStreaming` is explicitly set to `true`. Telegram can stream drafts
+(`telegram.streamMode`) without block replies.
+
 ## Telegram draft streaming (token-ish)
 
 Telegram is the only provider with draft streaming:
@@ -85,6 +90,7 @@ Telegram is the only provider with draft streaming:
   - `partial`: draft updates with the latest stream text.
   - `block`: draft updates in chunked blocks (same chunker rules).
   - `off`: no draft streaming.
+- Draft streaming is separate from block streaming; block replies are off by default and only enabled by `*.blockStreaming: true` on non-Telegram providers.
 - Final reply is still a normal message.
 - `/reasoning stream` writes reasoning into the draft bubble (Telegram only).
 
diff --git a/docs/gateway/configuration-examples.md b/docs/gateway/configuration-examples.md
index 5a874120e..a0020af69 100644
--- a/docs/gateway/configuration-examples.md
+++ b/docs/gateway/configuration-examples.md
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ Save to `~/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json` and you can DM the bot from that number.
       thinkingDefault: "low",
       verboseDefault: "off",
       elevatedDefault: "on",
-      blockStreamingDefault: "on",
+      blockStreamingDefault: "off",
       blockStreamingBreak: "text_end",
       blockStreamingChunk: {
         minChars: 800,
diff --git a/docs/gateway/configuration.md b/docs/gateway/configuration.md
index 8121c50de..282d3adfd 100644
--- a/docs/gateway/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/gateway/configuration.md
@@ -675,7 +675,7 @@ Multi-account support lives under `telegram.accounts` (see the multi-account sec
       }
     },
     replyToMode: "first",                 // off | first | all
-    streamMode: "partial",               // off | partial | block (draft streaming)
+    streamMode: "partial",               // off | partial | block (draft streaming; separate from block streaming)
     actions: { reactions: true, sendMessage: true }, // tool action gates (false disables)
     mediaMaxMb: 5,
     retry: {                             // outbound retry policy
@@ -1143,8 +1143,9 @@ Example (adaptive tuned):
 See [/concepts/session-pruning](/concepts/session-pruning) for behavior details.
 
 Block streaming:
-- `agents.defaults.blockStreamingDefault`: `"on"`/`"off"` (default on).
+- `agents.defaults.blockStreamingDefault`: `"on"`/`"off"` (default off).
 - Provider overrides: `*.blockStreaming` (and per-account variants) to force block streaming on/off.
+  Non-Telegram providers require an explicit `*.blockStreaming: true` to enable block replies.
 - `agents.defaults.blockStreamingBreak`: `"text_end"` or `"message_end"` (default: text_end).
 - `agents.defaults.blockStreamingChunk`: soft chunking for streamed blocks. Defaults to
   800–1200 chars, prefers paragraph breaks (`\n\n`), then newlines, then sentences.
@@ -1156,7 +1157,8 @@ Block streaming:
   ```
 - `agents.defaults.blockStreamingCoalesce`: merge streamed blocks before sending.
   Defaults to `{ idleMs: 1000 }` and inherits `minChars` from `blockStreamingChunk`
-  with `maxChars` capped to the provider text limit.
+  with `maxChars` capped to the provider text limit. Signal/Slack/Discord default
+  to `minChars: 1500` unless overridden.
   Provider overrides: `whatsapp.blockStreamingCoalesce`, `telegram.blockStreamingCoalesce`,
   `discord.blockStreamingCoalesce`, `slack.blockStreamingCoalesce`, `signal.blockStreamingCoalesce`,
   `imessage.blockStreamingCoalesce`, `msteams.blockStreamingCoalesce` (and per-account variants).
diff --git a/docs/providers/grammy.md b/docs/providers/grammy.md
index e01bcedbd..9fa3c30fb 100644
--- a/docs/providers/grammy.md
+++ b/docs/providers/grammy.md
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ read_when:
 - **Webhook support:** `webhook-set.ts` wraps `setWebhook/deleteWebhook`; `webhook.ts` hosts the callback with health + graceful shutdown. Gateway enables webhook mode when `telegram.webhookUrl` is set (otherwise it long-polls).
 - **Sessions:** direct chats collapse into the agent main session (`agent:<agentId>:<mainKey>`); groups use `agent:<agentId>:telegram:group:<chatId>`; replies route back to the same provider.
 - **Config knobs:** `telegram.botToken`, `telegram.dmPolicy`, `telegram.groups` (allowlist + mention defaults), `telegram.allowFrom`, `telegram.groupAllowFrom`, `telegram.groupPolicy`, `telegram.mediaMaxMb`, `telegram.proxy`, `telegram.webhookSecret`, `telegram.webhookUrl`.
