diff --git a/bridge/src/whatsapp.ts b/bridge/src/whatsapp.ts
index 46dcbe4c9..1b4fb3b9b 100644
--- a/bridge/src/whatsapp.ts
+++ b/bridge/src/whatsapp.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ export interface InboundMessage {
   content: string;
   timestamp: number;
   isGroup: boolean;
+  isForwarded?: boolean;
   wasMentioned?: boolean;
   isReplyToBot?: boolean;
   media?: string[];
@@ -97,6 +98,10 @@ export class WhatsAppClient {
     return { wasMentioned, isReplyToBot };
   }
 
+  private isForwarded(msg: any): boolean {
+    return this.messageContextInfos(msg).some((info) => Boolean(info?.isForwarded));
+  }
+
   async connect(): Promise<void> {
     const logger = pino({ level: 'silent' });
     const { state, saveCreds } = await useMultiFileAuthState(this.options.authDir);
@@ -104,6 +109,10 @@ export class WhatsAppClient {
 
     console.log(`Using Baileys version: ${version.join('.')}`);
 
+    // Record startup time — messages older than this will be ignored
+    // to avoid replaying history on reconnect
+    const startupTimestamp = Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000);
+
     // Create socket following OpenClaw's pattern
     this.sock = makeWASocket({
       auth: {
@@ -168,6 +177,10 @@ export class WhatsAppClient {
         if (msg.key.fromMe) continue;
         if (msg.key.remoteJid === 'status@broadcast') continue;
 
+        // Drop messages older than startup time (avoid replaying history on reconnect)
+        const msgTimestamp = msg.messageTimestamp as number;
+        if (msgTimestamp && msgTimestamp < startupTimestamp) continue;
+
         const unwrapped = baileysExtractMessageContent(msg.message);
         if (!unwrapped) continue;
 
@@ -192,8 +205,24 @@ export class WhatsAppClient {
           fallbackContent = '[Voice Message]';
           const path = await this.downloadMedia(msg, unwrapped.audioMessage.mimetype ?? undefined);
           if (path) mediaPaths.push(path);
+        } else if (unwrapped.contactMessage) {
+          // Single shared contact
+          const displayName = unwrapped.contactMessage.displayName || '';
+          const vcard = unwrapped.contactMessage.vcard || '';
+          fallbackContent = `[Contact: ${displayName}]\n${vcard}`;
+        } else if (unwrapped.contactsArrayMessage) {
+          // Multiple shared contacts
+          const vcards = unwrapped.contactsArrayMessage.contacts || [];
+          const parts = vcards.map((c: any) => {
+            const name = c.displayName || '';
+            const vc = c.vcard || '';
+            return `[Contact: ${name}]\n${vc}`;
+          });
+          fallbackContent = parts.join('\n\n');
         }
 
+        const isForwarded = this.isForwarded(msg);
+
         const finalContent = content || (mediaPaths.length === 0 ? fallbackContent : '') || '';
         if (!finalContent && mediaPaths.length === 0) continue;
 
@@ -208,6 +237,7 @@ export class WhatsAppClient {
           content: finalContent,
           timestamp: msg.messageTimestamp as number,
           isGroup,
+          ...(isForwarded ? { isForwarded } : {}),
           ...(isGroup ? { wasMentioned: wasMentioned || isReplyToBot, isReplyToBot } : {}),
           ...(mediaPaths.length > 0 ? { media: mediaPaths } : {}),
         });
diff --git a/nanobot/channels/whatsapp.py b/nanobot/channels/whatsapp.py
index 268b62f31..a989df03c 100644
--- a/nanobot/channels/whatsapp.py
+++ b/nanobot/channels/whatsapp.py
@@ -290,6 +290,7 @@ class WhatsAppChannel(BaseChannel):
                     "message_id": message_id,
                     "timestamp": data.get("timestamp"),
                     "is_group": data.get("isGroup", False),
+                    "is_forwarded": bool(data.get("isForwarded", False)),
                     "participant": participant or None,
                     "is_reply_to_bot": data.get("isReplyToBot", False),
                 },
diff --git a/tests/channels/test_whatsapp_channel.py b/tests/channels/test_whatsapp_channel.py
index cb5fc639b..04d498dee 100644
--- a/tests/channels/test_whatsapp_channel.py
+++ b/tests/channels/test_whatsapp_channel.py
@@ -291,6 +291,30 @@ async def test_voice_message_transcription_uses_media_path():
     assert kwargs["content"].startswith("Hello world")
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_forwarded_voice_message_preserves_metadata_after_transcription():
+    ch = WhatsAppChannel({"enabled": True, "allowFrom": ["*"]}, MagicMock())
+    ch._handle_message = AsyncMock()
+    ch.transcribe_audio = AsyncMock(return_value="Forwarded audio text")
+
+    await ch._handle_bridge_message(
+        json.dumps({
+            "type": "message",
+            "id": "v-forwarded",
+            "sender": "12345@s.whatsapp.net",
+            "pn": "",
+            "content": "[Voice Message]",
+            "timestamp": 1,
+            "media": ["/tmp/voice.ogg"],
+            "isForwarded": True,
+        })
+    )
+
+    kwargs = ch._handle_message.await_args.kwargs
+    assert kwargs["content"] == "Forwarded audio text"
+    assert kwargs["metadata"]["is_forwarded"] is True
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_unauthorized_voice_message_does_not_transcribe() -> None:
     ch = WhatsAppChannel({"enabled": True, "allowFrom": ["allowed"]}, MagicMock())