diff --git a/src/config/schema.ts b/src/config/schema.ts
index 9b5ad8be6..226321346 100644
--- a/src/config/schema.ts
+++ b/src/config/schema.ts
@@ -336,6 +336,8 @@ const FIELD_LABELS: Record<string, string> = {
   "channels.slack.userTokenReadOnly": "Slack User Token Read Only",
   "channels.slack.thread.historyScope": "Slack Thread History Scope",
   "channels.slack.thread.inheritParent": "Slack Thread Parent Inheritance",
+  "channels.slack.thread.followOnMention": "Slack Thread Follow on Mention",
+  "channels.slack.thread.followIdleMinutes": "Slack Thread Follow Idle Minutes",
   "channels.mattermost.botToken": "Mattermost Bot Token",
   "channels.mattermost.baseUrl": "Mattermost Base URL",
   "channels.mattermost.chatmode": "Mattermost Chat Mode",
@@ -468,6 +470,10 @@ const FIELD_HELP: Record<string, string> = {
     'Scope for Slack thread history context ("thread" isolates per thread; "channel" reuses channel history).',
   "channels.slack.thread.inheritParent":
     "If true, Slack thread sessions inherit the parent channel transcript (default: false).",
+  "channels.slack.thread.followOnMention":
+    "If true, continue responding in threads where the bot was mentioned without requiring repeated @mentions (default: false).",
+  "channels.slack.thread.followIdleMinutes":
+    "Minutes of inactivity before a thread is no longer considered 'active' for followOnMention (default: 60).",
   "channels.mattermost.botToken":
     "Bot token from Mattermost System Console -> Integrations -> Bot Accounts.",
   "channels.mattermost.baseUrl":
diff --git a/src/config/types.slack.ts b/src/config/types.slack.ts
index 0f6b9e388..dfffce671 100644
--- a/src/config/types.slack.ts
+++ b/src/config/types.slack.ts
@@ -73,6 +73,16 @@ export type SlackThreadConfig = {
   historyScope?: "thread" | "channel";
   /** If true, thread sessions inherit the parent channel transcript. Default: false. */
   inheritParent?: boolean;
+  /**
+   * If true, continue responding in threads where the bot was mentioned
+   * without requiring repeated @mentions. Default: false.
+   */
+  followOnMention?: boolean;
+  /**
+   * Minutes of inactivity before a thread is no longer considered "active"
+   * for followOnMention. Default: 60.
+   */
+  followIdleMinutes?: number;
 };
 
 export type SlackAccountConfig = {
diff --git a/src/config/zod-schema.providers-core.ts b/src/config/zod-schema.providers-core.ts
index ed7dda22a..218a9db55 100644
--- a/src/config/zod-schema.providers-core.ts
+++ b/src/config/zod-schema.providers-core.ts
@@ -392,6 +392,8 @@ export const SlackThreadSchema = z
   .object({
     historyScope: z.enum(["thread", "channel"]).optional(),
     inheritParent: z.boolean().optional(),
+    followOnMention: z.boolean().optional(),
+    followIdleMinutes: z.number().int().positive().optional(),
   })
   .strict();
 
diff --git a/src/slack/monitor/context.ts b/src/slack/monitor/context.ts
index 876c22ae6..a1078278d 100644
--- a/src/slack/monitor/context.ts
+++ b/src/slack/monitor/context.ts
@@ -82,6 +82,8 @@ export type SlackMonitorContext = {
   replyToMode: "off" | "first" | "all";
   threadHistoryScope: "thread" | "channel";
   threadInheritParent: boolean;
+  threadFollowOnMention: boolean;
+  threadFollowIdleMinutes: number;
   slashCommand: Required<import("../../config/config.js").SlackSlashCommandConfig>;
   textLimit: number;
   ackReactionScope: string;
@@ -112,6 +114,10 @@ export type SlackMonitorContext = {
     threadTs?: string;
     status: string;
   }) => Promise<void>;
+  /** Check if a thread is active (bot was mentioned recently). */
+  isActiveThread: (channelId: string, threadTs: string) => boolean;
+  /** Mark a thread as active (called when bot is mentioned in a thread). */
+  markThreadActive: (channelId: string, threadTs: string) => void;
 };
 
 export function createSlackMonitorContext(params: {
@@ -143,6 +149,8 @@ export function createSlackMonitorContext(params: {
   replyToMode: SlackMonitorContext["replyToMode"];
   threadHistoryScope: SlackMonitorContext["threadHistoryScope"];
   threadInheritParent: SlackMonitorContext["threadInheritParent"];
+  threadFollowOnMention?: boolean;
+  threadFollowIdleMinutes?: number;
   slashCommand: SlackMonitorContext["slashCommand"];
   textLimit: number;
   ackReactionScope: string;
@@ -152,6 +160,34 @@ export function createSlackMonitorContext(params: {
   const channelHistories = new Map<string, HistoryEntry[]>();
   const logger = getChildLogger({ module: "slack-auto-reply" });
 
