fix(slack): add rate-limit retry and TTL cache to thread context fetching

- Add _ThreadContextCache dataclass for caching fetched context (60s TTL)
- Add exponential backoff retry for conversations.replies 429 rate limits
  (Tier 3, ~50 req/min)
- Only fetch context when no active session exists (guard at call site)
  to prevent duplication across turns
- Hoist bot_uid lookup outside the per-message loop
- Clearer header text for injected thread context

Based on PR #6162 by jarvisxyz, cherry-picked onto current main.

gateway/config.py

@@ -532,6 +532,8 @@ def load_gateway_config() -> GatewayConfig:
                     bridged["reply_prefix"] = platform_cfg["reply_prefix"]
                 if "require_mention" in platform_cfg:
                     bridged["require_mention"] = platform_cfg["require_mention"]
+                if "free_response_channels" in platform_cfg:
+                    bridged["free_response_channels"] = platform_cfg["free_response_channels"]
                 if "mention_patterns" in platform_cfg:
                     bridged["mention_patterns"] = platform_cfg["mention_patterns"]
                 if not bridged:
@@ -546,6 +548,19 @@ def load_gateway_config() -> GatewayConfig:
                     plat_data["extra"] = extra
                 extra.update(bridged)
 
+            # Slack settings → env vars (env vars take precedence)
+            slack_cfg = yaml_cfg.get("slack", {})
+            if isinstance(slack_cfg, dict):
+                if "require_mention" in slack_cfg and not os.getenv("SLACK_REQUIRE_MENTION"):
+                    os.environ["SLACK_REQUIRE_MENTION"] = str(slack_cfg["require_mention"]).lower()
+                if "allow_bots" in slack_cfg and not os.getenv("SLACK_ALLOW_BOTS"):
+                    os.environ["SLACK_ALLOW_BOTS"] = str(slack_cfg["allow_bots"]).lower()
+                frc = slack_cfg.get("free_response_channels")
+                if frc is not None and not os.getenv("SLACK_FREE_RESPONSE_CHANNELS"):
+                    if isinstance(frc, list):
+                        frc = ",".join(str(v) for v in frc)
+                    os.environ["SLACK_FREE_RESPONSE_CHANNELS"] = str(frc)
+
             # Discord settings → env vars (env vars take precedence)
             discord_cfg = yaml_cfg.get("discord", {})
             if isinstance(discord_cfg, dict):

gateway/platforms/slack.py

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import logging
 import os
 import re
 import time
+from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 from typing import Dict, Optional, Any, Tuple
 
 try:
@@ -45,6 +46,14 @@ from gateway.platforms.base import (
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
+@dataclass
+class _ThreadContextCache:
+    """Cache entry for fetched thread context."""
+    content: str
+    fetched_at: float = field(default_factory=time.monotonic)
+    message_count: int = 0
+
+
 def check_slack_requirements() -> bool:
     """Check if Slack dependencies are available."""
     return SLACK_AVAILABLE
@@ -101,6 +110,9 @@ class SlackAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
         # session + memory scoping.
         self._assistant_threads: Dict[Tuple[str, str], Dict[str, str]] = {}
         self._ASSISTANT_THREADS_MAX = 5000
+        # Cache for _fetch_thread_context results: cache_key → _ThreadContextCache
+        self._thread_context_cache: Dict[str, _ThreadContextCache] = {}
+        self._THREAD_CACHE_TTL = 60.0
 
     async def connect(self) -> bool:
         """Connect to Slack via Socket Mode."""
@@ -281,6 +293,7 @@ class SlackAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
                 kwargs = {
                     "channel": chat_id,
                     "text": chunk,
+                    "mrkdwn": True,
                 }
                 if thread_ts:
                     kwargs["thread_ts"] = thread_ts
@@ -323,9 +336,7 @@ class SlackAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
         if not self._app:
             return SendResult(success=False, error="Not connected")
         try:
-            # Convert standard markdown → Slack mrkdwn
             formatted = self.format_message(content)
-
             await self._get_client(chat_id).chat_update(
                 channel=chat_id,
                 ts=message_id,
@@ -457,13 +468,36 @@ class SlackAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
         text = re.sub(r'(`[^`]+`)', lambda m: _ph(m.group(0)), text)
 
         # 3) Convert markdown links [text](url) → <url|text>
+        def _convert_markdown_link(m):
+            label = m.group(1)
+            url = m.group(2).strip()
+            if url.startswith('<') and url.endswith('>'):
+                url = url[1:-1].strip()
+            return _ph(f'<{url}|{label}>')
+
         text = re.sub(
-            r'\[([^\]]+)\]\(([^)]+)\)',
-            lambda m: _ph(f'<{m.group(2)}|{m.group(1)}>'),
+            r'\[([^\]]+)\]\(([^()]*(?:\([^()]*\)[^()]*)*)\)',
+            _convert_markdown_link,
             text,
         )
 
-        # 4) Convert headers (## Title) → *Title* (bold)
+        # 4) Protect existing Slack entities/manual links so escaping and later
+        #    formatting passes don't break them.
+        text = re.sub(
+            r'(<(?:[@#!]|(?:https?|mailto|tel):)[^>\n]+>)',
+            lambda m: _ph(m.group(1)),
+            text,
+        )
+
+        # 5) Protect blockquote markers before escaping
+        text = re.sub(r'^(>+\s)', lambda m: _ph(m.group(0)), text, flags=re.MULTILINE)
+
+        # 6) Escape Slack control characters in remaining plain text.
+        # Unescape first so already-escaped input doesn't get double-escaped.
+        text = text.replace('&amp;', '&').replace('&lt;', '<').replace('&gt;', '>')
+        text = text.replace('&', '&amp;').replace('<', '&lt;').replace('>', '&gt;')
+
+        # 7) Convert headers (## Title) → *Title* (bold)
         def _convert_header(m):
             inner = m.group(1).strip()
             # Strip redundant bold markers inside a header
@@ -474,34 +508,39 @@ class SlackAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
             r'^#{1,6}\s+(.+)$', _convert_header, text, flags=re.MULTILINE
         )
 
-        # 5) Convert bold: **text** → *text* (Slack bold)
+        # 8) Convert bold+italic: ***text*** → *_text_* (Slack bold wrapping italic)
+        text = re.sub(
+            r'\*\*\*(.+?)\*\*\*',
+            lambda m: _ph(f'*_{m.group(1)}_*'),
+            text,
+        )
+
+        # 9) Convert bold: **text** → *text* (Slack bold)
         text = re.sub(
             r'\*\*(.+?)\*\*',
             lambda m: _ph(f'*{m.group(1)}*'),
             text,
         )
 
-        # 6) Convert italic: _text_ stays as _text_ (already Slack italic)
-        #    Single *text* → _text_ (Slack italic)
+        # 10) Convert italic: _text_ stays as _text_ (already Slack italic)
+        #     Single *text* → _text_ (Slack italic)
         text = re.sub(
             r'(?<!\*)\*([^*\n]+)\*(?!\*)',
             lambda m: _ph(f'_{m.group(1)}_'),
             text,
         )
 
-        # 7) Convert strikethrough: ~~text~~ → ~text~
+        # 11) Convert strikethrough: ~~text~~ → ~text~
         text = re.sub(
             r'~~(.+?)~~',
             lambda m: _ph(f'~{m.group(1)}~'),
             text,
         )
 
-        # 8) Convert blockquotes: > text → > text (same syntax, just ensure
-        #    no extra escaping happens to the > character)
-        # Slack uses the same > prefix, so this is a no-op for content.
+        # 12) Blockquotes: > prefix is already protected by step 5 above.
 
