diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/service/MeshForegroundService.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/service/MeshForegroundService.kt
index 9b475b60..3af70da3 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/service/MeshForegroundService.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/service/MeshForegroundService.kt
@@ -144,11 +144,13 @@ class MeshForegroundService : Service() {
         when (intent?.action) {
             ACTION_STOP -> {
                 // Stop FGS and mesh cleanly
+                updateJob?.cancel()
+                updateJob = null
                 try { com.bitchat.android.services.MessageRouter.tryGetInstance()?.stopOutboxScheduler() } catch (_: Exception) { }
                 try { unifiedMeshService?.stopServices() ?: meshService?.stopServices() } catch (_: Exception) { }
                 try { MeshServiceHolder.clear() } catch (_: Exception) { }
                 try { stopForeground(true) } catch (_: Exception) { }
-                notificationManager.cancel(NOTIFICATION_ID)
+                clearMeshNotifications()
                 isInForeground = false
                 stopSelf()
                 return START_NOT_STICKY
@@ -158,7 +160,7 @@ class MeshForegroundService : Service() {
                 updateJob?.cancel()
                 updateJob = null
                 try { stopForeground(true) } catch (_: Exception) { }
-                notificationManager.cancel(NOTIFICATION_ID)
+                clearMeshNotifications()
                 isInForeground = false
                 // Fully stop all background activity, stop Tor (without changing setting), then kill the app
                 AppShutdownCoordinator.requestFullShutdownAndKill(
@@ -224,7 +226,7 @@ class MeshForegroundService : Service() {
 
     private fun updateNotification(force: Boolean) {
         if (isShuttingDown) {
-            notificationManager.cancel(NOTIFICATION_ID)
+            clearMeshNotifications()
             return
         }
         val count = getUnifiedActivePeerCount()
@@ -236,12 +238,17 @@ class MeshForegroundService : Service() {
         } else if (force) {
             // If disabled and forced, make sure to remove any prior foreground state
             try { stopForeground(false) } catch (_: Exception) { }
-            notificationManager.cancel(NOTIFICATION_ID)
+            clearMeshNotifications()
             isInForeground = false
             lastNotifiedPeerCount = null
         }
     }
 
+    private fun clearMeshNotifications() {
+        notificationManager.cancel(NOTIFICATION_ID)
+        peerAvailabilityNotifier.clear()
+    }
+
     private fun hasAllRequiredPermissions(): Boolean {
         // For starting FGS with connectedDevice|dataSync, we need:
         // - Foreground service permissions (declared in manifest)
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/service/PeerAvailabilityNotifier.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/service/PeerAvailabilityNotifier.kt
index 0a610c46..8639ad22 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/service/PeerAvailabilityNotifier.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/service/PeerAvailabilityNotifier.kt
@@ -185,11 +185,15 @@ internal class PeerAvailabilityNotifier(
     fun onPeerCountChanged(peerCount: Int, isAppInBackground: Boolean) {
         when (tracker.update(peerCount, isAppInBackground)) {
             PeerAvailabilityAction.NONE -> Unit
-            PeerAvailabilityAction.CLEAR -> notificationManager.cancel(NOTIFICATION_ID)
+            PeerAvailabilityAction.CLEAR -> clear()
             PeerAvailabilityAction.SHOW -> showNotification(peerCount)
         }
     }
 
+    fun clear() {
+        notificationManager.cancel(NOTIFICATION_ID)
+    }
+
     private fun createNotificationChannel() {
         val channel = NotificationChannel(
             CHANNEL_ID,
diff --git a/app/src/test/kotlin/com/bitchat/android/service/PeerAvailabilityNotifierTest.kt b/app/src/test/kotlin/com/bitchat/android/service/PeerAvailabilityNotifierTest.kt
index 8e2a0937..176ffad5 100644
--- a/app/src/test/kotlin/com/bitchat/android/service/PeerAvailabilityNotifierTest.kt
+++ b/app/src/test/kotlin/com/bitchat/android/service/PeerAvailabilityNotifierTest.kt
@@ -189,6 +189,25 @@ class PeerAvailabilityNotifierTest {
         )
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun `explicit clear cancels availability notification`() {
+        val notifier = PeerAvailabilityNotifier(
+            context = context,
+            tracker = tracker(),
+            textProvider = testTextProvider(),
+            canPostNotifications = { true }
+        )
+
+        notifier.onPeerCountChanged(1, isAppInBackground = true)
+        notifier.clear()
+
+        assertNull(
+            shadowOf(systemNotificationManager).getNotification(
+                PeerAvailabilityNotifier.NOTIFICATION_ID
+            )
+        )
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun `disabled notifications do not post`() {
         val history = InMemoryAlertHistory()