diff --git a/gateway/platforms/base.py b/gateway/platforms/base.py
index c4a3099b19..e59789add4 100644
--- a/gateway/platforms/base.py
+++ b/gateway/platforms/base.py
@@ -4595,18 +4595,18 @@ class BasePlatformAdapter(ABC):
                                dispatched_event: MessageEvent) -> float:
         """Delay before re-dispatching the queued follow-up.
 
-        Only the event this task just dispatched coming straight back (same object, or for
-        rewrite-hook copies the same ``message_id`` / id-less same ``timestamp``) backs off: the handler put it back because the
-        session is busy elsewhere, and re-dispatching it at once hot-loops for the whole busy
-        window (#123229). Any other follow-up resets the counter and runs immediately. The first
-        bounce stays immediate (restart auto-resume relies on one self-bounce), then back off
-        exponentially to a cap. Defers, never drops."""
-        # Rewrite-hook copies (dataclasses.replace) keep message_id and timestamp; an id-less
-        # event falls back to the copied timestamp (a genuine new message gets a fresh one).
-        same = pending_event is dispatched_event or (
-            pending_event.message_id == dispatched_event.message_id
-            and (bool(pending_event.message_id)
-                 or pending_event.timestamp == dispatched_event.timestamp))
+        Only the event this task just dispatched coming straight back backs off: the same
+        ``message_id``, or for an id-less event the same ``timestamp`` (rewrite-hook
+        ``dataclasses.replace`` copies keep both; a genuine new message gets a fresh timestamp).
+        The handler put it back because the session is busy elsewhere, and re-dispatching it at
+        once hot-loops for the whole busy window (#123229). Any other follow-up resets the counter
+        and runs immediately. The first bounce stays immediate (restart auto-resume relies on one
+        self-bounce), then back off exponentially to a cap. Defers, never drops."""
+        # The identical object always matches too: its id equals itself, and when empty the
+        # timestamp comparison does.
+        same = (pending_event.message_id == dispatched_event.message_id
+                and (bool(pending_event.message_id)
+                     or pending_event.timestamp == dispatched_event.timestamp))
         if not same:
             self._requeue_counts.pop(session_key, None)
             return 0.0
@@ -4638,7 +4638,7 @@ class BasePlatformAdapter(ABC):
             asyncio.create_task(self._drain_after(pending_event, session_key, delay, guard)))
 
     async def _drain_after(self, pending_event: MessageEvent, session_key: str, delay: float,
-                           guard: Optional[asyncio.Event] = None) -> None:
+                           guard: Optional[asyncio.Event]) -> None:
         if delay > 0:
             await asyncio.sleep(delay)
             await self._flush_text_debounce_now(session_key)  # as every other task exit does
diff --git a/tests/gateway/test_busy_requeue_hot_loop.py b/tests/gateway/test_busy_requeue_hot_loop.py
index f50e21cd05..99c909dd98 100644
--- a/tests/gateway/test_busy_requeue_hot_loop.py
+++ b/tests/gateway/test_busy_requeue_hot_loop.py
@@ -31,9 +31,6 @@ from gateway.session import SessionEntry, SessionSource, build_session_key
 from tests.gateway.restart_test_helpers import RestartTestAdapter
 
 
-_Adapter = RestartTestAdapter
-
-
 def _source() -> SessionSource:
     return SessionSource(platform=Platform.TELEGRAM, user_id="u1", chat_id="c1",
                          user_name="tester", chat_type="dm")
@@ -88,13 +85,15 @@ def _runner_with_running_agent(adapter, *, compression_in_flight):
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("busy_mode", ["interrupt", "steer"])
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("rewrite_hook,message_id", [
-    (False, "m1"), (True, "m1"),
-    (True, None),  # id-less rewrite copy: only the copied timestamp ties it to the dispatch
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("rewrite_hook,message_id,busy_mode", [
+    (False, "m1", "interrupt"),
+    (True, "m1", "interrupt"),
+    (True, None, "interrupt"),  # id-less rewrite copy: only the copied timestamp ties it back
+    # The demotion route is orthogonal to the identity axis; steer covers the other route.
+    (False, "m1", "steer"),
 ])
 async def test_requeued_busy_event_does_not_hot_loop(rewrite_hook, message_id, busy_mode):
-    adapter = _Adapter()
+    adapter = RestartTestAdapter()
     runner, agent, sk = _runner_with_running_agent(adapter, compression_in_flight=True)
     # interrupt: demoted to queue (compression in flight); steer: agent refuses -> queue fallback.
     runner._busy_input_mode = busy_mode
@@ -135,7 +134,7 @@ async def test_requeued_event_runs_once_the_agent_finishes():
     """The back-off must defer, not drop: once the running agent is gone the event is processed.
     And it must key on the runner's demotion, not on ``None``: every streamed turn returns None,
     so chained genuine follow-ups after it must each dispatch immediately."""
-    adapter = _Adapter()
+    adapter = RestartTestAdapter()
     runner, agent, sk = _runner_with_running_agent(adapter, compression_in_flight=True)
     handled, starts, ends = [], [], []
     real_handle = runner._handle_message