-- **Draft streaming:** optional `telegram.streamMode` uses `sendMessageDraft` in private topic chats (Bot API 9.3+).
+- **Draft streaming:** optional `telegram.streamMode` uses `sendMessageDraft` in private topic chats (Bot API 9.3+). This is separate from provider block streaming.
 - **Tests:** grammy mocks cover DM + group mention gating and outbound send; more media/webhook fixtures still welcome.
 
 Open questions
diff --git a/docs/providers/telegram.md b/docs/providers/telegram.md
index 6485b09dd..fce881f1a 100644
--- a/docs/providers/telegram.md
+++ b/docs/providers/telegram.md
@@ -206,6 +206,10 @@ Config:
   - `block`: update the draft bubble in larger blocks (chunked).
   - `off`: disable draft streaming.
 
+Note: draft streaming is separate from **block streaming** (provider messages).
+Block streaming is off by default and requires `telegram.blockStreaming: true`
+if you want early Telegram messages instead of draft updates.
+
 Reasoning stream (Telegram only):
 - `/reasoning stream` streams reasoning into the draft bubble while the reply is
   generating, then sends the final answer without reasoning.
diff --git a/src/agents/pi-embedded-block-chunker.ts b/src/agents/pi-embedded-block-chunker.ts
index f5473c182..53e933273 100644
--- a/src/agents/pi-embedded-block-chunker.ts
+++ b/src/agents/pi-embedded-block-chunker.ts
@@ -53,6 +53,14 @@ export class EmbeddedBlockChunker {
     const maxChars = Math.max(minChars, Math.floor(this.#chunking.maxChars));
     if (this.#buffer.length < minChars && !force) return;
 
+    if (force && this.#buffer.length <= maxChars) {
+      if (this.#buffer.trim().length > 0) {
+        emit(this.#buffer);
+      }
+      this.#buffer = "";
+      return;
+    }
+
     while (
       this.#buffer.length >= minChars ||
       (force && this.#buffer.length > 0)
diff --git a/src/agents/pi-embedded-subscribe.test.ts b/src/agents/pi-embedded-subscribe.test.ts
index a49311f17..40949d799 100644
--- a/src/agents/pi-embedded-subscribe.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/pi-embedded-subscribe.test.ts
@@ -784,7 +784,7 @@ describe("subscribeEmbeddedPiSession", () => {
       blockReplyBreak: "message_end",
       blockReplyChunking: {
         minChars: 5,
-        maxChars: 40,
+        maxChars: 25,
         breakPreference: "paragraph",
       },
     });
@@ -836,7 +836,7 @@ describe("subscribeEmbeddedPiSession", () => {
       blockReplyBreak: "message_end",
       blockReplyChunking: {
         minChars: 5,
-        maxChars: 50,
+        maxChars: 25,
         breakPreference: "paragraph",
       },
     });
@@ -939,7 +939,7 @@ describe("subscribeEmbeddedPiSession", () => {
       blockReplyBreak: "message_end",
       blockReplyChunking: {
         minChars: 5,
-        maxChars: 40,
+        maxChars: 25,
         breakPreference: "paragraph",
       },
     });
@@ -986,7 +986,7 @@ describe("subscribeEmbeddedPiSession", () => {
       blockReplyBreak: "message_end",
       blockReplyChunking: {
         minChars: 5,
-        maxChars: 45,
+        maxChars: 30,
         breakPreference: "paragraph",
       },
     });
@@ -1035,7 +1035,7 @@ describe("subscribeEmbeddedPiSession", () => {
       blockReplyBreak: "message_end",
       blockReplyChunking: {
         minChars: 10,
-        maxChars: 50,
+        maxChars: 30,
         breakPreference: "paragraph",
       },
     });
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply.ts
index b5118f1db..9370dfc58 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply.ts
@@ -470,20 +470,26 @@ export async function getReplyFromConfig(
       (agentCfg?.elevatedDefault as ElevatedLevel | undefined) ??
