diff --git a/backend/app/channels/telegram.py b/backend/app/channels/telegram.py
index 7153625..97c50aa 100644
--- a/backend/app/channels/telegram.py
+++ b/backend/app/channels/telegram.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import threading
 from typing import Any
 
 from app.channels.base import Channel
-from app.channels.message_bus import InboundMessageType, MessageBus, OutboundMessage, ResolvedAttachment
+from app.channels.message_bus import InboundMessage, InboundMessageType, MessageBus, OutboundMessage, ResolvedAttachment
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -187,6 +187,14 @@ class TelegramChannel(Channel):
             logger.exception("[Telegram] failed to send running reply in chat=%s", chat_id)
 
     # -- internal ----------------------------------------------------------
+    @staticmethod
+    def _log_future_error(fut, name: str, msg_id: str):
+        try:
+            exc = fut.exception()
+            if exc:
+                logger.error("[Telegram] %s failed for msg_id=%s: %s", name, msg_id, exc)
+        except Exception:
+            logger.exception("[Telegram] Failed to inspect future for %s (msg_id=%s)", name, msg_id)
 
     def _run_polling(self) -> None:
         """Run telegram polling in a dedicated thread."""
@@ -224,6 +232,10 @@ class TelegramChannel(Channel):
             return
         await update.message.reply_text("Welcome to DeerFlow! Send me a message to start a conversation.\nType /help for available commands.")
 
+    async def _process_incoming_with_reply(self, chat_id: str, msg_id: int, inbound: InboundMessage) -> None:
+        await self._send_running_reply(chat_id, msg_id)
+        await self.bus.publish_inbound(inbound)
+
     async def _cmd_generic(self, update, context) -> None:
         """Forward slash commands to the channel manager."""
         if not self._check_user(update.effective_user.id):
@@ -255,8 +267,10 @@ class TelegramChannel(Channel):
         inbound.topic_id = topic_id
 
         if self._main_loop and self._main_loop.is_running():
-            asyncio.run_coroutine_threadsafe(self._send_running_reply(chat_id, update.message.message_id), self._main_loop)
-            asyncio.run_coroutine_threadsafe(self.bus.publish_inbound(inbound), self._main_loop)
+            fut = asyncio.run_coroutine_threadsafe(self._process_incoming_with_reply(chat_id, update.message.message_id, inbound), self._main_loop)
+            fut.add_done_callback(lambda f: self._log_future_error(f, "process_incoming_with_reply", update.message.message_id))
+        else:
+            logger.warning("[Telegram] Main loop not running. Cannot publish inbound message.")
 
     async def _on_text(self, update, context) -> None:
         """Handle regular text messages."""
@@ -295,5 +309,7 @@ class TelegramChannel(Channel):
         inbound.topic_id = topic_id
 
         if self._main_loop and self._main_loop.is_running():
-            asyncio.run_coroutine_threadsafe(self._send_running_reply(chat_id, update.message.message_id), self._main_loop)
-            asyncio.run_coroutine_threadsafe(self.bus.publish_inbound(inbound), self._main_loop)
+            fut = asyncio.run_coroutine_threadsafe(self._process_incoming_with_reply(chat_id, update.message.message_id, inbound), self._main_loop)
+            fut.add_done_callback(lambda f: self._log_future_error(f, "process_incoming_with_reply", update.message.message_id))
+        else:
+            logger.warning("[Telegram] Main loop not running. Cannot publish inbound message.")
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_channels.py b/backend/tests/test_channels.py
index db5ed2d..04131fa 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_channels.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_channels.py
@@ -1147,8 +1147,8 @@ class TestChannelManager:
             outbound_received = []
 
             async def capture(msg):
-                 outbound_received.append(msg)
-                 
+                outbound_received.append(msg)
+
             bus.subscribe_outbound(capture)
             await manager.start()
 
@@ -1949,6 +1949,36 @@ class TestTelegramPrivateChatThread:
         _run(go())
 
 
+class TestTelegramProcessingOrder:
+    """Ensure 'working on it...' is sent before inbound is published."""
+
+    def test_running_reply_sent_before_publish(self):
+        from app.channels.telegram import TelegramChannel
+
+        async def go():
+            bus = MessageBus()
+            ch = TelegramChannel(bus=bus, config={"bot_token": "test-token"})
+
+            ch._main_loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
+
+            order = []
+
+            async def mock_send_running_reply(chat_id, msg_id):
+                order.append("running_reply")
+
+            async def mock_publish_inbound(inbound):
+                order.append("publish_inbound")
+
+            ch._send_running_reply = mock_send_running_reply
+            ch.bus.publish_inbound = mock_publish_inbound
+
+            await ch._process_incoming_with_reply(chat_id="chat1", msg_id=123, inbound=InboundMessage(channel_name="telegram", chat_id="chat1", user_id="user1", text="hello"))
+
+            assert order == ["running_reply", "publish_inbound"]
+
+        _run(go())
+
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Slack markdown-to-mrkdwn conversion tests (via markdown_to_mrkdwn library)
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------