-        # 9) Restore placeholders in reverse order
-        for key in reversed(list(placeholders.keys())):
+        # 13) Restore placeholders in reverse order
+        for key in reversed(placeholders):
             text = text.replace(key, placeholders[key])
 
         return text
@@ -914,9 +953,26 @@ class SlackAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
                     if v > cutoff
                 }
 
-        # Ignore bot messages (including our own)
+        # Bot message filtering (SLACK_ALLOW_BOTS / config allow_bots):
+        #   "none"     — ignore all bot messages (default, backward-compatible)
+        #   "mentions" — accept bot messages only when they @mention us
+        #   "all"      — accept all bot messages (except our own)
         if event.get("bot_id") or event.get("subtype") == "bot_message":
-            return
+            allow_bots = self.config.extra.get("allow_bots", "")
+            if not allow_bots:
+                allow_bots = os.getenv("SLACK_ALLOW_BOTS", "none")
+            allow_bots = str(allow_bots).lower().strip()
+            if allow_bots == "none":
+                return
+            elif allow_bots == "mentions":
+                text_check = event.get("text", "")
+                if self._bot_user_id and f"<@{self._bot_user_id}>" not in text_check:
+                    return
+            # "all" falls through to process the message
+            # Always ignore our own messages to prevent echo loops
+            msg_user = event.get("user", "")
+            if msg_user and self._bot_user_id and msg_user == self._bot_user_id:
+                return
 
         # Ignore message edits and deletions
         subtype = event.get("subtype")
@@ -948,7 +1004,7 @@ class SlackAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
         channel_type = event.get("channel_type", "")
         if not channel_type and channel_id.startswith("D"):
             channel_type = "im"
-        is_dm = channel_type == "im"
+        is_dm = channel_type in ("im", "mpim")  # Both 1:1 and group DMs
 
         # Build thread_ts for session keying.
         # In channels: fall back to ts so each top-level @mention starts a
@@ -961,6 +1017,8 @@ class SlackAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
             thread_ts = event.get("thread_ts") or ts  # ts fallback for channels
 
         # In channels, respond if:
+        #   0. Channel is in free_response_channels, OR require_mention is
+        #      disabled — always process regardless of mention.
         #   1. The bot is @mentioned in this message, OR
         #   2. The message is a reply in a thread the bot started/participated in, OR
         #   3. The message is in a thread where the bot was previously @mentioned, OR
@@ -970,24 +1028,29 @@ class SlackAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
         event_thread_ts = event.get("thread_ts")
         is_thread_reply = bool(event_thread_ts and event_thread_ts != ts)
 
-        if not is_dm and bot_uid and not is_mentioned:
-            reply_to_bot_thread = (
-                is_thread_reply and event_thread_ts in self._bot_message_ts
-            )
-            in_mentioned_thread = (
-                event_thread_ts is not None
-                and event_thread_ts in self._mentioned_threads
-            )
-            has_session = (
-                is_thread_reply
-                and self._has_active_session_for_thread(
-                    channel_id=channel_id,
-                    thread_ts=event_thread_ts,
-                    user_id=user_id,
+        if not is_dm and bot_uid:
+            if channel_id in self._slack_free_response_channels():
+                pass  # Free-response channel — always process
+            elif not self._slack_require_mention():
+                pass  # Mention requirement disabled globally for Slack
+            elif not is_mentioned:
+                reply_to_bot_thread = (
+                    is_thread_reply and event_thread_ts in self._bot_message_ts
                 )
-            )
-            if not reply_to_bot_thread and not in_mentioned_thread and not has_session:
-                return
+                in_mentioned_thread = (
+                    event_thread_ts is not None
+                    and event_thread_ts in self._mentioned_threads
+                )
+                has_session = (
+                    is_thread_reply
+                    and self._has_active_session_for_thread(
+                        channel_id=channel_id,
+                        thread_ts=event_thread_ts,
+                        user_id=user_id,
+                    )
+                )
+                if not reply_to_bot_thread and not in_mentioned_thread and not has_session:
+                    return
 
         if is_mentioned:
             # Strip the bot mention from the text
@@ -1128,14 +1191,19 @@ class SlackAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
             reply_to_message_id=thread_ts if thread_ts != ts else None,
         )
 
-        # Add 👀 reaction to acknowledge receipt
-        await self._add_reaction(channel_id, ts, "eyes")
+        # Only react when bot is directly addressed (DM or @mention).
+        # In listen-all channels (require_mention=false), reacting to every
+        # casual message would be noisy.
+        _should_react = is_dm or is_mentioned
+
+        if _should_react:
+            await self._add_reaction(channel_id, ts, "eyes")
 
         await self.handle_message(msg_event)
 
-        # Replace 👀 with ✅ when done
-        await self._remove_reaction(channel_id, ts, "eyes")
-        await self._add_reaction(channel_id, ts, "white_check_mark")
+        if _should_react:
+            await self._remove_reaction(channel_id, ts, "eyes")
+            await self._add_reaction(channel_id, ts, "white_check_mark")
 
     # ----- Approval button support (Block Kit) -----
 
@@ -1229,6 +1297,20 @@ class SlackAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
         msg_ts = message.get("ts", "")
         channel_id = body.get("channel", {}).get("id", "")
         user_name = body.get("user", {}).get("name", "unknown")
+        user_id = body.get("user", {}).get("id", "")
+
+        # Only authorized users may click approval buttons.  Button clicks
+        # bypass the normal message auth flow in gateway/run.py, so we must
+        # check here as well.
+        allowed_csv = os.getenv("SLACK_ALLOWED_USERS", "").strip()
+        if allowed_csv:
+            allowed_ids = {uid.strip() for uid in allowed_csv.split(",") if uid.strip()}
+            if "*" not in allowed_ids and user_id not in allowed_ids:
+                logger.warning(
+                    "[Slack] Unauthorized approval click by %s (%s) — ignoring",
+                    user_name, user_id,
+                )
+                return
 
         # Map action_id to approval choice
         choice_map = {
@@ -1239,10 +1321,9 @@ class SlackAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
         }
         choice = choice_map.get(action_id, "deny")
 
-        # Prevent double-clicks
-        if self._approval_resolved.get(msg_ts, False):
+        # Prevent double-clicks — atomic pop; first caller gets False, others get True (default)
+        if self._approval_resolved.pop(msg_ts, True):
             return
-        self._approval_resolved[msg_ts] = True
 
         # Update the message to show the decision and remove buttons
         label_map = {
@@ -1297,8 +1378,7 @@ class SlackAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
         except Exception as exc:
             logger.error("Failed to resolve gateway approval from Slack button: %s", exc)
 
-        # Clean up stale approval state
-        self._approval_resolved.pop(msg_ts, None)
+        # (approval state already consumed by atomic pop above)
 
     # ----- Thread context fetching -----
 
@@ -1309,57 +1389,104 @@ class SlackAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
         """Fetch recent thread messages to provide context when the bot is
         mentioned mid-thread for the first time.
 
