diff --git a/gateway/platforms/slack.py b/gateway/platforms/slack.py
index 61cc7020a2..66c41a9475 100644
--- a/gateway/platforms/slack.py
+++ b/gateway/platforms/slack.py
@@ -450,8 +450,18 @@ class SlackAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
         """
         # When reply_in_thread is disabled (default: True for backward compat),
         # only thread messages that are already part of an existing thread.
+        # For top-level channel messages, the inbound handler sets
+        # metadata.thread_id to the message's own ts as a session-keying
+        # fallback (see the `thread_ts = event.get("thread_ts") or ts` branch),
+        # so metadata alone can't distinguish a real thread reply from a
+        # top-level message. reply_to is the incoming message's own id, so
+        # when thread_id == reply_to the "thread" is synthetic and we reply
+        # directly in the channel instead.
         if not self.config.extra.get("reply_in_thread", True):
-            existing_thread = (metadata or {}).get("thread_id") or (metadata or {}).get("thread_ts")
+            md = metadata or {}
+            existing_thread = md.get("thread_id") or md.get("thread_ts")
+            if existing_thread and reply_to and existing_thread == reply_to:
+                existing_thread = None
             return existing_thread or None
 
         if metadata:
diff --git a/tests/gateway/test_slack_mention.py b/tests/gateway/test_slack_mention.py
index d127d7726e..8cfa9d98c8 100644
--- a/tests/gateway/test_slack_mention.py
+++ b/tests/gateway/test_slack_mention.py
@@ -334,7 +334,19 @@ def test_config_bridges_slack_reply_in_thread(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
 
     adapter = SlackAdapter(slack_config)
     assert adapter._resolve_thread_ts(reply_to="171.000", metadata={}) is None
+
+    # Top-level channel messages arrive with metadata.thread_id == reply_to
+    # because the inbound handler uses event.ts as a session-keying fallback.
+    # Those must be treated as non-threaded so reply_in_thread=false takes
+    # effect in channels, not just DMs.
     assert adapter._resolve_thread_ts(
         reply_to="171.000",
         metadata={"thread_id": "171.000"},
+    ) is None
+
+    # Real thread replies (reply_to differs from thread parent) must still
+    # resolve to the parent thread so conversation context is preserved.
+    assert adapter._resolve_thread_ts(
+        reply_to="171.500",
+        metadata={"thread_id": "171.000"},
     ) == "171.000"