diff --git a/@packages/imessage/Sources/IMessageSync/BlobSyncManager.swift b/@packages/imessage/Sources/IMessageSync/BlobSyncManager.swift
index ded3795..fdbce0c 100644
--- a/@packages/imessage/Sources/IMessageSync/BlobSyncManager.swift
+++ b/@packages/imessage/Sources/IMessageSync/BlobSyncManager.swift
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ final class BlobSyncManager: @unchecked Sendable {
             page += 1
             log.info("BlobSyncManager: page \(page), uploading \(items.count) blobs")
 
+            let uploadedBefore = totalUploaded
             for item in items {
                 guard let (data, contentType) = readAttachmentFile(item: item, queuedCount: &totalQueued) else {
                     totalSkipped += 1
@@ -87,6 +88,15 @@ final class BlobSyncManager: @unchecked Sendable {
             }
 
             if items.count < pageSize { break }
+            // No cursor on the missing-attachments endpoint: a full page that
+            // produced zero successful uploads returns identically on the next
+            // fetch (failed uploads don't shrink the missing set). Stop the pass
+            // to avoid an infinite re-fetch loop that wedges sync; next pass retries.
+            if totalUploaded == uploadedBefore {
+                log.warning("BlobSyncManager: full page, 0 uploads — stopping pass to avoid re-fetch loop")
+                await MainActor.run { activityLog.warning("Blob sync: backend not accepting uploads — stopping pass") }
+                break
+            }
         }
 
         let queuedNote = totalQueued > 0 ? ", \(totalQueued) queued for iCloud download" : ""
diff --git a/@packages/imessage/Sources/IMessageSync/SyncManager.swift b/@packages/imessage/Sources/IMessageSync/SyncManager.swift
index 4173f05..c270e8c 100644
--- a/@packages/imessage/Sources/IMessageSync/SyncManager.swift
+++ b/@packages/imessage/Sources/IMessageSync/SyncManager.swift
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ final class SyncManager: BaseSyncManager<SyncStats, SyncError> {
     private let sendService = SendService.shared
     private let activityLog = ActivityLog.shared
     private let blobSyncManager: BlobSyncManager
+    /// Guards the out-of-band blob pass so passes never overlap. The blob pass is
+    /// fired detached from the read cycle (see performSync) — it must never be
+    /// awaited there, or a failing blob backend wedges the base `isSyncing` flag.
+    private var blobSyncInFlight = false
 
     /// First-cycle bootstrap (DB connect, schema-version reset, contacts load) is
     /// done lazily inside `performSync` since the base's `startSync` is final.
@@ -220,9 +224,19 @@ final class SyncManager: BaseSyncManager<SyncStats, SyncError> {
             await runReadCycle()
         }
 
-        // Blob pass runs after every read cycle; uploads any messages whose
-        // attachment bytes haven't been pushed yet.
-        await blobSyncManager.syncBlobs()
+        // Blob pass runs OUT OF BAND — never awaited on the read cycle. The
+        // missing-attachments endpoint has no cursor, so a failing blob backend
+        // returns the same full page every fetch; awaiting that here held the
+        // base `isSyncing` flag indefinitely and starved message ingestion (every
+        // 30s read-timer tick got swallowed by syncNow's guard). Fire it detached,
+        // guarded so passes don't overlap.
+        if !blobSyncInFlight {
+            blobSyncInFlight = true
+            Task { [weak self, blobSyncManager] in
+                await blobSyncManager.syncBlobs()
+                self?.blobSyncInFlight = false
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     private func performInitialSync() async {