diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/AbstractUITask.h b/examples/companion_radio/AbstractUITask.h
index 3871f050..4e32fb23 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/AbstractUITask.h
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/AbstractUITask.h
@@ -64,8 +64,8 @@ public:
   bool isClientConnected() const { return _serial->isClientConnected(); }
   uint16_t getBattMilliVolts() const { return _board->getBattMilliVolts(); }
   bool isSerialEnabled() const { return _serial->isEnabled(); }
-  void enableSerial() { _serial->enable(); }
-  void disableSerial() { _serial->disable(); }
+  void enableSerial() { _serial->enable(); the_mesh.rememberBle(true); }
+  void disableSerial() { _serial->disable(); the_mesh.rememberBle(false); }
   virtual void notify(UIEventType t = UIEventType::none) = 0;
   // Single choke point for every controlled power-down (low-battery auto-off,
   // long-press power-off, and every board.reboot() caller too): flush
diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/DataStore.cpp b/examples/companion_radio/DataStore.cpp
index 7367469b..3e8925d7 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/DataStore.cpp
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/DataStore.cpp
@@ -332,6 +332,7 @@ static void sanitize(NodePrefs& p) {
   if (p.quiet_to > 23) p.quiet_to = 7;
   if (!battery::validCurve(p.batt_curve_mv)) memset(p.batt_curve_mv, 0, sizeof(p.batt_curve_mv));
   flag(p.lock_compact, 0);
+  flag(p.ble_off, 0);
 }
 
 // The settings a firmware before 2.0 kept in /new_prefs that still matter
diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/MyMesh.cpp b/examples/companion_radio/MyMesh.cpp
index d3b2c37d..f9469d27 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/MyMesh.cpp
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/MyMesh.cpp
@@ -2047,7 +2047,7 @@ bool MyMesh::isValidClientRepeatFreq(uint32_t f) const {
 
 void MyMesh::startInterface(BaseSerialInterface &serial) {
   _serial = &serial;
-  serial.enable();
+  if (!_prefs.ble_off) serial.enable();
 }
 
 static bool isAllZero(const uint8_t* buf, size_t n) {
diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/MyMesh.h b/examples/companion_radio/MyMesh.h
index 94bfc09a..11ea8fb2 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/MyMesh.h
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/MyMesh.h
@@ -414,6 +414,12 @@ public:
   }
 
   void savePrefs() { _store->savePrefs(_prefs, sensors.node_lat, sensors.node_lon); }
+  // Bluetooth on/off as the user left it (NodePrefs::ble_off), kept over reboots.
+  void rememberBle(bool on) {
+    if (_prefs.ble_off == (on ? 0 : 1)) return;
+    _prefs.ble_off = on ? 0 : 1;
+    savePrefs();
+  }
   void saveRTCTime() { _store->saveRTCTime(); }
   // Contact updates (new adverts, path/lastmod changes) are lazily debounced
   // (see dirty_contacts_expiry) to avoid wearing flash on every packet --
diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/NodePrefs.h b/examples/companion_radio/NodePrefs.h
index 1622da15..b9e3d72d 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/NodePrefs.h
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/NodePrefs.h
@@ -520,6 +520,11 @@ struct NodePrefs {  // persisted to file
   // clock fields as rows below. The L2 has its own lock screen.
   uint8_t  lock_compact;
 
+  // ── Bluetooth ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  // 1 = the user switched Bluetooth off: it stays off after a reboot or
+  // hibernate (MyMesh::startInterface). USB keeps working either way.
+  uint8_t  ble_off;
+
   // Single source of truth for the live-share option tables (shared by the Map
   // UI labels and the auto-send engine in UITask).
   static const uint8_t LOC_SHARE_MOVE_COUNT = 4;