+  // Thread following: track threads where the bot was mentioned
+  // Key: "channelId:threadTs", Value: timestamp when last active
+  const activeThreads = new Map<string, number>();
+  const threadFollowOnMention = params.threadFollowOnMention ?? false;
+  const threadFollowIdleMinutes = params.threadFollowIdleMinutes ?? 60;
+  const threadFollowIdleMs = threadFollowIdleMinutes * 60 * 1000;
+
+  const isActiveThread = (channelId: string, threadTs: string): boolean => {
+    if (!threadFollowOnMention) return false;
+    const key = `${channelId}:${threadTs}`;
+    const lastActive = activeThreads.get(key);
+    if (!lastActive) return false;
+    const now = Date.now();
+    if (now - lastActive > threadFollowIdleMs) {
+      // Thread has gone idle, remove it
+      activeThreads.delete(key);
+      return false;
+    }
+    return true;
+  };
+
+  const markThreadActive = (channelId: string, threadTs: string): void => {
+    if (!threadFollowOnMention) return;
+    const key = `${channelId}:${threadTs}`;
+    activeThreads.set(key, Date.now());
+    logVerbose(`slack: marked thread ${key} as active for followOnMention`);
+  };
+
   const channelCache = new Map<
     string,
     {
@@ -387,6 +423,8 @@ export function createSlackMonitorContext(params: {
     replyToMode: params.replyToMode,
     threadHistoryScope: params.threadHistoryScope,
     threadInheritParent: params.threadInheritParent,
+    threadFollowOnMention,
+    threadFollowIdleMinutes,
     slashCommand: params.slashCommand,
     textLimit: params.textLimit,
     ackReactionScope: params.ackReactionScope,
@@ -400,5 +438,7 @@ export function createSlackMonitorContext(params: {
     resolveChannelName,
     resolveUserName,
     setSlackThreadStatus,
+    isActiveThread,
+    markThreadActive,
   };
 }
diff --git a/src/slack/monitor/message-handler/prepare.ts b/src/slack/monitor/message-handler/prepare.ts
index 8a2a9e111..14e3d3700 100644
--- a/src/slack/monitor/message-handler/prepare.ts
+++ b/src/slack/monitor/message-handler/prepare.ts
@@ -223,11 +223,16 @@ export async function prepareSlackMessage(params: {
           canResolveExplicit: Boolean(ctx.botUserId),
         },
       }));
+  // Check if this is an "active thread" where the bot was previously mentioned
+  const isInActiveThread = Boolean(
+    !isDirectMessage && message.thread_ts && ctx.isActiveThread(message.channel, message.thread_ts),
+  );
+
   const implicitMention = Boolean(
     !isDirectMessage &&
     ctx.botUserId &&
     message.thread_ts &&
-    message.parent_user_id === ctx.botUserId,
+    (message.parent_user_id === ctx.botUserId || isInActiveThread),
   );
 
   const sender = message.user ? await ctx.resolveUserName(message.user) : null;
@@ -306,6 +311,18 @@ export async function prepareSlackMessage(params: {
     commandAuthorized,
   });
   const effectiveWasMentioned = mentionGate.effectiveWasMentioned;
+
+  // Mark thread as active if the bot was explicitly mentioned (for followOnMention feature)
+  if (effectiveWasMentioned && message.thread_ts && ctx.threadFollowOnMention) {
+    ctx.markThreadActive(message.channel, message.thread_ts);
+  }
+  // Also mark if this is a reply that creates a thread (the reply itself starts the thread)
+  if (effectiveWasMentioned && !message.thread_ts && message.ts && ctx.threadFollowOnMention) {
+    // If the bot responds, it will create a thread with this ts - mark it preemptively
+    // Actually, we should mark the thread when the bot responds, not here
+    // For now, just handle existing threads
+  }
+
   if (isRoom && shouldRequireMention && mentionGate.shouldSkip) {
     ctx.logger.info({ channel: message.channel, reason: "no-mention" }, "skipping channel message");
     const pendingText = (message.text ?? "").trim();
diff --git a/src/slack/monitor/provider.ts b/src/slack/monitor/provider.ts
index 366a32a34..20f9e969c 100644
--- a/src/slack/monitor/provider.ts
+++ b/src/slack/monitor/provider.ts
@@ -118,6 +118,8 @@ export async function monitorSlackProvider(opts: MonitorSlackOpts = {}) {
   const replyToMode = slackCfg.replyToMode ?? "off";
   const threadHistoryScope = slackCfg.thread?.historyScope ?? "thread";
   const threadInheritParent = slackCfg.thread?.inheritParent ?? false;
+  const threadFollowOnMention = slackCfg.thread?.followOnMention ?? false;
+  const threadFollowIdleMinutes = slackCfg.thread?.followIdleMinutes ?? 60;
   const slashCommand = resolveSlackSlashCommandConfig(opts.slashCommand ?? slackCfg.slashCommand);
   const textLimit = resolveTextChunkLimit(cfg, "slack", account.accountId);
   const ackReactionScope = cfg.messages?.ackReactionScope ?? "group-mentions";
@@ -199,6 +201,8 @@ export async function monitorSlackProvider(opts: MonitorSlackOpts = {}) {
     replyToMode,
     threadHistoryScope,
     threadInheritParent,
+    threadFollowOnMention,
+    threadFollowIdleMinutes,
     slashCommand,
     textLimit,
     ackReactionScope,