-        Returns a formatted string with thread history, or empty string on
-        failure or if the thread is empty (just the parent message).
+        This method is only called when there is NO active session for the
+        thread (guarded at the call site by _has_active_session_for_thread).
+        That guard ensures thread messages are prepended only on the very
+        first turn — after that the session history already holds them, so
+        there is no duplication across subsequent turns.
+
+        Results are cached for _THREAD_CACHE_TTL seconds per thread to avoid
+        hammering conversations.replies (Tier 3, ~50 req/min).
+
+        Returns a formatted string with prior thread history, or empty string
+        on failure or if the thread has no prior messages.
         """
+        cache_key = f"{channel_id}:{thread_ts}"
+        now = time.monotonic()
+        cached = self._thread_context_cache.get(cache_key)
+        if cached and (now - cached.fetched_at) < self._THREAD_CACHE_TTL:
+            return cached.content
+
         try:
             client = self._get_client(channel_id)
-            result = await client.conversations_replies(
-                channel=channel_id,
-                ts=thread_ts,
-                limit=limit + 1,  # +1 because it includes the current message
-                inclusive=True,
-            )
+
+            # Retry with exponential backoff for Tier-3 rate limits (429).
+            result = None
+            for attempt in range(3):
+                try:
+                    result = await client.conversations_replies(
+                        channel=channel_id,
+                        ts=thread_ts,
+                        limit=limit + 1,  # +1 because it includes the current message
+                        inclusive=True,
+                    )
+                    break
+                except Exception as exc:
+                    # Check for rate-limit error from slack_sdk
+                    err_str = str(exc).lower()
+                    is_rate_limit = (
+                        "ratelimited" in err_str
+                        or "429" in err_str
+                        or "rate_limited" in err_str
+                    )
+                    if is_rate_limit and attempt < 2:
+                        retry_after = 1.0 * (2 ** attempt)  # 1s, 2s
+                        logger.warning(
+                            "[Slack] conversations.replies rate limited; retrying in %.1fs (attempt %d/3)",
+                            retry_after, attempt + 1,
+                        )
+                        await asyncio.sleep(retry_after)
+                        continue
+                    raise
+
+            if result is None:
+                return ""
+
             messages = result.get("messages", [])
             if not messages:
                 return ""
 
+            bot_uid = self._team_bot_user_ids.get(team_id, self._bot_user_id)
             context_parts = []
             for msg in messages:
                 msg_ts = msg.get("ts", "")
-                # Skip the current message (the one that triggered this fetch)
+                # Exclude the current triggering message — it will be delivered
+                # as the user message itself, so including it here would duplicate it.
                 if msg_ts == current_ts:
                     continue
-                # Skip bot messages from ourselves
+                # Exclude our own bot messages to avoid circular context.
                 if msg.get("bot_id") or msg.get("subtype") == "bot_message":
                     continue
 
-                msg_user = msg.get("user", "unknown")
                 msg_text = msg.get("text", "").strip()
                 if not msg_text:
                     continue
 
                 # Strip bot mentions from context messages
-                bot_uid = self._team_bot_user_ids.get(team_id, self._bot_user_id)
                 if bot_uid:
                     msg_text = msg_text.replace(f"<@{bot_uid}>", "").strip()
 
-                # Mark the thread parent
+                msg_user = msg.get("user", "unknown")
                 is_parent = msg_ts == thread_ts
                 prefix = "[thread parent] " if is_parent else ""
-
-                # Resolve user name (cached)
                 name = await self._resolve_user_name(msg_user, chat_id=channel_id)
                 context_parts.append(f"{prefix}{name}: {msg_text}")
 
-            if not context_parts:
-                return ""
+            content = ""
+            if context_parts:
+                content = (
+                    "[Thread context — prior messages in this thread (not yet in conversation history):]\n"
+                    + "\n".join(context_parts)
+                    + "\n[End of thread context]\n\n"
+                )
 
-            return (
-                "[Thread context — previous messages in this thread:]\n"
-                + "\n".join(context_parts)
-                + "\n[End of thread context]\n\n"
+            self._thread_context_cache[cache_key] = _ThreadContextCache(
+                content=content,
+                fetched_at=now,
+                message_count=len(context_parts),
             )
+            return content
+
         except Exception as e:
             logger.warning("[Slack] Failed to fetch thread context: %s", e)
             return ""
@@ -1515,3 +1642,30 @@ class SlackAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
                         continue
                     raise
         raise last_exc
+
+    # ── Channel mention gating ─────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+    def _slack_require_mention(self) -> bool:
+        """Return whether channel messages require an explicit bot mention.
+
+        Uses explicit-false parsing (like Discord/Matrix) rather than
+        truthy parsing, since the safe default is True (gating on).
+        Unrecognised or empty values keep gating enabled.
+        """
+        configured = self.config.extra.get("require_mention")
+        if configured is not None:
+            if isinstance(configured, str):
+                return configured.lower() not in ("false", "0", "no", "off")
+            return bool(configured)
+        return os.getenv("SLACK_REQUIRE_MENTION", "true").lower() not in ("false", "0", "no", "off")
+
+    def _slack_free_response_channels(self) -> set:
+        """Return channel IDs where no @mention is required."""
+        raw = self.config.extra.get("free_response_channels")
+        if raw is None:
+            raw = os.getenv("SLACK_FREE_RESPONSE_CHANNELS", "")
+        if isinstance(raw, list):
+            return {str(part).strip() for part in raw if str(part).strip()}
+        if isinstance(raw, str) and raw.strip():
+            return {part.strip() for part in raw.split(",") if part.strip()}
+        return set()

gateway/platforms/telegram.py

@@ -1398,6 +1398,15 @@ class TelegramAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
                     await query.answer(text="Invalid approval data.")
                     return
 
+                # Only authorized users may click approval buttons.
+                caller_id = str(getattr(query.from_user, "id", ""))
+                allowed_csv = os.getenv("TELEGRAM_ALLOWED_USERS", "").strip()
+                if allowed_csv:
+                    allowed_ids = {uid.strip() for uid in allowed_csv.split(",") if uid.strip()}
+                    if "*" not in allowed_ids and caller_id not in allowed_ids:
+                        await query.answer(text="⛔ You are not authorized to approve commands.")
+                        return
+
                 session_key = self._approval_state.pop(approval_id, None)
                 if not session_key:
                     await query.answer(text="This approval has already been resolved.")

hermes_state.py

@@ -944,7 +944,8 @@ class SessionDB:
                 try:
                     msg["tool_calls"] = json.loads(msg["tool_calls"])
                 except (json.JSONDecodeError, TypeError):
-                    pass
+                    logger.warning("Failed to deserialize tool_calls in get_messages, falling back to []")
+                    msg["tool_calls"] = []
             result.append(msg)
         return result
 
@@ -972,7 +973,8 @@ class SessionDB:
                 try:
                     msg["tool_calls"] = json.loads(row["tool_calls"])
                 except (json.JSONDecodeError, TypeError):
-                    pass
+                    logger.warning("Failed to deserialize tool_calls in conversation replay, falling back to []")
+                    msg["tool_calls"] = []
             # Restore reasoning fields on assistant messages so providers
             # that replay reasoning (OpenRouter, OpenAI, Nous) receive
             # coherent multi-turn reasoning context.
@@ -983,12 +985,14 @@ class SessionDB:
                     try:
                         msg["reasoning_details"] = json.loads(row["reasoning_details"])
                     except (json.JSONDecodeError, TypeError):
-                        pass
+                        logger.warning("Failed to deserialize reasoning_details, falling back to None")
+                        msg["reasoning_details"] = None
                 if row["codex_reasoning_items"]:
                     try:
                         msg["codex_reasoning_items"] = json.loads(row["codex_reasoning_items"])
                     except (json.JSONDecodeError, TypeError):
-                        pass
+                        logger.warning("Failed to deserialize codex_reasoning_items, falling back to None")
+                        msg["codex_reasoning_items"] = None
             messages.append(msg)
         return messages
 

tests/gateway/test_slack.py

@@ -619,6 +619,18 @@ class TestFormatMessage:
         result = adapter.format_message("[click here](https://example.com)")
         assert result == "<https://example.com|click here>"
 
