diff --git a/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/constants.ts b/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/constants.ts
index 39799c5314..a26c7bc090 100644
--- a/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/constants.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/constants.ts
@@ -18,5 +18,6 @@ export const COUNTDOWN_GRACE_PERIOD_MS = 500
 
 export const ABORT_WINDOW_MS = 3000
 export const CONTINUATION_COOLDOWN_MS = 5_000
+export const MAX_STAGNATION_COUNT = 3
 export const MAX_CONSECUTIVE_FAILURES = 5
 export const FAILURE_RESET_WINDOW_MS = 5 * 60 * 1000
diff --git a/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/idle-event.ts b/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/idle-event.ts
index 1f944db597..6797c97c12 100644
--- a/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/idle-event.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/idle-event.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
 } from "./constants"
 import { isLastAssistantMessageAborted } from "./abort-detection"
 import { hasUnansweredQuestion } from "./pending-question-detection"
+import { shouldStopForStagnation } from "./stagnation-detection"
 import { getIncompleteCount } from "./todo"
 import type { MessageInfo, ResolvedMessageInfo, Todo } from "./types"
 import type { SessionStateStore } from "./session-state"
@@ -93,12 +94,14 @@ export async function handleSessionIdle(args: {
   }
 
   if (!todos || todos.length === 0) {
+    sessionStateStore.resetContinuationProgress(sessionID)
     log(`[${HOOK_NAME}] No todos`, { sessionID })
     return
   }
 
   const incompleteCount = getIncompleteCount(todos)
   if (incompleteCount === 0) {
+    sessionStateStore.resetContinuationProgress(sessionID)
     log(`[${HOOK_NAME}] All todos complete`, { sessionID, total: todos.length })
     return
   }
@@ -183,6 +186,11 @@ export async function handleSessionIdle(args: {
     return
   }
 
+  const progressUpdate = sessionStateStore.trackContinuationProgress(sessionID, incompleteCount)
+  if (shouldStopForStagnation({ sessionID, incompleteCount, progressUpdate })) {
+    return
+  }
+
   startCountdown({
     ctx,
     sessionID,
diff --git a/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/session-state.test.ts b/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/session-state.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..32f2ba627e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/session-state.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, test } from "bun:test"
+
+import { createSessionStateStore, type SessionStateStore } from "./session-state"
+
+describe("createSessionStateStore", () => {
+  let sessionStateStore: SessionStateStore
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    sessionStateStore = createSessionStateStore()
+  })
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    sessionStateStore.shutdown()
+  })
+
+  test("given repeated incomplete counts after a continuation, tracks stagnation", () => {
+    // given
+    const sessionID = "ses-stagnation"
+    const state = sessionStateStore.getState(sessionID)
+    state.lastInjectedAt = Date.now()
+
+    // when
+    const firstUpdate = sessionStateStore.trackContinuationProgress(sessionID, 2)
+    const secondUpdate = sessionStateStore.trackContinuationProgress(sessionID, 2)
+    const thirdUpdate = sessionStateStore.trackContinuationProgress(sessionID, 2)
+
+    // then
+    expect(firstUpdate.stagnationCount).toBe(0)
+    expect(secondUpdate.stagnationCount).toBe(1)
+    expect(thirdUpdate.stagnationCount).toBe(2)
+  })
+
+  test("given incomplete count decreases, resets stagnation tracking", () => {
+    // given
+    const sessionID = "ses-progress-reset"
+    const state = sessionStateStore.getState(sessionID)
+    state.lastInjectedAt = Date.now()
+    sessionStateStore.trackContinuationProgress(sessionID, 3)
+    sessionStateStore.trackContinuationProgress(sessionID, 3)
+
+    // when
+    const progressUpdate = sessionStateStore.trackContinuationProgress(sessionID, 2)
+
+    // then
+    expect(progressUpdate.hasProgressed).toBe(true)
+    expect(progressUpdate.stagnationCount).toBe(0)
+    expect(sessionStateStore.getState(sessionID).lastIncompleteCount).toBe(2)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/session-state.ts b/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/session-state.ts
index a02a5e5ada..2116a6af0f 100644
--- a/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/session-state.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/session-state.ts
@@ -10,9 +10,17 @@ interface TrackedSessionState {
   lastAccessedAt: number
 }
 
