diff --git a/cmd/mavend/continuation.go b/cmd/mavend/continuation.go
index bbe0b1a..9beda47 100644
--- a/cmd/mavend/continuation.go
+++ b/cmd/mavend/continuation.go
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ func continuationDecision(prev *dialogue.Session, text string, now time.Time) (r
 		Intent:     router.Intent(prev.Intent),
 		Confidence: 1.0,
 		Stage:      0,
+		Continued:  true,
 		Slots: router.Slots{
 			Key:    prev.Slots.Key,
 			HasKey: prev.Slots.HasKey,
diff --git a/cmd/mavend/continuation_test.go b/cmd/mavend/continuation_test.go
index f4816f9..9ae8b26 100644
--- a/cmd/mavend/continuation_test.go
+++ b/cmd/mavend/continuation_test.go
@@ -116,3 +116,25 @@ func TestContinuationCarriesTheTopic(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("Slots.Text = %q, want the previous turn's topic", dec.Slots.Text)
 	}
 }
+
+// TestReplySystemIgnoresAnInheritedTopic — the regression the deployed daemon
+// showed on 01-08-2026: followUpMerge fills an empty Text from the previous
+// same-intent turn, so a plain "привет" after "какой сегодня день" arrived at
+// replySystem carrying the old topic and was answered with the date. Only a
+// continuation may widen the keyword match.
+func TestReplySystemIgnoresAnInheritedTopic(t *testing.T) {
+	h := &reactiveHandler{now: func() time.Time { return contNow }}
+	inherited := router.Decision{
+		Utterance: "привет",
+		Intent:    router.IntentSystem,
+		Slots:     router.Slots{Text: "какой сегодня день"},
+	}
+	if got := h.replySystem(nil, inherited); got != "пока не умею отвечать на этот вопрос." {
+		t.Fatalf("replySystem answered %q on an inherited topic", got)
+	}
+	cont := inherited
+	cont.Utterance, cont.Continued = "а завтра?", true
+	if got := h.replySystem(nil, cont); got == "пока не умею отвечать на этот вопрос." {
+		t.Fatalf("replySystem refused a real continuation")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/mavend/voice.go b/cmd/mavend/voice.go
index 138b0d8..e449815 100644
--- a/cmd/mavend/voice.go
+++ b/cmd/mavend/voice.go
@@ -374,10 +374,16 @@ func (h *reactiveHandler) replySystem(ctx context.Context, dec router.Decision)
 	// lives in the previous turn, which continuation.go copied into
 	// Slots.Text. Dates keep parsing from the utterance — that is the part
 	// the ellipsis actually restates — and only the keyword match widens.
-	// On an ordinary turn Slots.Text is the utterance, so nothing changes.
+	//
+	// Gated on Continued, and that gate is load-bearing. followUpMerge fills
+	// an empty Text from the previous same-intent turn, so without it a plain
+	// "привет" after "какой сегодня день" inherited the old topic and got
+	// answered with the date. Seen on the deployed daemon, 01-08-2026.
 	topic := u
-	if t := strings.ToLower(dec.Slots.Text); t != "" && t != u {
-		topic = u + " " + t
+	if dec.Continued {
+		if t := strings.ToLower(dec.Slots.Text); t != "" && t != u {
+			topic = u + " " + t
+		}
 	}
 
 	// stage-0 grammars catch the exact time/date patterns, but duration
diff --git a/internal/router/intent.go b/internal/router/intent.go
index 3ecc4ef..758c042 100644
--- a/internal/router/intent.go
+++ b/internal/router/intent.go
@@ -104,4 +104,11 @@ type Decision struct {
 	Confidence float64 // 1.0 for stage-0; classifier cosine similarity for 1+
 	Slots      Slots
 	Clarify    bool // stage 3: below threshold — ask, don't guess
+
+	// Continued — this decision was rebuilt from the previous turn rather
+	// than routed, because the utterance was an ellipsis ("а завтра?").
+	// Handlers use it to know that Slots.Text is the PREVIOUS turn's topic
+	// and not something the current utterance said. Nothing in the router
+	// sets it; the daemon's continuation path does.
+	Continued bool
 }