+    def test_link_conversion_strips_markdown_angle_brackets(self, adapter):
+        result = adapter.format_message("[click here](<https://example.com>)")
+        assert result == "<https://example.com|click here>"
+
+    def test_escapes_control_characters(self, adapter):
+        result = adapter.format_message("AT&T < 5 > 3")
+        assert result == "AT&amp;T &lt; 5 &gt; 3"
+
+    def test_preserves_existing_slack_entities(self, adapter):
+        text = "Hey <@U123>, see <https://example.com|example> and <!here>"
+        assert adapter.format_message(text) == text
+
     def test_strikethrough(self, adapter):
         assert adapter.format_message("~~deleted~~") == "~deleted~"
 
@@ -643,6 +655,325 @@ class TestFormatMessage:
     def test_none_passthrough(self, adapter):
         assert adapter.format_message(None) is None
 
+    def test_blockquote_preserved(self, adapter):
+        """Single-line blockquote > marker is preserved."""
+        assert adapter.format_message("> quoted text") == "> quoted text"
+
+    def test_multiline_blockquote(self, adapter):
+        """Multi-line blockquote preserves > on each line."""
+        text = "> line one\n> line two"
+        assert adapter.format_message(text) == "> line one\n> line two"
+
+    def test_blockquote_with_formatting(self, adapter):
+        """Blockquote containing bold text."""
+        assert adapter.format_message("> **bold quote**") == "> *bold quote*"
+
+    def test_nested_blockquote(self, adapter):
+        """Multiple > characters for nested quotes."""
+        assert adapter.format_message(">> deeply quoted") == ">> deeply quoted"
+
+    def test_blockquote_mixed_with_plain(self, adapter):
+        """Blockquote lines interleaved with plain text."""
+        text = "normal\n> quoted\nnormal again"
+        result = adapter.format_message(text)
+        assert "> quoted" in result
+        assert "normal" in result
+
+    def test_non_prefix_gt_still_escaped(self, adapter):
+        """Greater-than in mid-line is still escaped."""
+        assert adapter.format_message("5 > 3") == "5 &gt; 3"
+
+    def test_blockquote_with_code(self, adapter):
+        """Blockquote containing inline code."""
+        result = adapter.format_message("> use `fmt.Println`")
+        assert result.startswith(">")
+        assert "`fmt.Println`" in result
+
+    def test_bold_italic_combined(self, adapter):
+        """Triple-star ***text*** converts to Slack bold+italic *_text_*."""
+        assert adapter.format_message("***hello***") == "*_hello_*"
+
+    def test_bold_italic_with_surrounding_text(self, adapter):
+        """Bold+italic in a sentence."""
+        result = adapter.format_message("This is ***important*** stuff")
+        assert "*_important_*" in result
+
+    def test_bold_italic_does_not_break_plain_bold(self, adapter):
+        """**bold** still works after adding ***bold italic*** support."""
+        assert adapter.format_message("**bold**") == "*bold*"
+
+    def test_bold_italic_does_not_break_plain_italic(self, adapter):
+        """*italic* still works after adding ***bold italic*** support."""
+        assert adapter.format_message("*italic*") == "_italic_"
+
+    def test_bold_italic_mixed_with_bold(self, adapter):
+        """Both ***bold italic*** and **bold** in the same message."""
+        result = adapter.format_message("***important*** and **bold**")
+        assert "*_important_*" in result
+        assert "*bold*" in result
+
+    def test_pre_escaped_ampersand_not_double_escaped(self, adapter):
+        """Already-escaped &amp; must not become &amp;amp;."""
+        assert adapter.format_message("&amp;") == "&amp;"
+
+    def test_pre_escaped_lt_not_double_escaped(self, adapter):
+        """Already-escaped &lt; must not become &amp;lt;."""
+        assert adapter.format_message("&lt;") == "&lt;"
+
+    def test_pre_escaped_gt_not_double_escaped(self, adapter):
+        """Already-escaped &gt; in plain text must not become &amp;gt;."""
+        assert adapter.format_message("5 &gt; 3") == "5 &gt; 3"
+
+    def test_mixed_raw_and_escaped_entities(self, adapter):
+        """Raw & and pre-escaped &amp; coexist correctly."""
+        result = adapter.format_message("AT&T and &amp; entity")
+        assert result == "AT&amp;T and &amp; entity"
+
+    def test_link_with_parentheses_in_url(self, adapter):
+        """Wikipedia-style URL with balanced parens is not truncated."""
+        result = adapter.format_message("[Foo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foo_(bar))")
+        assert result == "<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foo_(bar)|Foo>"
+
+    def test_link_with_multiple_paren_pairs(self, adapter):
+        """URL with multiple balanced paren pairs."""
+        result = adapter.format_message("[text](https://example.com/a_(b)_c_(d))")
+        assert result == "<https://example.com/a_(b)_c_(d)|text>"
+
+    def test_link_without_parens_still_works(self, adapter):
+        """Normal URL without parens is unaffected by regex change."""
+        result = adapter.format_message("[click](https://example.com/path?q=1)")
+        assert result == "<https://example.com/path?q=1|click>"
+
+    def test_link_with_angle_brackets_and_parens(self, adapter):
+        """Angle-bracket URL with parens (CommonMark syntax)."""
+        result = adapter.format_message("[Foo](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foo_(bar)>)")
+        assert result == "<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foo_(bar)|Foo>"
+
+    def test_escaping_is_idempotent(self, adapter):
+        """Formatting already-formatted text produces the same result."""
+        original = "AT&T < 5 > 3"
+        once = adapter.format_message(original)
+        twice = adapter.format_message(once)
+        assert once == twice
+
+    # --- Entity preservation (spec-compliance) ---
+
+    def test_channel_mention_preserved(self, adapter):
+        """<!channel> special mention passes through unchanged."""
+        assert adapter.format_message("Attention <!channel>") == "Attention <!channel>"
+
+    def test_everyone_mention_preserved(self, adapter):
+        """<!everyone> special mention passes through unchanged."""
+        assert adapter.format_message("Hey <!everyone>") == "Hey <!everyone>"
+
+    def test_subteam_mention_preserved(self, adapter):
+        """<!subteam^ID> user group mention passes through unchanged."""
+        assert adapter.format_message("Paging <!subteam^S12345>") == "Paging <!subteam^S12345>"
+
+    def test_date_formatting_preserved(self, adapter):
+        """<!date^...> formatting token passes through unchanged."""
+        text = "Posted <!date^1392734382^{date_pretty}|Feb 18, 2014>"
+        assert adapter.format_message(text) == text
+
+    def test_channel_link_preserved(self, adapter):
+        """<#CHANNEL_ID> channel link passes through unchanged."""
+        assert adapter.format_message("Join <#C12345>") == "Join <#C12345>"
+
+    # --- Additional edge cases ---
+
+    def test_message_only_code_block(self, adapter):
+        """Entire message is a fenced code block — no conversion."""
+        code = "```python\nx = 1\n```"
+        assert adapter.format_message(code) == code
+
+    def test_multiline_mixed_formatting(self, adapter):
+        """Multi-line message with headers, bold, links, code, and blockquotes."""
+        text = "## Title\n**bold** and [link](https://x.com)\n> quote\n`code`"
+        result = adapter.format_message(text)
+        assert result.startswith("*Title*")
+        assert "*bold*" in result
+        assert "<https://x.com|link>" in result
+        assert "> quote" in result
+        assert "`code`" in result
+
+    def test_markdown_unordered_list_with_asterisk(self, adapter):
+        """Asterisk list items must not trigger italic conversion."""
+        text = "* item one\n* item two"
+        result = adapter.format_message(text)
+        assert "item one" in result
+        assert "item two" in result
+
+    def test_nested_bold_in_link(self, adapter):
+        """Bold inside link label — label is stashed before bold pass."""
+        result = adapter.format_message("[**bold**](https://example.com)")
+        assert "https://example.com" in result
+        assert "bold" in result
+
+    def test_url_with_query_string_and_ampersand(self, adapter):