       "on")
     : "off";
+  const providerKey = sessionCtx.Provider?.trim().toLowerCase();
+  const explicitBlockStreamingEnable = opts?.disableBlockStreaming === false;
   const resolvedBlockStreaming =
     opts?.disableBlockStreaming === true
       ? "off"
       : opts?.disableBlockStreaming === false
         ? "on"
-        : agentCfg?.blockStreamingDefault === "off"
-          ? "off"
-          : "on";
+        : agentCfg?.blockStreamingDefault === "on"
+          ? "on"
+          : "off";
   const resolvedBlockStreamingBreak: "text_end" | "message_end" =
     agentCfg?.blockStreamingBreak === "message_end"
       ? "message_end"
       : "text_end";
+  const allowBlockStreaming =
+    providerKey === "telegram" || explicitBlockStreamingEnable;
   const blockStreamingEnabled =
-    resolvedBlockStreaming === "on" && opts?.disableBlockStreaming !== true;
+    resolvedBlockStreaming === "on" &&
+    opts?.disableBlockStreaming !== true &&
+    allowBlockStreaming;
   const blockReplyChunking = blockStreamingEnabled
     ? resolveBlockStreamingChunking(
         cfg,
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/block-streaming.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/block-streaming.ts
index f5f305ee2..17f2cda43 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply/block-streaming.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/block-streaming.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,13 @@ import { resolveTextChunkLimit, type TextChunkProvider } from "../chunk.js";
 const DEFAULT_BLOCK_STREAM_MIN = 800;
 const DEFAULT_BLOCK_STREAM_MAX = 1200;
 const DEFAULT_BLOCK_STREAM_COALESCE_IDLE_MS = 1000;
+const PROVIDER_COALESCE_DEFAULTS: Partial<
+  Record<TextChunkProvider, { minChars: number; idleMs: number }>
+> = {
+  signal: { minChars: 1500, idleMs: 1000 },
+  slack: { minChars: 1500, idleMs: 1000 },
+  discord: { minChars: 1500, idleMs: 1000 },
+};
 
 const BLOCK_CHUNK_PROVIDERS = new Set<TextChunkProvider>([
   "whatsapp",
@@ -77,6 +84,9 @@ export function resolveBlockStreamingCoalescing(
   const providerKey = normalizeChunkProvider(provider);
   const textLimit = resolveTextChunkLimit(cfg, providerKey, accountId);
   const normalizedAccountId = normalizeAccountId(accountId);
+  const providerDefaults = providerKey
+    ? PROVIDER_COALESCE_DEFAULTS[providerKey]
+    : undefined;
   const providerCfg = (() => {
     if (!cfg || !providerKey) return undefined;
     if (providerKey === "whatsapp") {
@@ -125,7 +135,10 @@ export function resolveBlockStreamingCoalescing(
   const minRequested = Math.max(
     1,
     Math.floor(
-      coalesceCfg?.minChars ?? chunking?.minChars ?? DEFAULT_BLOCK_STREAM_MIN,
+      coalesceCfg?.minChars ??
+        providerDefaults?.minChars ??
+        chunking?.minChars ??
+        DEFAULT_BLOCK_STREAM_MIN,
     ),
   );
   const maxRequested = Math.max(
@@ -136,7 +149,11 @@ export function resolveBlockStreamingCoalescing(
   const minChars = Math.min(minRequested, maxChars);
   const idleMs = Math.max(
     0,
-    Math.floor(coalesceCfg?.idleMs ?? DEFAULT_BLOCK_STREAM_COALESCE_IDLE_MS),
+    Math.floor(
+      coalesceCfg?.idleMs ??
+        providerDefaults?.idleMs ??
+        DEFAULT_BLOCK_STREAM_COALESCE_IDLE_MS,
+    ),
   );
   const preference = chunking?.breakPreference ?? "paragraph";
   const joiner =
diff --git a/src/config/schema.ts b/src/config/schema.ts
index 0c4b7f4bb..ec31f91c8 100644
--- a/src/config/schema.ts
+++ b/src/config/schema.ts
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ const FIELD_LABELS: Record<string, string> = {
   "talk.apiKey": "Talk API Key",
   "telegram.botToken": "Telegram Bot Token",
   "telegram.dmPolicy": "Telegram DM Policy",
-  "telegram.streamMode": "Telegram Stream Mode",
+  "telegram.streamMode": "Telegram Draft Stream Mode",
   "telegram.retry.attempts": "Telegram Retry Attempts",
   "telegram.retry.minDelayMs": "Telegram Retry Min Delay (ms)",
   "telegram.retry.maxDelayMs": "Telegram Retry Max Delay (ms)",
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ const FIELD_HELP: Record<string, string> = {
   "telegram.dmPolicy":
     'Direct message access control ("pairing" recommended). "open" requires telegram.allowFrom=["*"].',
   "telegram.streamMode":
-    "Draft streaming mode for Telegram replies (off | partial | block). Requires private topics + sendMessageDraft.",
+    "Draft streaming mode for Telegram replies (off | partial | block). Separate from block streaming; requires private topics + sendMessageDraft.",
   "telegram.retry.attempts":
     "Max retry attempts for outbound Telegram API calls (default: 3).",
   "telegram.retry.minDelayMs":