diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/dictation/dictation-stream-manager.test.ts b/packages/server/src/server/dictation/dictation-stream-manager.test.ts
index dde4fad734..6d389a17e8 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/dictation/dictation-stream-manager.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/dictation/dictation-stream-manager.test.ts
@@ -374,6 +374,54 @@ describe("DictationStreamManager (provider-agnostic provider)", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("does not wait for an abandoned partial after clearing mid-stream silence", async () => {
+    const session = new FakeRealtimeSession();
+    const emitted: Array<{ type: string; payload: unknown }> = [];
+    const manager = new DictationStreamManager({
+      logger: pino({ level: "silent" }),
+      emit: (message) => emitted.push(message),
+      sessionId: "s1",
+      stt: new FakeSttProvider(session),
+      autoCommitSeconds: 1,
+    });
+
+    await manager.handleStart("d-cleared-partial", "audio/pcm;rate=24000;bits=16");
+    await manager.handleChunk({
+      dictationId: "d-cleared-partial",
+      seq: 0,
+      audioBase64: buildPcmBase64(2000, 24000),
+      format: "audio/pcm;rate=24000;bits=16",
+    });
+    session.emitCommitted("seg-first");
+    session.emitTranscript("seg-first", "the beginning", true);
+
+    session.emitTranscript("seg-abandoned", "quiet partial", false);
+    await manager.handleChunk({
+      dictationId: "d-cleared-partial",
+      seq: 1,
+      audioBase64: buildPcmBase64(0, 24000),
+      format: "audio/pcm;rate=24000;bits=16",
+    });
+    expect(session.clearCalls).toBe(1);
+
+    await manager.handleChunk({
+      dictationId: "d-cleared-partial",
+      seq: 2,
+      audioBase64: buildPcmBase64(2000, 2400),
+      format: "audio/pcm;rate=24000;bits=16",
+    });
+    await manager.handleFinish("d-cleared-partial", 2);
+    session.emitCommitted("seg-final");
+    session.emitTranscript("seg-final", "the final words", true);
+    await tick();
+
+    const final = emitted.find((message) => message.type === "dictation_stream_final");
+    expect((final?.payload as { text?: string } | undefined)?.text).toBe(
+      "the beginning the final words",
+    );
+    expect(session.closed).toBe(true);
+  });
+
   it("adapts finish timeout based on pending committed segments", async () => {
     const session = new FakeRealtimeSession();
     const emitted: Array<{ type: string; payload: unknown }> = [];
@@ -405,7 +453,7 @@ describe("DictationStreamManager (provider-agnostic provider)", () => {
     ).toBeGreaterThan(5000);
   });
 
-  it("adapts finish timeout when only uncommitted non-final transcripts are pending", async () => {
+  it("does not extend the finish timeout for abandoned non-final transcripts", async () => {
     const session = new FakeRealtimeSession();
     const emitted: Array<{ type: string; payload: unknown }> = [];
     const manager = new DictationStreamManager({
@@ -432,9 +480,7 @@ describe("DictationStreamManager (provider-agnostic provider)", () => {
 
     const finishAccepted = emitted.find((msg) => msg.type === "dictation_stream_finish_accepted");
     expect(finishAccepted).toBeDefined();
-    expect(
-      (finishAccepted?.payload as { timeoutMs?: number } | undefined)?.timeoutMs,
-    ).toBeGreaterThan(5000);
+    expect((finishAccepted?.payload as { timeoutMs?: number } | undefined)?.timeoutMs).toBe(20_000);
   });
 
   it("drops dangling uncommitted non-final transcripts when finishing after silence tail clear", async () => {
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/dictation/dictation-stream-manager.ts b/packages/server/src/server/dictation/dictation-stream-manager.ts
index e62b975ef0..e911db3d6e 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/dictation/dictation-stream-manager.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/dictation/dictation-stream-manager.ts
@@ -579,17 +579,7 @@ export class DictationStreamManager {
     const pendingCommittedSegments = state.committedSegmentIds.reduce((count, segmentId) => {
       return state.finalTranscriptSegmentIds.has(segmentId) ? count : count + 1;
     }, 0);
-    const committedSet = new Set(state.committedSegmentIds);
-    const pendingUncommittedTranscriptSegments = Array.from(
-      state.transcriptsBySegmentId.keys(),
-    ).reduce((count, segmentId) => {
-      if (committedSet.has(segmentId)) {
-        return count;
-      }
-      return state.finalTranscriptSegmentIds.has(segmentId) ? count : count + 1;
-    }, 0);
-    const pendingSegments =
-      pendingCommittedSegments + pendingUncommittedTranscriptSegments + state.inFlightCommitCount;
+    const pendingSegments = pendingCommittedSegments + state.inFlightCommitCount;
     const pendingAudioSeconds = Math.ceil(Math.max(0, state.bytesSinceCommit) / bytesPerSecond);
     const missingSeqCount =
       state.finalSeq === null ? 0 : Math.max(0, state.finalSeq - state.ackSeq);
@@ -670,16 +660,6 @@ export class DictationStreamManager {
         state.bytesSinceCommit = 0;
         state.peakSinceCommit = 0;
         state.awaitingFinalCommit = false;
-        const droppedSegments = this.dropUncommittedNonFinalTranscripts(state);
-        if (droppedSegments > 0) {
-          this.logger.debug(
-            {
-              dictationId,
-              droppedSegments,
-            },
-            "Dictation finish: dropped uncommitted non-final transcript segments after silence clear",
-          );
-        }
       } else {
         state.awaitingFinalCommit = true;
         try {
@@ -732,6 +712,14 @@ export class DictationStreamManager {
       return;
     }
 
+    const droppedSegments = this.dropUncommittedNonFinalTranscripts(state);
+    if (droppedSegments > 0) {
+      this.logger.debug(
+        { dictationId, droppedSegments },
+        "Dropped abandoned non-final dictation transcript segments before finalization",
+      );
+    }
+
     const committedSet = new Set(state.committedSegmentIds);
     const orderedSegmentIds: string[] = [...state.committedSegmentIds];
     for (const segmentId of state.transcriptsBySegmentId.keys()) {