diff --git a/src/agents/subagent-announce-queue.ts b/src/agents/subagent-announce-queue.ts
index e0dc8fcbfa..9c18bffa07 100644
--- a/src/agents/subagent-announce-queue.ts
+++ b/src/agents/subagent-announce-queue.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import {
   applyQueueDropPolicy,
   buildCollectPrompt,
   clearQueueSummaryState,
+  drainCollectItemIfNeeded,
   drainNextQueueItem,
   hasCrossChannelItems,
   previewQueueSummaryPrompt,
@@ -108,12 +109,6 @@ function scheduleAnnounceDrain(key: string) {
       while (queue.items.length > 0 || queue.droppedCount > 0) {
         await waitForQueueDebounce(queue);
         if (queue.mode === "collect") {
-          if (forceIndividualCollect) {
-            if (!(await drainNextQueueItem(queue.items, async (item) => await queue.send(item)))) {
-              break;
-            }
-            continue;
-          }
           const isCrossChannel = hasCrossChannelItems(queue.items, (item) => {
             if (!item.origin) {
               return {};
@@ -123,11 +118,19 @@ function scheduleAnnounceDrain(key: string) {
             }
             return { key: item.originKey };
           });
-          if (isCrossChannel) {
-            forceIndividualCollect = true;
-            if (!(await drainNextQueueItem(queue.items, async (item) => await queue.send(item)))) {
-              break;
-            }
+          const collectDrainResult = await drainCollectItemIfNeeded({
+            forceIndividualCollect,
+            isCrossChannel,
+            setForceIndividualCollect: (next) => {
+              forceIndividualCollect = next;
+            },
+            items: queue.items,
+            run: async (item) => await queue.send(item),
+          });
+          if (collectDrainResult === "empty") {
+            break;
+          }
+          if (collectDrainResult === "drained") {
             continue;
           }
           const items = queue.items.slice();
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/queue/drain.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/queue/drain.ts
index be409b3c74..35cb8de689 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply/queue/drain.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/queue/drain.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { defaultRuntime } from "../../../runtime.js";
 import {
   buildCollectPrompt,
   clearQueueSummaryState,
+  drainCollectItemIfNeeded,
   drainNextQueueItem,
   hasCrossChannelItems,
   previewQueueSummaryPrompt,
@@ -30,13 +31,6 @@ export function scheduleFollowupDrain(
           // Prevents “collect after shift” collapsing different targets.
           //
           // Debug: `pnpm test src/auto-reply/reply/queue.collect-routing.test.ts`
-          if (forceIndividualCollect) {
-            if (!(await drainNextQueueItem(queue.items, runFollowup))) {
-              break;
-            }
-            continue;
-          }
-
           // Check if messages span multiple channels.
           // If so, process individually to preserve per-message routing.
           const isCrossChannel = hasCrossChannelItems(queue.items, (item) => {
@@ -56,11 +50,19 @@ export function scheduleFollowupDrain(
             };
           });
 
-          if (isCrossChannel) {
-            forceIndividualCollect = true;
-            if (!(await drainNextQueueItem(queue.items, runFollowup))) {
-              break;
-            }
+          const collectDrainResult = await drainCollectItemIfNeeded({
+            forceIndividualCollect,
+            isCrossChannel,
+            setForceIndividualCollect: (next) => {
+              forceIndividualCollect = next;
+            },
+            items: queue.items,
+            run: runFollowup,
+          });
+          if (collectDrainResult === "empty") {
+            break;
+          }
+          if (collectDrainResult === "drained") {
             continue;
           }
 
diff --git a/src/utils/queue-helpers.ts b/src/utils/queue-helpers.ts
index 4ebb627e89..cb4889134c 100644
--- a/src/utils/queue-helpers.ts
+++ b/src/utils/queue-helpers.ts
@@ -142,6 +142,23 @@ export async function drainNextQueueItem<T>(
   return true;
 }
 
+export async function drainCollectItemIfNeeded<T>(params: {
+  forceIndividualCollect: boolean;
+  isCrossChannel: boolean;
+  setForceIndividualCollect?: (next: boolean) => void;
+  items: T[];
+  run: (item: T) => Promise<void>;
+}): Promise<"skipped" | "drained" | "empty"> {
+  if (!params.forceIndividualCollect && !params.isCrossChannel) {
+    return "skipped";
+  }
+  if (params.isCrossChannel) {
+    params.setForceIndividualCollect?.(true);
+  }
+  const drained = await drainNextQueueItem(params.items, params.run);
+  return drained ? "drained" : "empty";
+}
+
 export function buildQueueSummaryPrompt(params: {
   state: QueueSummaryState;
   noun: string;