diff --git a/.flocks/plugins/channels/dingtalk/runner.ts b/.flocks/plugins/channels/dingtalk/runner.ts
index bf97d2f..1364fa4 100644
--- a/.flocks/plugins/channels/dingtalk/runner.ts
+++ b/.flocks/plugins/channels/dingtalk/runner.ts
@@ -258,6 +258,10 @@ function startProxy(): Promise<number> {
         return;
       }
 
+      // Record inbound activity as early as possible, before any Flocks API
+      // calls that might fail (session creation, inference, etc.).
+      fetch(`${FLOCKS_BASE}/api/channel/dingtalk/record-inbound`, { method: 'POST' }).catch(() => {});
+
       res.writeHead(200, {
         'Content-Type': 'text/event-stream',
         'Cache-Control': 'no-cache',
diff --git a/flocks/channel/base.py b/flocks/channel/base.py
index 8bc37b7..7bac9f2 100644
--- a/flocks/channel/base.py
+++ b/flocks/channel/base.py
@@ -286,4 +286,4 @@ def mark_disconnected(self, error: Optional[str] = None) -> None:
 
     def record_message(self) -> None:
         """Update the last-message timestamp (called by inbound dispatcher)."""
-        self._status.last_message_at = time.monotonic()
+        self._status.last_message_at = time.time()
diff --git a/flocks/channel/builtin/feishu/channel.py b/flocks/channel/builtin/feishu/channel.py
index e811a3e..1db994a 100644
--- a/flocks/channel/builtin/feishu/channel.py
+++ b/flocks/channel/builtin/feishu/channel.py
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 
 import asyncio
 import json
-import time
 from collections import OrderedDict
 from typing import Optional
 
@@ -95,7 +94,7 @@ async def _send_static(self, ctx: OutboundContext) -> DeliveryResult:
                 reply_to_id=ctx.reply_to_id,
                 account_id=ctx.account_id,
             )
-            self._status.last_message_at = time.monotonic()
+            self.record_message()
             return DeliveryResult(
                 channel_id="feishu",
                 message_id=result["message_id"],
@@ -130,7 +129,7 @@ async def _send_streaming(self, ctx: OutboundContext) -> DeliveryResult:
         try:
             # Write full text at once (send_text scenario has no per-chunk streaming data)
             await card.finalize(ctx.text)
-            self._status.last_message_at = time.monotonic()
+            self.record_message()
             return DeliveryResult(
                 channel_id="feishu",
                 message_id=message_id,
@@ -158,7 +157,7 @@ async def send_media(self, ctx: OutboundContext) -> DeliveryResult:
                 reply_to_id=ctx.reply_to_id,
                 account_id=ctx.account_id,
             )
-            self._status.last_message_at = time.monotonic()
+            self.record_message()
             return DeliveryResult(
                 channel_id="feishu",
                 message_id=result["message_id"],
diff --git a/flocks/channel/gateway/manager.py b/flocks/channel/gateway/manager.py
index 555762e..2d26856 100644
--- a/flocks/channel/gateway/manager.py
+++ b/flocks/channel/gateway/manager.py
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ async def start_all(self) -> None:
                     channel_id=channel_id,
                     plugin=plugin,
                     config=config_dict,
-                    on_message=self._dispatcher.dispatch,
+                    on_message=self._make_on_message(plugin, self._dispatcher.dispatch),
                     abort_event=abort_event,
                 ),
                 name=f"channel-{channel_id}",
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ async def start_channel(self, channel_id: str) -> None:
                 channel_id=channel_id,
                 plugin=plugin,
                 config=config_dict,
-                on_message=self._dispatcher.dispatch,
+                on_message=self._make_on_message(plugin, self._dispatcher.dispatch),
                 abort_event=abort_event,
             ),
             name=f"channel-{channel_id}",
@@ -328,6 +328,23 @@ async def _run_with_reconnect(
     # Reconnect helpers
     # ------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def _make_on_message(
+        plugin: ChannelPlugin,
+        dispatch: Callable,
+    ) -> Callable:
+        """Wrap *dispatch* so that each inbound message records a timestamp."""
+        async def _on_message(msg) -> None:
+            plugin.record_message()
+            await dispatch(msg)
+        return _on_message
+
+    def record_message(self, channel_id: str) -> None:
+        """Update last_message_at on a running channel plugin (e.g. from an HTTP handler)."""
+        plugin = self._running_plugins.get(channel_id) or self._registry.get(channel_id)
+        if plugin:
+            plugin.record_message()
+
     @staticmethod
     async def _mark_connected(plugin: ChannelPlugin, channel_id: str) -> None:
         plugin.mark_connected()
diff --git a/flocks/server/routes/channel.py b/flocks/server/routes/channel.py
index bbf5a81..3bce11a 100644
--- a/flocks/server/routes/channel.py
+++ b/flocks/server/routes/channel.py
@@ -178,6 +178,17 @@ async def list_channels():
     ]
 
 
+@router.post("/{channel_id}/record-inbound")
+async def record_inbound(channel_id: str):
+    """Notify the gateway that a message was received on this channel.
+
+    Used by out-of-process bridges (e.g. DingTalk's runner.ts) that bypass the
+    InboundDispatcher so that last_message_at is updated on the plugin status.
+    """
+    default_manager.record_message(channel_id)
+    return {"ok": True}
+
+
 @router.post("/{channel_id}/restart")
 async def restart_channel(channel_id: str):
     """Restart a single channel connection with the latest config.