diff --git a/gateway/platforms/base.py b/gateway/platforms/base.py
index 28615a006f3d9..8f8b0e7405572 100644
--- a/gateway/platforms/base.py
+++ b/gateway/platforms/base.py
@@ -1356,7 +1356,20 @@ async def handle_message(self, event: MessageEvent) -> None:
             # session lifecycle and its cleanup races with the running task
             # (see PR #4926).
             cmd = event.get_command()
-            if cmd in ("approve", "deny", "status", "stop", "new", "reset", "background"):
+            if cmd in (
+                # Session control
+                "approve", "deny", "status", "stop", "new", "reset",
+                "background", "bg", "queue", "q",
+                # Execute immediately (info/config — no agent interaction needed)
+                "help", "commands", "profile", "provider",
+                "usage", "insights", "sethome", "set-home",
+                "voice", "yolo", "btw",
+                # Reject with message (needs idle agent)
+                "model", "retry", "undo", "title", "branch", "fork",
+                "compress", "rollback", "resume",
+                "reasoning", "fast", "personality",
+                "update", "reload-mcp", "reload_mcp",
+            ):
                 logger.debug(
                     "[%s] Command '/%s' bypassing active-session guard for %s",
                     self.name, cmd, session_key,
diff --git a/gateway/run.py b/gateway/run.py
index 659ba8013697e..2291b8b1451dd 100644
--- a/gateway/run.py
+++ b/gateway/run.py
@@ -2034,6 +2034,16 @@ async def _handle_message(self, event: MessageEvent) -> Optional[str]:
             if _cmd_def_inner and _cmd_def_inner.name == "model":
                 return "Agent is running — wait or /stop first, then switch models."
 
+            # Commands that require an idle agent — reject with a helpful message.
+            _REJECT_IF_RUNNING = frozenset({
+                "retry", "undo", "title", "branch",
+                "compress", "rollback", "resume",
+                "reasoning", "fast", "personality",
+                "update", "reload-mcp",
+            })
+            if _cmd_def_inner and _cmd_def_inner.name in _REJECT_IF_RUNNING:
+                return "Agent is running — wait or /stop first."
+
             # /approve and /deny must bypass the running-agent interrupt path.
             # The agent thread is blocked on a threading.Event inside
             # tools/approval.py — sending an interrupt won't unblock it.
diff --git a/tests/gateway/test_command_bypass_active_session.py b/tests/gateway/test_command_bypass_active_session.py
index 318b14dd825ef..5dd225f95659f 100644
--- a/tests/gateway/test_command_bypass_active_session.py
+++ b/tests/gateway/test_command_bypass_active_session.py
@@ -327,3 +327,68 @@ async def test_new_with_botname(self):
 
         assert sk not in adapter._pending_messages
         assert any("handled:new" in r for r in adapter.sent_responses)
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Tests: commands that should execute immediately (bypass guard)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+class TestExecuteImmediatelyCommands:
+    """Commands that should bypass and execute even while agent is running."""
+
+    EXEC_IMMEDIATE = [
+        "help", "commands", "profile", "provider",
+        "usage", "insights", "sethome", "voice",
+        "yolo", "btw",
+    ]
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("cmd", EXEC_IMMEDIATE)
+    async def test_exec_immediate_bypasses_guard(self, cmd):
+        """Each command must be dispatched directly, not queued."""
+        adapter = _make_adapter()
+        sk = _session_key()
+        adapter._active_sessions[sk] = asyncio.Event()
+
+        await adapter.handle_message(_make_event(f"/{cmd}"))
+
+        assert sk not in adapter._pending_messages, (
+            f"/{cmd} was queued as pending instead of being dispatched"
+        )
+        assert any(f"handled:{cmd}" in r for r in adapter.sent_responses), (
+            f"/{cmd} response was not sent back to the user"
+        )
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Tests: commands that should bypass and return 'agent running' rejection
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+class TestRejectWithMessageCommands:
+    """Commands that should bypass and return 'agent running' rejection."""
+
+    REJECT_COMMANDS = [
+        "retry", "undo", "title", "branch", "fork",
+        "compress", "rollback", "resume",
+        "reasoning", "fast", "personality",
+        "update", "reload-mcp",
+    ]
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("cmd", REJECT_COMMANDS)
+    async def test_reject_command_bypasses_guard(self, cmd):
+        """Each reject command must be dispatched directly, not queued."""
+        adapter = _make_adapter()
+        sk = _session_key()
+        adapter._active_sessions[sk] = asyncio.Event()
+
+        await adapter.handle_message(_make_event(f"/{cmd}"))
+
+        assert sk not in adapter._pending_messages, (
+            f"/{cmd} was queued as pending instead of being dispatched"
+        )
+        assert any(f"handled:{cmd}" in r for r in adapter.sent_responses), (
+            f"/{cmd} response was not sent back to the user"
+        )