diff --git a/src/telegram/bot-access.ts b/src/telegram/bot-access.ts
index d135a6479..1ac35b064 100644
--- a/src/telegram/bot-access.ts
+++ b/src/telegram/bot-access.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,17 @@ export const normalizeAllowFrom = (list?: Array<string | number>): NormalizedAll
   };
 };
 
+export const normalizeAllowFromWithStore = (params: {
+  allowFrom?: Array<string | number>;
+  storeAllowFrom?: string[];
+}): NormalizedAllowFrom => {
+  const combined = [
+    ...(params.allowFrom ?? []),
+    ...(params.storeAllowFrom ?? []),
+  ].map((value) => String(value).trim()).filter(Boolean);
+  return normalizeAllowFrom(combined);
+};
+
 export const firstDefined = <T>(...values: Array<T | undefined>) => {
   for (const value of values) {
     if (typeof value !== "undefined") return value;
diff --git a/src/telegram/bot-handlers.ts b/src/telegram/bot-handlers.ts
index 0bf5e7c28..a17a65b3e 100644
--- a/src/telegram/bot-handlers.ts
+++ b/src/telegram/bot-handlers.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import { danger, logVerbose, warn } from "../globals.js";
 import { resolveMedia } from "./bot/delivery.js";
 import { resolveTelegramForumThreadId } from "./bot/helpers.js";
 import type { TelegramMessage } from "./bot/types.js";
-import { firstDefined, isSenderAllowed, normalizeAllowFrom } from "./bot-access.js";
+import { firstDefined, isSenderAllowed, normalizeAllowFromWithStore } from "./bot-access.js";
 import { MEDIA_GROUP_TIMEOUT_MS, type MediaGroupEntry } from "./bot-updates.js";
 import { migrateTelegramGroupConfig } from "./group-migration.js";
 import { resolveTelegramInlineButtonsScope } from "./inline-buttons.js";
@@ -205,14 +205,14 @@ export const registerTelegramHandlers = ({
       const { groupConfig, topicConfig } = resolveTelegramGroupConfig(chatId, resolvedThreadId);
       const storeAllowFrom = await readTelegramAllowFromStore().catch(() => []);
       const groupAllowOverride = firstDefined(topicConfig?.allowFrom, groupConfig?.allowFrom);
-      const effectiveGroupAllow = normalizeAllowFrom([
-        ...(groupAllowOverride ?? groupAllowFrom ?? []),
-        ...storeAllowFrom,
-      ]);
-      const effectiveDmAllow = normalizeAllowFrom([
-        ...(telegramCfg.allowFrom ?? []),
-        ...storeAllowFrom,
-      ]);
+      const effectiveGroupAllow = normalizeAllowFromWithStore({
+        allowFrom: groupAllowOverride ?? groupAllowFrom,
+        storeAllowFrom,
+      });
+      const effectiveDmAllow = normalizeAllowFromWithStore({
+        allowFrom: telegramCfg.allowFrom,
+        storeAllowFrom,
+      });
       const dmPolicy = telegramCfg.dmPolicy ?? "pairing";
       const senderId = callback.from?.id ? String(callback.from.id) : "";
       const senderUsername = callback.from?.username ?? "";
@@ -393,10 +393,10 @@ export const registerTelegramHandlers = ({
       const storeAllowFrom = await readTelegramAllowFromStore().catch(() => []);
       const { groupConfig, topicConfig } = resolveTelegramGroupConfig(chatId, resolvedThreadId);
       const groupAllowOverride = firstDefined(topicConfig?.allowFrom, groupConfig?.allowFrom);
-      const effectiveGroupAllow = normalizeAllowFrom([
-        ...(groupAllowOverride ?? groupAllowFrom ?? []),
-        ...storeAllowFrom,
-      ]);
+      const effectiveGroupAllow = normalizeAllowFromWithStore({
+        allowFrom: groupAllowOverride ?? groupAllowFrom,
+        storeAllowFrom,
+      });
       const hasGroupAllowOverride = typeof groupAllowOverride !== "undefined";
 
       if (isGroup) {
diff --git a/src/telegram/bot-message-context.ts b/src/telegram/bot-message-context.ts
index 8c01b0d5f..60512040f 100644
--- a/src/telegram/bot-message-context.ts
+++ b/src/telegram/bot-message-context.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ import {
 import {
   firstDefined,
   isSenderAllowed,
-  normalizeAllowFrom,
+  normalizeAllowFromWithStore,
   resolveSenderAllowMatch,
 } from "./bot-access.js";
 import { upsertTelegramPairingRequest } from "./pairing-store.js";
@@ -138,12 +138,12 @@ export const buildTelegramMessageContext = async ({
     },
   });
   const mentionRegexes = buildMentionRegexes(cfg, route.agentId);
-  const effectiveDmAllow = normalizeAllowFrom([...(allowFrom ?? []), ...storeAllowFrom]);
+  const effectiveDmAllow = normalizeAllowFromWithStore({ allowFrom, storeAllowFrom });
   const groupAllowOverride = firstDefined(topicConfig?.allowFrom, groupConfig?.allowFrom);
-  const effectiveGroupAllow = normalizeAllowFrom([
-    ...(groupAllowOverride ?? groupAllowFrom ?? []),
-    ...storeAllowFrom,
-  ]);
+  const effectiveGroupAllow = normalizeAllowFromWithStore({
+    allowFrom: groupAllowOverride ?? groupAllowFrom,
+    storeAllowFrom,
+  });
   const hasGroupAllowOverride = typeof groupAllowOverride !== "undefined";
 