+        """Ampersand in URL query string must not be escaped."""
+        result = adapter.format_message("[link](https://x.com?a=1&b=2)")
+        assert result == "<https://x.com?a=1&b=2|link>"
+
+    def test_emoji_shortcodes_passthrough(self, adapter):
+        """Emoji shortcodes like :smile: pass through unchanged."""
+        assert adapter.format_message(":smile: hello :wave:") == ":smile: hello :wave:"
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# TestEditMessage
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+class TestEditMessage:
+    """Verify that edit_message() applies mrkdwn formatting before sending."""
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_edit_message_formats_bold(self, adapter):
+        """edit_message converts **bold** to Slack *bold*."""
+        adapter._app.client.chat_update = AsyncMock(return_value={"ok": True})
+        await adapter.edit_message("C123", "1234.5678", "**hello world**")
+        kwargs = adapter._app.client.chat_update.call_args.kwargs
+        assert kwargs["text"] == "*hello world*"
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_edit_message_formats_links(self, adapter):
+        """edit_message converts markdown links to Slack format."""
+        adapter._app.client.chat_update = AsyncMock(return_value={"ok": True})
+        await adapter.edit_message("C123", "1234.5678", "[click](https://example.com)")
+        kwargs = adapter._app.client.chat_update.call_args.kwargs
+        assert kwargs["text"] == "<https://example.com|click>"
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_edit_message_preserves_blockquotes(self, adapter):
+        """edit_message preserves blockquote > markers."""
+        adapter._app.client.chat_update = AsyncMock(return_value={"ok": True})
+        await adapter.edit_message("C123", "1234.5678", "> quoted text")
+        kwargs = adapter._app.client.chat_update.call_args.kwargs
+        assert kwargs["text"] == "> quoted text"
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_edit_message_escapes_control_chars(self, adapter):
+        """edit_message escapes & < > in plain text."""
+        adapter._app.client.chat_update = AsyncMock(return_value={"ok": True})
+        await adapter.edit_message("C123", "1234.5678", "AT&T < 5 > 3")
+        kwargs = adapter._app.client.chat_update.call_args.kwargs
+        assert kwargs["text"] == "AT&amp;T &lt; 5 &gt; 3"
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# TestEditMessageStreamingPipeline
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+class TestEditMessageStreamingPipeline:
+    """E2E: verify that sequential streaming edits all go through format_message.
+
+    Simulates the GatewayStreamConsumer pattern where edit_message is called
+    repeatedly with progressively longer accumulated text.  Every call must
+    produce properly formatted mrkdwn in the chat_update payload.
+    """
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_edit_message_formats_streaming_updates(self, adapter):
+        """Simulates streaming: multiple edits, each should be formatted."""
+        adapter._app.client.chat_update = AsyncMock(return_value={"ok": True})
+
+        # First streaming update — bold
+        result1 = await adapter.edit_message("C123", "ts1", "**Processing**...")
+        assert result1.success is True
+        kwargs1 = adapter._app.client.chat_update.call_args.kwargs
+        assert kwargs1["text"] == "*Processing*..."
+
+        # Second streaming update — bold + link
+        result2 = await adapter.edit_message(
+            "C123", "ts1", "**Done!** See [results](https://example.com)"
+        )
+        assert result2.success is True
+        kwargs2 = adapter._app.client.chat_update.call_args.kwargs
+        assert kwargs2["text"] == "*Done!* See <https://example.com|results>"
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_edit_message_formats_code_and_bold(self, adapter):
+        """Streaming update with code block and bold — code must be preserved."""
+        adapter._app.client.chat_update = AsyncMock(return_value={"ok": True})
+
+        content = "**Result:**\n```python\nprint('hello')\n```"
+        result = await adapter.edit_message("C123", "ts1", content)
+        assert result.success is True
+        kwargs = adapter._app.client.chat_update.call_args.kwargs
+        assert kwargs["text"].startswith("*Result:*")
+        assert "```python\nprint('hello')\n```" in kwargs["text"]
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_edit_message_formats_blockquote_in_stream(self, adapter):
+        """Streaming update with blockquote — '>' marker must survive."""
+        adapter._app.client.chat_update = AsyncMock(return_value={"ok": True})
+
+        content = "> **Important:** do this\nnormal line"
+        result = await adapter.edit_message("C123", "ts1", content)
+        assert result.success is True
+        kwargs = adapter._app.client.chat_update.call_args.kwargs
+        assert kwargs["text"].startswith("> *Important:*")
+        assert "normal line" in kwargs["text"]
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_edit_message_formats_progressive_accumulation(self, adapter):
+        """Simulate real streaming: text grows with each edit, all formatted."""
+        adapter._app.client.chat_update = AsyncMock(return_value={"ok": True})
+
+        updates = [
+            ("**Step 1**", "*Step 1*"),
+            ("**Step 1**\n**Step 2**", "*Step 1*\n*Step 2*"),
+            (
+                "**Step 1**\n**Step 2**\nSee [docs](https://docs.example.com)",
+                "*Step 1*\n*Step 2*\nSee <https://docs.example.com|docs>",
+            ),
+        ]
+
+        for raw, expected in updates:
+            result = await adapter.edit_message("C123", "ts1", raw)
+            assert result.success is True
+            kwargs = adapter._app.client.chat_update.call_args.kwargs
+            assert kwargs["text"] == expected, f"Failed for input: {raw!r}"
+
+        # Total edit count should match number of updates
+        assert adapter._app.client.chat_update.call_count == len(updates)
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_edit_message_formats_bold_italic(self, adapter):
+        """Bold+italic ***text*** is formatted as *_text_* in edited messages."""
+        adapter._app.client.chat_update = AsyncMock(return_value={"ok": True})
+        await adapter.edit_message("C123", "ts1", "***important*** update")
+        kwargs = adapter._app.client.chat_update.call_args.kwargs
+        assert "*_important_*" in kwargs["text"]
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_edit_message_does_not_double_escape(self, adapter):
+        """Pre-escaped entities in edited messages must not get double-escaped."""
+        adapter._app.client.chat_update = AsyncMock(return_value={"ok": True})
+        await adapter.edit_message("C123", "ts1", "5 &gt; 3 and &amp; entity")
+        kwargs = adapter._app.client.chat_update.call_args.kwargs
+        assert "&amp;gt;" not in kwargs["text"]
+        assert "&amp;amp;" not in kwargs["text"]
+        assert "&gt;" in kwargs["text"]
+        assert "&amp;" in kwargs["text"]
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_edit_message_formats_url_with_parens(self, adapter):
+        """Wikipedia-style URL with parens survives edit pipeline."""
+        adapter._app.client.chat_update = AsyncMock(return_value={"ok": True})
+        await adapter.edit_message("C123", "ts1", "See [Foo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foo_(bar))")
+        kwargs = adapter._app.client.chat_update.call_args.kwargs
+        assert "<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foo_(bar)|Foo>" in kwargs["text"]
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_edit_message_not_connected(self, adapter):
+        """edit_message returns failure when adapter is not connected."""
+        adapter._app = None
+        result = await adapter.edit_message("C123", "ts1", "**hello**")
+        assert result.success is False
+        assert "Not connected" in result.error
+
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # TestReactions
@@ -1085,6 +1416,48 @@ class TestMessageSplitting:
         await adapter.send("C123", "hello world")
         assert adapter._app.client.chat_postMessage.call_count == 1
 
