diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b15f4a8df..aea8747bb 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ Best practice: use a dedicated WhatsApp account (separate SIM/eSIM or business a
 | `inbound.reply.session.store` | `string` (default: `~/.warelay/sessions.json`) | Custom session store path. |
 | `inbound.reply.session.sendSystemOnce` | `boolean` (default: `false`) | If `true`, only include the system prompt/template on the first turn of a session. |
 | `inbound.reply.session.sessionIntro` | `string` | Optional intro text sent once per new session (prepended before the body when `sendSystemOnce` is used). |
-| `inbound.reply.typingIntervalSeconds` | `number` (default: `30` for command replies) | How often to refresh typing indicators while the command/Claude run is in flight. |
+| `inbound.reply.typingIntervalSeconds` | `number` (default: `8` for command replies) | How often to refresh typing indicators while the command/Claude run is in flight. |
 | `inbound.reply.session.sessionArgNew` | `string[]` (default: `["--session-id","{{SessionId}}"]`) | Args injected for a new session run. |
 | `inbound.reply.session.sessionArgResume` | `string[]` (default: `["--resume","{{SessionId}}"]`) | Args for resumed sessions. |
 | `inbound.reply.session.sessionArgBeforeBody` | `boolean` (default: `true`) | Place session args before final body arg. |
diff --git a/docs/claude-config.md b/docs/claude-config.md
index d45d94a59..634711a80 100644
--- a/docs/claude-config.md
+++ b/docs/claude-config.md
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ Notes on this configuration:
 - Outbound media from Claude (via `MEDIA:`) follows provider caps: Web resizes images to the configured target (`inbound.reply.mediaMaxMb`, default 5 MB) within hard limits of 6 MB (image), 16 MB (audio/video voice notes), and 100 MB (documents); Twilio still uses the Funnel host with a 5 MB guard.
 - Voice notes: set `inbound.transcribeAudio.command` to run a CLI that emits the transcript to stdout (e.g., OpenAI Whisper: `openai api audio.transcriptions.create -m whisper-1 -f {{MediaPath}} --response-format text`). If it succeeds, warelay replaces `Body` with the transcript and adds the original media path plus a `Transcript:` block into the prompt before invoking Claude.
 - To avoid re-sending long system prompts every turn, set `inbound.reply.session.sendSystemOnce: true` and keep your prompt in `bodyPrefix` or `sessionIntro`; they are sent only on the first message of each session (resets on `/new` or idle expiry).
-- Typing indicators: for long-running Claude/command replies, `inbound.reply.typingIntervalSeconds` (or the session-level equivalent) refreshes the “composing” indicator periodically (default 30 s for command replies).
+- Typing indicators: for long-running Claude/command replies, `inbound.reply.typingIntervalSeconds` (or the session-level equivalent) refreshes the “composing” indicator periodically (default 8 s for command replies).
 
 ## Testing the setup
 1. Start a relay (auto-selects Web when logged in, otherwise Twilio polling):
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply.ts
index c08232d7f..ac3450c1f 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply.ts
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ export async function getReplyFromConfig(
     reply?.mode === "command"
       ? (reply.typingIntervalSeconds ??
           reply?.session?.typingIntervalSeconds ??
-          30) * 1000
+          8) * 1000
       : 0;
   const cleanupTyping = () => {
     if (typingTimer) {