+export interface ContinuationProgressUpdate {
+  previousIncompleteCount?: number
+  stagnationCount: number
+  hasProgressed: boolean
+}
+
 export interface SessionStateStore {
   getState: (sessionID: string) => SessionState
   getExistingState: (sessionID: string) => SessionState | undefined
+  trackContinuationProgress: (sessionID: string, incompleteCount: number) => ContinuationProgressUpdate
+  resetContinuationProgress: (sessionID: string) => void
   cancelCountdown: (sessionID: string) => void
   cleanup: (sessionID: string) => void
   cancelAllCountdowns: () => void
@@ -46,6 +54,7 @@ export function createSessionStateStore(): SessionStateStore {
     }
 
     const state: SessionState = {
+      stagnationCount: 0,
       consecutiveFailures: 0,
     }
     sessions.set(sessionID, { state, lastAccessedAt: Date.now() })
@@ -61,6 +70,57 @@ export function createSessionStateStore(): SessionStateStore {
     return undefined
   }
 
+  function trackContinuationProgress(
+    sessionID: string,
+    incompleteCount: number
+  ): ContinuationProgressUpdate {
+    const state = getState(sessionID)
+    const previousIncompleteCount = state.lastIncompleteCount
+
+    state.lastIncompleteCount = incompleteCount
+
+    if (previousIncompleteCount === undefined) {
+      state.stagnationCount = 0
+      return {
+        previousIncompleteCount,
+        stagnationCount: state.stagnationCount,
+        hasProgressed: false,
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (incompleteCount < previousIncompleteCount) {
+      state.stagnationCount = 0
+      return {
+        previousIncompleteCount,
+        stagnationCount: state.stagnationCount,
+        hasProgressed: true,
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (state.lastInjectedAt === undefined) {
+      return {
+        previousIncompleteCount,
+        stagnationCount: state.stagnationCount,
+        hasProgressed: false,
+      }
+    }
+
+    state.stagnationCount += 1
+    return {
+      previousIncompleteCount,
+      stagnationCount: state.stagnationCount,
+      hasProgressed: false,
+    }
+  }
+
+  function resetContinuationProgress(sessionID: string): void {
+    const state = getExistingState(sessionID)
+    if (!state) return
+
+    state.lastIncompleteCount = undefined
+    state.stagnationCount = 0
+  }
+
   function cancelCountdown(sessionID: string): void {
     const tracked = sessions.get(sessionID)
     if (!tracked) return
@@ -100,6 +160,8 @@ export function createSessionStateStore(): SessionStateStore {
   return {
     getState,
     getExistingState,
+    trackContinuationProgress,
+    resetContinuationProgress,
     cancelCountdown,
     cleanup,
     cancelAllCountdowns,
diff --git a/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/stagnation-detection.ts b/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/stagnation-detection.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ff35a357e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/stagnation-detection.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import { log } from "../../shared/logger"
+
+import { HOOK_NAME, MAX_STAGNATION_COUNT } from "./constants"
+import type { ContinuationProgressUpdate } from "./session-state"
+
+export function shouldStopForStagnation(args: {
+  sessionID: string
+  incompleteCount: number
+  progressUpdate: ContinuationProgressUpdate
+}): boolean {
+  const { sessionID, incompleteCount, progressUpdate } = args
+
+  if (progressUpdate.hasProgressed) {
+    log(`[${HOOK_NAME}] Progress detected: reset stagnation count`, {
+      sessionID,
+      previousIncompleteCount: progressUpdate.previousIncompleteCount,
+      incompleteCount,
+    })
+  }
+
+  if (progressUpdate.stagnationCount < MAX_STAGNATION_COUNT) {
+    return false
+  }
+
+  log(`[${HOOK_NAME}] Skipped: todo continuation stagnated`, {
+    sessionID,
+    incompleteCount,
+    previousIncompleteCount: progressUpdate.previousIncompleteCount,
+    stagnationCount: progressUpdate.stagnationCount,
+    maxStagnationCount: MAX_STAGNATION_COUNT,
+  })
+  return true
+}
diff --git a/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/todo-continuation-enforcer.test.ts b/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/todo-continuation-enforcer.test.ts
index dee3d0bf4f..2e41b3bc71 100644
--- a/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/todo-continuation-enforcer.test.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/todo-continuation-enforcer.test.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
   CONTINUATION_COOLDOWN_MS,
   FAILURE_RESET_WINDOW_MS,
   MAX_CONSECUTIVE_FAILURES,
+  MAX_STAGNATION_COUNT,
 } from "./constants"
 