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_send_preserves_blockquote_formatting(self, adapter):
+        """Blockquote '>' markers must survive format → chunk → send pipeline."""
+        adapter._app.client.chat_postMessage = AsyncMock(return_value={"ts": "ts1"})
+        await adapter.send("C123", "> quoted text\nnormal text")
+        kwargs = adapter._app.client.chat_postMessage.call_args.kwargs
+        sent_text = kwargs["text"]
+        assert sent_text.startswith("> quoted text")
+        assert "normal text" in sent_text
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_send_formats_bold_italic(self, adapter):
+        """Bold+italic ***text*** is formatted as *_text_* in sent messages."""
+        adapter._app.client.chat_postMessage = AsyncMock(return_value={"ts": "ts1"})
+        await adapter.send("C123", "***important*** update")
+        kwargs = adapter._app.client.chat_postMessage.call_args.kwargs
+        assert "*_important_*" in kwargs["text"]
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_send_explicitly_enables_mrkdwn(self, adapter):
+        adapter._app.client.chat_postMessage = AsyncMock(return_value={"ts": "ts1"})
+        await adapter.send("C123", "**hello**")
+        kwargs = adapter._app.client.chat_postMessage.call_args.kwargs
+        assert kwargs.get("mrkdwn") is True
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_send_does_not_double_escape_entities(self, adapter):
+        """Pre-escaped &amp; in sent messages must not become &amp;amp;."""
+        adapter._app.client.chat_postMessage = AsyncMock(return_value={"ts": "ts1"})
+        await adapter.send("C123", "Use &amp; for ampersand")
+        kwargs = adapter._app.client.chat_postMessage.call_args.kwargs
+        assert "&amp;amp;" not in kwargs["text"]
+        assert "&amp;" in kwargs["text"]
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_send_formats_url_with_parens(self, adapter):
+        """Wikipedia-style URL with parens survives send pipeline."""
+        adapter._app.client.chat_postMessage = AsyncMock(return_value={"ts": "ts1"})
+        await adapter.send("C123", "See [Foo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foo_(bar))")
+        kwargs = adapter._app.client.chat_postMessage.call_args.kwargs
+        assert "<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foo_(bar)|Foo>" in kwargs["text"]
+
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # TestReplyBroadcast

