diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/AbstractUITask.h b/examples/companion_radio/AbstractUITask.h
index f1ac9024..3d0fa85b 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/AbstractUITask.h
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/AbstractUITask.h
@@ -79,5 +79,10 @@ public:
   // Locator/Live Share target) drop a reference that would otherwise dangle.
   // Default no-op.
   virtual void onContactRemoved(const uint8_t* pub_key) {}
+  // A channel slot was cleared (companion app set it to an empty secret).
+  // Drop any setting that referenced it by index — otherwise a new channel
+  // added later at the same slot would silently inherit the old one's bot/
+  // share target or notification melody. Default no-op.
+  virtual void onChannelRemoved(uint8_t channel_idx) {}
   virtual void loop() = 0;
 };
diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/MyMesh.cpp b/examples/companion_radio/MyMesh.cpp
index 12a08769..8e9224e3 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/MyMesh.cpp
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/MyMesh.cpp
@@ -1665,6 +1665,11 @@ void MyMesh::startInterface(BaseSerialInterface &serial) {
   serial.enable();
 }
 
+static bool isAllZero(const uint8_t* buf, size_t n) {
+  for (size_t i = 0; i < n; i++) if (buf[i]) return false;
+  return true;
+}
+
 void MyMesh::handleCmdFrame(size_t len) {
   if (cmd_frame[0] == CMD_DEVICE_QUERY && len >= 2) { // sent when app establishes connection
     app_target_ver = cmd_frame[1];                    // which version of protocol does app understand
@@ -2378,6 +2383,12 @@ void MyMesh::handleCmdFrame(size_t len) {
     memcpy(channel.channel.secret, &cmd_frame[2 + 32], 32); // 256-bit key
     if (setChannel(channel_idx, channel)) {
       saveChannels();
+      // An all-zero secret is this codebase's "empty slot" sentinel (same
+      // check loadChannels()/saveChannels() use) -- the app just cleared this
+      // channel, so drop anything that referenced it by index, the same way
+      // onContactRemoved() does for contacts.
+      if (_ui && isAllZero(channel.channel.secret, sizeof(channel.channel.secret)))
+        _ui->onChannelRemoved(channel_idx);
       writeOKFrame();
     } else {
       writeErrFrame(ERR_CODE_NOT_FOUND); // bad channel_idx
@@ -2390,6 +2401,8 @@ void MyMesh::handleCmdFrame(size_t len) {
     memcpy(channel.channel.secret, &cmd_frame[2 + 32], 16); // 128-bit key
     if (setChannel(channel_idx, channel)) {
       saveChannels();
+      if (_ui && isAllZero(channel.channel.secret, sizeof(channel.channel.secret)))
+        _ui->onChannelRemoved(channel_idx);
       writeOKFrame();
     } else {
       writeErrFrame(ERR_CODE_NOT_FOUND); // bad channel_idx
diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/ui-new/UITask.cpp b/examples/companion_radio/ui-new/UITask.cpp
index c778b209..4a95278e 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/ui-new/UITask.cpp
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/ui-new/UITask.cpp
@@ -2445,6 +2445,29 @@ void UITask::onContactRemoved(const uint8_t* pub_key) {
   if (changed) the_mesh.savePrefs();
 }
 
+void UITask::onChannelRemoved(uint8_t channel_idx) {
+  if (!_node_prefs) return;
+  bool changed = false;
+
+  if (_node_prefs->bot_channel_enabled && _node_prefs->bot_channel_idx == channel_idx) {
+    _node_prefs->bot_channel_enabled = 0;
+    changed = true;
+  }
+  // Fail closed, same policy as onContactRemoved()'s Live Share case.
+  if (_node_prefs->loc_share_target_type == 0 && _node_prefs->loc_share_channel_idx == channel_idx) {
+    _node_prefs->loc_share_enabled = 0;
+    changed = true;
+  }
+  uint64_t mask = 1ULL << channel_idx;
+  if (_node_prefs->ch_notif_melody_set & mask) {
+    _node_prefs->ch_notif_melody_set &= ~mask;
+    _node_prefs->ch_notif_melody_2   &= ~mask;
+    changed = true;
+  }
+
+  if (changed) the_mesh.savePrefs();
+}
+
 // Homing beeper: while armed with a target and inside the radius, emit a short
 // tick whose interval shrinks linearly with distance — slow at the edge, rapid
 // near the centre. Polls distance a few times a second; silent outside the
diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/ui-new/UITask.h b/examples/companion_radio/ui-new/UITask.h
index 38a4c2f7..1a80f414 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/ui-new/UITask.h
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/ui-new/UITask.h
@@ -219,6 +219,10 @@ public:
   // any per-contact mute/melody override (those tables have only 16 shared
   // slots, so an orphan isn't just stale — it can starve other contacts).
   void onContactRemoved(const uint8_t* pub_key) override;
+  // A channel slot was cleared: turn off anything armed against it by index
+  // (the bot's channel, Live Share's channel target) and drop its per-channel
+  // melody bit, so a future channel re-added at the same slot starts clean.
+  void onChannelRemoved(uint8_t channel_idx) override;
   // Resolve a person target (6-byte pubkey prefix) to a current position:
   // prefers an active [LOC] live share, falls back to their last-advertised
   // GPS fix. Returns false when neither is known. Optional live/ts report