   if (isGroup && groupConfig?.enabled === false) {
diff --git a/src/telegram/bot-native-commands.ts b/src/telegram/bot-native-commands.ts
index 06c84efe9..11e83dcc3 100644
--- a/src/telegram/bot-native-commands.ts
+++ b/src/telegram/bot-native-commands.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ import {
   buildTelegramGroupPeerId,
   resolveTelegramForumThreadId,
 } from "./bot/helpers.js";
-import { firstDefined, isSenderAllowed, normalizeAllowFrom } from "./bot-access.js";
+import { firstDefined, isSenderAllowed, normalizeAllowFromWithStore } from "./bot-access.js";
 import { readTelegramAllowFromStore } from "./pairing-store.js";
 
 type TelegramNativeCommandContext = Context & { match?: string };
@@ -132,10 +132,10 @@ export const registerTelegramNativeCommands = ({
           const storeAllowFrom = await readTelegramAllowFromStore().catch(() => []);
           const { groupConfig, topicConfig } = resolveTelegramGroupConfig(chatId, resolvedThreadId);
           const groupAllowOverride = firstDefined(topicConfig?.allowFrom, groupConfig?.allowFrom);
-          const effectiveGroupAllow = normalizeAllowFrom([
-            ...(groupAllowOverride ?? groupAllowFrom ?? []),
-            ...storeAllowFrom,
-          ]);
+          const effectiveGroupAllow = normalizeAllowFromWithStore({
+            allowFrom: groupAllowOverride ?? groupAllowFrom,
+            storeAllowFrom,
+          });
           const hasGroupAllowOverride = typeof groupAllowOverride !== "undefined";
 
           if (isGroup && groupConfig?.enabled === false) {
@@ -194,12 +194,12 @@ export const registerTelegramNativeCommands = ({
             }
           }
 
-          const allowFromList = Array.isArray(allowFrom)
-            ? allowFrom.map((entry) => String(entry).trim()).filter(Boolean)
-            : [];
           const senderId = msg.from?.id ? String(msg.from.id) : "";
           const senderUsername = msg.from?.username ?? "";
-          const dmAllow = normalizeAllowFrom(allowFromList);
+          const dmAllow = normalizeAllowFromWithStore({
+            allowFrom: allowFrom,
+            storeAllowFrom,
+          });
           const senderAllowed = isSenderAllowed({
             allow: dmAllow,
             senderId,
diff --git a/src/telegram/bot.test.ts b/src/telegram/bot.test.ts
index d7b37daa3..4166ddb19 100644
--- a/src/telegram/bot.test.ts
+++ b/src/telegram/bot.test.ts
@@ -2138,6 +2138,49 @@ describe("createTelegramBot", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("allows native DM commands for paired users", async () => {
+    onSpy.mockReset();
+    sendMessageSpy.mockReset();
+    commandSpy.mockReset();
+    const replySpy = replyModule.__replySpy as unknown as ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
+    replySpy.mockReset();
+    replySpy.mockResolvedValue({ text: "response" });
+
+    loadConfig.mockReturnValue({
+      commands: { native: true },
+      channels: {
+        telegram: {
+          dmPolicy: "pairing",
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    readTelegramAllowFromStore.mockResolvedValueOnce(["12345"]);
+
+    createTelegramBot({ token: "tok" });
+    const handler = commandSpy.mock.calls.find((call) => call[0] === "status")?.[1] as
+      | ((ctx: Record<string, unknown>) => Promise<void>)
+      | undefined;
+    if (!handler) throw new Error("status command handler missing");
+
+    await handler({
+      message: {
+        chat: { id: 12345, type: "private" },
+        from: { id: 12345, username: "testuser" },
+        text: "/status",
+        date: 1736380800,
+        message_id: 42,
+      },
+      match: "",
+    });
+
+    expect(replySpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(
+      sendMessageSpy.mock.calls.some(
+        (call) => call[1] === "You are not authorized to use this command.",
+      ),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   it("streams tool summaries for native slash commands", async () => {
     onSpy.mockReset();
     sendMessageSpy.mockReset();