tests/gateway/test_slack_mention.py

@@ -0,0 +1,312 @@
+"""
+Tests for Slack mention gating (require_mention / free_response_channels).
+
+Follows the same pattern as test_whatsapp_group_gating.py.
+"""
+
+import sys
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+
+from gateway.config import Platform, PlatformConfig
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Mock slack-bolt if not installed (same as test_slack.py)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def _ensure_slack_mock():
+    if "slack_bolt" in sys.modules and hasattr(sys.modules["slack_bolt"], "__file__"):
+        return
+
+    slack_bolt = MagicMock()
+    slack_bolt.async_app.AsyncApp = MagicMock
+    slack_bolt.adapter.socket_mode.async_handler.AsyncSocketModeHandler = MagicMock
+
+    slack_sdk = MagicMock()
+    slack_sdk.web.async_client.AsyncWebClient = MagicMock
+
+    for name, mod in [
+        ("slack_bolt", slack_bolt),
+        ("slack_bolt.async_app", slack_bolt.async_app),
+        ("slack_bolt.adapter", slack_bolt.adapter),
+        ("slack_bolt.adapter.socket_mode", slack_bolt.adapter.socket_mode),
+        ("slack_bolt.adapter.socket_mode.async_handler", slack_bolt.adapter.socket_mode.async_handler),
+        ("slack_sdk", slack_sdk),
+        ("slack_sdk.web", slack_sdk.web),
+        ("slack_sdk.web.async_client", slack_sdk.web.async_client),
+    ]:
+        sys.modules.setdefault(name, mod)
+
+
+_ensure_slack_mock()
+
+import gateway.platforms.slack as _slack_mod
+_slack_mod.SLACK_AVAILABLE = True
+
+from gateway.platforms.slack import SlackAdapter  # noqa: E402
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Helpers
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+BOT_USER_ID = "U_BOT_123"
+CHANNEL_ID = "C0AQWDLHY9M"
+OTHER_CHANNEL_ID = "C9999999999"
+
+
+def _make_adapter(require_mention=None, free_response_channels=None):
+    extra = {}
+    if require_mention is not None:
+        extra["require_mention"] = require_mention
+    if free_response_channels is not None:
+        extra["free_response_channels"] = free_response_channels
+
+    adapter = object.__new__(SlackAdapter)
+    adapter.platform = Platform.SLACK
+    adapter.config = PlatformConfig(enabled=True, extra=extra)
+    adapter._bot_user_id = BOT_USER_ID
+    adapter._team_bot_user_ids = {}
+    return adapter
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Tests: _slack_require_mention
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def test_require_mention_defaults_to_true(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.delenv("SLACK_REQUIRE_MENTION", raising=False)
+    adapter = _make_adapter()
+    assert adapter._slack_require_mention() is True
+
+
+def test_require_mention_false():
+    adapter = _make_adapter(require_mention=False)
+    assert adapter._slack_require_mention() is False
+
+
+def test_require_mention_true():
+    adapter = _make_adapter(require_mention=True)
+    assert adapter._slack_require_mention() is True
+
+
+def test_require_mention_string_true():
+    adapter = _make_adapter(require_mention="true")
+    assert adapter._slack_require_mention() is True
+
+
+def test_require_mention_string_false():
+    adapter = _make_adapter(require_mention="false")
+    assert adapter._slack_require_mention() is False
+
+
+def test_require_mention_string_no():
+    adapter = _make_adapter(require_mention="no")
+    assert adapter._slack_require_mention() is False
+
+
+def test_require_mention_string_yes():
+    adapter = _make_adapter(require_mention="yes")
+    assert adapter._slack_require_mention() is True
+
+
+def test_require_mention_empty_string_stays_true():
+    """Empty/malformed strings keep gating ON (explicit-false parser)."""
+    adapter = _make_adapter(require_mention="")
+    assert adapter._slack_require_mention() is True
+
+
+def test_require_mention_malformed_string_stays_true():
+    """Unrecognised values keep gating ON (fail-closed)."""
+    adapter = _make_adapter(require_mention="maybe")
+    assert adapter._slack_require_mention() is True
+
+
+def test_require_mention_env_var_fallback(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setenv("SLACK_REQUIRE_MENTION", "false")
+    adapter = _make_adapter()  # no config value -> falls back to env
+    assert adapter._slack_require_mention() is False
+
+
+def test_require_mention_env_var_default_true(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.delenv("SLACK_REQUIRE_MENTION", raising=False)
+    adapter = _make_adapter()
+    assert adapter._slack_require_mention() is True
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Tests: _slack_free_response_channels
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def test_free_response_channels_default_empty(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.delenv("SLACK_FREE_RESPONSE_CHANNELS", raising=False)
+    adapter = _make_adapter()
+    assert adapter._slack_free_response_channels() == set()
+
+
+def test_free_response_channels_list():
+    adapter = _make_adapter(free_response_channels=[CHANNEL_ID, OTHER_CHANNEL_ID])
+    result = adapter._slack_free_response_channels()
+    assert CHANNEL_ID in result
+    assert OTHER_CHANNEL_ID in result
+
+
+def test_free_response_channels_csv_string():
+    adapter = _make_adapter(free_response_channels=f"{CHANNEL_ID}, {OTHER_CHANNEL_ID}")
+    result = adapter._slack_free_response_channels()
+    assert CHANNEL_ID in result
+    assert OTHER_CHANNEL_ID in result
+
+
+def test_free_response_channels_empty_string():
+    adapter = _make_adapter(free_response_channels="")
+    assert adapter._slack_free_response_channels() == set()
+
+
+def test_free_response_channels_env_var_fallback(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setenv("SLACK_FREE_RESPONSE_CHANNELS", f"{CHANNEL_ID},{OTHER_CHANNEL_ID}")
+    adapter = _make_adapter()  # no config value → falls back to env
+    result = adapter._slack_free_response_channels()
+    assert CHANNEL_ID in result
+    assert OTHER_CHANNEL_ID in result
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Tests: mention gating integration (simulating _handle_slack_message logic)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def _would_process(adapter, *, is_dm=False, channel_id=CHANNEL_ID,
+                   text="hello", mentioned=False, thread_reply=False,
+                   active_session=False):
+    """Simulate the mention gating logic from _handle_slack_message.
+
+    Returns True if the message would be processed, False if it would be
+    skipped (returned early).
+    """
+    bot_uid = adapter._team_bot_user_ids.get("T1", adapter._bot_user_id)
+    if mentioned:
+        text = f"<@{bot_uid}> {text}"
+    is_mentioned = bot_uid and f"<@{bot_uid}>" in text
+
+    if not is_dm:
+        if channel_id in adapter._slack_free_response_channels():
+            return True
+        elif not adapter._slack_require_mention():
+            return True
+        elif not is_mentioned:
+            if thread_reply and active_session:
+                return True
+            else:
+                return False
+    return True
+
+
+def test_default_require_mention_channel_without_mention_ignored():
+    adapter = _make_adapter()  # default: require_mention=True
+    assert _would_process(adapter, text="hello everyone") is False
+
+
+def test_require_mention_false_channel_without_mention_processed():
+    adapter = _make_adapter(require_mention=False)
+    assert _would_process(adapter, text="hello everyone") is True
+
+
+def test_channel_in_free_response_processed_without_mention():
+    adapter = _make_adapter(
+        require_mention=True,
+        free_response_channels=[CHANNEL_ID],
+    )
+    assert _would_process(adapter, channel_id=CHANNEL_ID, text="hello") is True
+
+
+def test_other_channel_not_in_free_response_still_gated():
+    adapter = _make_adapter(
+        require_mention=True,
+        free_response_channels=[CHANNEL_ID],
+    )
+    assert _would_process(adapter, channel_id=OTHER_CHANNEL_ID, text="hello") is False
+
+
+def test_dm_always_processed_regardless_of_setting():
+    adapter = _make_adapter(require_mention=True)
+    assert _would_process(adapter, is_dm=True, text="hello") is True
+
+
+def test_mentioned_message_always_processed():
+    adapter = _make_adapter(require_mention=True)
+    assert _would_process(adapter, mentioned=True, text="what's up") is True
+
+
+def test_thread_reply_with_active_session_processed():
+    adapter = _make_adapter(require_mention=True)
+    assert _would_process(
+        adapter, text="followup",
+        thread_reply=True, active_session=True,
+    ) is True
+
+
+def test_thread_reply_without_active_session_ignored():
+    adapter = _make_adapter(require_mention=True)
+    assert _would_process(
+        adapter, text="followup",
+        thread_reply=True, active_session=False,
+    ) is False
+
+
+def test_bot_uid_none_processes_channel_message():
+    """When bot_uid is None (before auth_test), channel messages pass through.
+
+    This preserves the old behavior: the gating block is skipped entirely
+    when bot_uid is falsy, so messages are not silently dropped during
+    startup or for new workspaces.
+    """
+    adapter = _make_adapter(require_mention=True)
+    adapter._bot_user_id = None
+    adapter._team_bot_user_ids = {}
+
+    # With bot_uid=None, the `if not is_dm and bot_uid:` condition is False,
+    # so the gating block is skipped — message passes through.
+    bot_uid = adapter._team_bot_user_ids.get("T1", adapter._bot_user_id)
+    assert bot_uid is None
+
+    # Simulate: gating block not entered when bot_uid is falsy
+    is_dm = False
+    if not is_dm and bot_uid:
+        result = False  # would enter gating
+    else:
+        result = True  # gating skipped, message processed
+    assert result is True
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Tests: config bridging
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def test_config_bridges_slack_free_response_channels(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    from gateway.config import load_gateway_config
+
+    hermes_home = tmp_path / ".hermes"
+    hermes_home.mkdir()
+    (hermes_home / "config.yaml").write_text(
+        "slack:\n"
+        "  require_mention: false\n"
+        "  free_response_channels:\n"
+        "    - C0AQWDLHY9M\n"
+        "    - C9999999999\n",
+        encoding="utf-8",
+    )
+
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(hermes_home))
+    monkeypatch.delenv("SLACK_REQUIRE_MENTION", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.delenv("SLACK_FREE_RESPONSE_CHANNELS", raising=False)
+
+    config = load_gateway_config()
+
+    assert config is not None
+    slack_extra = config.platforms[Platform.SLACK].extra
+    assert slack_extra.get("require_mention") is False
+    assert slack_extra.get("free_response_channels") == ["C0AQWDLHY9M", "C9999999999"]
+    # Verify env vars were set by config bridging
+    import os as _os
+    assert _os.environ["SLACK_REQUIRE_MENTION"] == "false"
+    assert _os.environ["SLACK_FREE_RESPONSE_CHANNELS"] == "C0AQWDLHY9M,C9999999999"

tests/tools/test_send_message_tool.py

@@ -32,6 +32,30 @@ def _install_telegram_mock(monkeypatch, bot):
     monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "telegram.constants", constants_mod)
 