 type TimerCallback = (...args: any[]) => void
@@ -626,6 +627,21 @@ describe("todo-continuation-enforcer", () => {
     const sessionID = "main-max-consecutive-failures"
     setMainSession(sessionID)
     const mockInput = createMockPluginInput()
+    const incompleteCounts = [5, 4, 5, 4, 5, 4]
+    let todoCallCount = 0
+    mockInput.client.session.todo = async () => {
+      const countIndex = Math.min(Math.floor(todoCallCount / 2), incompleteCounts.length - 1)
+      const incompleteCount = incompleteCounts[countIndex] ?? incompleteCounts[incompleteCounts.length - 1] ?? 1
+      todoCallCount += 1
+      return {
+        data: Array.from({ length: incompleteCount }, (_, index) => ({
+          id: String(index + 1),
+          content: `Task ${index + 1}`,
+          status: "pending",
+          priority: "high",
+        })),
+      }
+    }
     mockInput.client.session.promptAsync = async (opts: PromptRequestOptions) => {
       promptCalls.push({
         sessionID: opts.path.id,
@@ -657,6 +673,21 @@ describe("todo-continuation-enforcer", () => {
     const sessionID = "main-recovery-after-max-failures"
     setMainSession(sessionID)
     const mockInput = createMockPluginInput()
+    const incompleteCounts = [5, 4, 5, 4, 5, 4, 5]
+    let todoCallCount = 0
+    mockInput.client.session.todo = async () => {
+      const countIndex = Math.min(Math.floor(todoCallCount / 2), incompleteCounts.length - 1)
+      const incompleteCount = incompleteCounts[countIndex] ?? incompleteCounts[incompleteCounts.length - 1] ?? 1
+      todoCallCount += 1
+      return {
+        data: Array.from({ length: incompleteCount }, (_, index) => ({
+          id: String(index + 1),
+          content: `Task ${index + 1}`,
+          status: "pending",
+          priority: "high",
+        })),
+      }
+    }
     mockInput.client.session.promptAsync = async (opts: PromptRequestOptions) => {
       promptCalls.push({
         sessionID: opts.path.id,
@@ -753,7 +784,7 @@ describe("todo-continuation-enforcer", () => {
     expect(promptCalls).toHaveLength(3)
   }, { timeout: 30000 })
 
-  test("should keep injecting even when todos remain unchanged across cycles", async () => {
+  test("should stop injecting after max stagnation cycles when todos remain unchanged across cycles", async () => {
     //#given
     const sessionID = "main-no-stagnation-cap"
     setMainSession(sessionID)
@@ -784,8 +815,8 @@ describe("todo-continuation-enforcer", () => {
     await hook.handler({ event: { type: "session.idle", properties: { sessionID } } })
     await fakeTimers.advanceBy(2500, true)
 
-    //#then — all 5 injections should fire (no stagnation cap)
-    expect(promptCalls).toHaveLength(5)
+    // then
+    expect(promptCalls).toHaveLength(MAX_STAGNATION_COUNT)
   }, { timeout: 60000 })
 
   test("should skip idle handling while injection is in flight", async () => {
diff --git a/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/types.ts b/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/types.ts
index 20c28d6f36..699b726cd9 100644
--- a/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/types.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/todo-continuation-enforcer/types.ts
@@ -27,8 +27,10 @@ export interface SessionState {
   isRecovering?: boolean
   countdownStartedAt?: number
   abortDetectedAt?: number
+  lastIncompleteCount?: number
   lastInjectedAt?: number
   inFlight?: boolean
+  stagnationCount: number
   consecutiveFailures: number
 }