 
+def _ensure_slack_mock(monkeypatch):
+    if "slack_bolt" in sys.modules and hasattr(sys.modules["slack_bolt"], "__file__"):
+        return
+
+    slack_bolt = MagicMock()
+    slack_bolt.async_app.AsyncApp = MagicMock
+    slack_bolt.adapter.socket_mode.async_handler.AsyncSocketModeHandler = MagicMock
+
+    slack_sdk = MagicMock()
+    slack_sdk.web.async_client.AsyncWebClient = MagicMock
+
+    for name, mod in [
+        ("slack_bolt", slack_bolt),
+        ("slack_bolt.async_app", slack_bolt.async_app),
+        ("slack_bolt.adapter", slack_bolt.adapter),
+        ("slack_bolt.adapter.socket_mode", slack_bolt.adapter.socket_mode),
+        ("slack_bolt.adapter.socket_mode.async_handler", slack_bolt.adapter.socket_mode.async_handler),
+        ("slack_sdk", slack_sdk),
+        ("slack_sdk.web", slack_sdk.web),
+        ("slack_sdk.web.async_client", slack_sdk.web.async_client),
+    ]:
+        monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, name, mod)
+
+
 class TestSendMessageTool:
     def test_cron_duplicate_target_is_skipped_and_explained(self):
         home = SimpleNamespace(chat_id="-1001")
@@ -426,7 +450,7 @@ class TestSendToPlatformChunking:
             result = asyncio.run(
                 _send_to_platform(
                     Platform.DISCORD,
-                    SimpleNamespace(enabled=True, token="tok", extra={}),
+                    SimpleNamespace(enabled=True, token="***", extra={}),
                     "ch", long_msg,
                 )
             )
@@ -435,8 +459,115 @@ class TestSendToPlatformChunking:
         for call in send.await_args_list:
             assert len(call.args[2]) <= 2020  # each chunk fits the limit
 
+    def test_slack_messages_are_formatted_before_send(self, monkeypatch):
+        _ensure_slack_mock(monkeypatch)
+
+        import gateway.platforms.slack as slack_mod
+
+        monkeypatch.setattr(slack_mod, "SLACK_AVAILABLE", True)
+        send = AsyncMock(return_value={"success": True, "message_id": "1"})
+
+        with patch("tools.send_message_tool._send_slack", send):
+            result = asyncio.run(
+                _send_to_platform(
+                    Platform.SLACK,
+                    SimpleNamespace(enabled=True, token="***", extra={}),
+                    "C123",
+                    "**hello** from [Hermes](<https://example.com>)",
+                )
+            )
+
+        assert result["success"] is True
+        send.assert_awaited_once_with(
+            "***",
+            "C123",
+            "*hello* from <https://example.com|Hermes>",
+        )
+
+    def test_slack_bold_italic_formatted_before_send(self, monkeypatch):
+        """Bold+italic ***text*** survives tool-layer formatting."""
+        _ensure_slack_mock(monkeypatch)
+        import gateway.platforms.slack as slack_mod
+
+        monkeypatch.setattr(slack_mod, "SLACK_AVAILABLE", True)
+        send = AsyncMock(return_value={"success": True, "message_id": "1"})
+        with patch("tools.send_message_tool._send_slack", send):
+            result = asyncio.run(
+                _send_to_platform(
+                    Platform.SLACK,
+                    SimpleNamespace(enabled=True, token="***", extra={}),
+                    "C123",
+                    "***important*** update",
+                )
+            )
+        assert result["success"] is True
+        sent_text = send.await_args.args[2]
+        assert "*_important_*" in sent_text
+
+    def test_slack_blockquote_formatted_before_send(self, monkeypatch):
+        """Blockquote '>' markers must survive formatting (not escaped to '&gt;')."""
+        _ensure_slack_mock(monkeypatch)
+        import gateway.platforms.slack as slack_mod
+
+        monkeypatch.setattr(slack_mod, "SLACK_AVAILABLE", True)
+        send = AsyncMock(return_value={"success": True, "message_id": "1"})
+        with patch("tools.send_message_tool._send_slack", send):
+            result = asyncio.run(
+                _send_to_platform(
+                    Platform.SLACK,
+                    SimpleNamespace(enabled=True, token="***", extra={}),
+                    "C123",
+                    "> important quote\n\nnormal text & stuff",
+                )
+            )
+        assert result["success"] is True
+        sent_text = send.await_args.args[2]
+        assert sent_text.startswith("> important quote")
+        assert "&amp;" in sent_text  # & is escaped
+        assert "&gt;" not in sent_text.split("\n")[0]  # > in blockquote is NOT escaped
+
+    def test_slack_pre_escaped_entities_not_double_escaped(self, monkeypatch):
+        """Pre-escaped HTML entities survive tool-layer formatting without double-escaping."""
+        _ensure_slack_mock(monkeypatch)
+        import gateway.platforms.slack as slack_mod
+        monkeypatch.setattr(slack_mod, "SLACK_AVAILABLE", True)
+        send = AsyncMock(return_value={"success": True, "message_id": "1"})
+        with patch("tools.send_message_tool._send_slack", send):
+            result = asyncio.run(
+                _send_to_platform(
+                    Platform.SLACK,
+                    SimpleNamespace(enabled=True, token="***", extra={}),
+                    "C123",
+                    "AT&amp;T &lt;tag&gt; test",
+                )
+            )
+        assert result["success"] is True
+        sent_text = send.await_args.args[2]
+        assert "&amp;amp;" not in sent_text
+        assert "&amp;lt;" not in sent_text
+        assert "AT&amp;T" in sent_text
+
+    def test_slack_url_with_parens_formatted_before_send(self, monkeypatch):
+        """Wikipedia-style URL with parens survives tool-layer formatting."""
+        _ensure_slack_mock(monkeypatch)
+        import gateway.platforms.slack as slack_mod
+        monkeypatch.setattr(slack_mod, "SLACK_AVAILABLE", True)
+        send = AsyncMock(return_value={"success": True, "message_id": "1"})
+        with patch("tools.send_message_tool._send_slack", send):
+            result = asyncio.run(
+                _send_to_platform(
+                    Platform.SLACK,
+                    SimpleNamespace(enabled=True, token="***", extra={}),
+                    "C123",
+                    "See [Foo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foo_(bar))",
+                )
+            )
+        assert result["success"] is True
+        sent_text = send.await_args.args[2]
+        assert "<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foo_(bar)|Foo>" in sent_text
+
     def test_telegram_media_attaches_to_last_chunk(self):
-        """When chunked, media files are sent only with the last chunk."""
+
         sent_calls = []
 
         async def fake_send(token, chat_id, message, media_files=None, thread_id=None):

tools/send_message_tool.py

@@ -322,6 +322,13 @@ async def _send_to_platform(platform, pconfig, chat_id, message, thread_id=None,
 
     media_files = media_files or []
 
+    if platform == Platform.SLACK and message:
+        try:
+            slack_adapter = SlackAdapter.__new__(SlackAdapter)
+            message = slack_adapter.format_message(message)
+        except Exception:
+            logger.debug("Failed to apply Slack mrkdwn formatting in _send_to_platform", exc_info=True)
+
     # Platform message length limits (from adapter class attributes)
     _MAX_LENGTHS = {
         Platform.TELEGRAM: TelegramAdapter.MAX_MESSAGE_LENGTH,
@@ -571,7 +578,8 @@ async def _send_slack(token, chat_id, message):
         url = "https://slack.com/api/chat.postMessage"
         headers = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {token}", "Content-Type": "application/json"}
         async with aiohttp.ClientSession(timeout=aiohttp.ClientTimeout(total=30)) as session:
-            async with session.post(url, headers=headers, json={"channel": chat_id, "text": message}) as resp:
+            payload = {"channel": chat_id, "text": message, "mrkdwn": True}
+            async with session.post(url, headers=headers, json=payload) as resp:
                 data = await resp.json()
                 if data.get("ok"):
                     return {"success": True, "platform": "slack", "chat_id": chat_id, "message_id": data.get("ts")}