diff --git a/changelog.d/home-channel-fallback.added.md b/changelog.d/home-channel-fallback.added.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..aa3d0fedd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/home-channel-fallback.added.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+- `FrameworkConfig.homeChannel`: where speech goes on a turn with no
+  triggering channel (heartbeats, timers). Such turns used to fall back to the
+  most-recent inbound channel across all channels, so a check-in landed
+  wherever a message last arrived. A conversation fork's home and a turn's
+  triggering channel still take precedence; without the option, behaviour is
+  unchanged.
diff --git a/src/framework.ts b/src/framework.ts
index 8351c2a97..bd3caa442 100644
--- a/src/framework.ts
+++ b/src/framework.ts
@@ -2161,6 +2161,9 @@ export class AgentFramework {
    *  subsystem can be lazily initialized by connectMcplServer when the
    *  framework started with zero configured servers. */
   private mcplInferenceRoutingConfig: import('./mcpl/types.js').InferenceRoutingPolicy | null = null;
+  /** Configured home channel for no-trigger turns (heartbeats, timers) — see
+   *  ChannelRegistryOptions.homeChannel. */
+  private mcplHomeChannel: string | null = null;
   /** Durable, non-Chronicle projection queue for messages removed by a branch. */
   private discordAwarenessOutbox: DiscordAwarenessOutbox | null = null;
   private discordAwarenessEmoji = DEFAULT_DISCORD_AWARENESS_EMOJI;
@@ -2600,6 +2603,7 @@ export class AgentFramework {
     // Stored for lazy MCPL initialization (connectMcplServer on a framework
     // that started with zero configured servers).
     framework.mcplInferenceRoutingConfig = config.inferenceRouting ?? null;
+    framework.mcplHomeChannel = config.homeChannel ?? null;
 
     // Client-side programmatic tool calling (code_execution). Config is only
     // retained when enabled — everything downstream gates on the field.
@@ -17194,6 +17198,9 @@ export class AgentFramework {
           return routing?.locus ?? routing?.triggerChannel;
         },
         eventGatePresent: this.eventGate !== null,
+        // Configured home channel: where a no-trigger turn's speech goes
+        // instead of the last-active channel (heartbeat containment).
+        homeChannel: this.mcplHomeChannel ?? undefined,
         // A text-only turn whose speech couldn't be delivered must not vanish
         // silently: record a `[discord-send-failed]` marker in chronicle so the
         // agent sees, on her next turn, that her reply never reached the human.
diff --git a/src/mcpl/channel-registry.ts b/src/mcpl/channel-registry.ts
index 822ae0390..f8103d455 100644
--- a/src/mcpl/channel-registry.ts
+++ b/src/mcpl/channel-registry.ts
@@ -543,6 +543,17 @@ interface ChannelRegistryOptions {
    * `defaultPublishChannel`.
    */
   activeChannelResolver?: (agentName: string) => string | undefined;
+  /**
+   * Configured HOME channel for turns with no channel provenance (heartbeats,
+   * timers). Without it, such a turn's plain-text speech falls through to
+   * `defaultPublishChannel` — the most-recent inbound across ALL channels — so
+   * a heartbeat check-in lands in whatever channel last had activity,
+   * including public ones. Consulted AFTER `homeChannelResolver` and
+   * `activeChannelResolver` (a fork's home / a real triggering channel always
+   * wins), BEFORE `defaultPublishChannel`. Channel descriptor id form, e.g.
+   * `discord:{guildId}:{channelId}`.
+   */
+  homeChannel?: string;
   /** Whether this framework has EventGate and can honor skip_reply self-wakes. */
   eventGatePresent?: boolean;
 }
@@ -592,6 +603,7 @@ export class ChannelRegistry {
   }) => void;
   private homeChannelResolver?: (agentName: string) => string | undefined;
   private activeChannelResolver?: (agentName: string) => string | undefined;
+  private homeChannel?: string;
   private store?: JsStore;
 
   /** Registered channels, keyed by `{serverId}:{channelId}`. */
@@ -726,6 +738,7 @@ export class ChannelRegistry {
     this.onChannelAutoOpened = options?.onChannelAutoOpened;
     this.homeChannelResolver = options?.homeChannelResolver;
     this.activeChannelResolver = options?.activeChannelResolver;
+    this.homeChannel = options?.homeChannel;
     this.store = options?.store;
     this.initializeLifecycleStore();
     this.initializeLabelHistoryStore();
@@ -1483,7 +1496,7 @@ export class ChannelRegistry {
     // agent was told the wrong channel under concurrency.
     const home = agentName ? this.homeChannelResolver?.(agentName) : undefined;
     const active = agentName ? this.activeChannelResolver?.(agentName) : undefined;
-    const outgoing = home ?? active ?? this.defaultPublishChannel;
+    const outgoing = home ?? active ?? this.homeChannel ?? this.defaultPublishChannel;
 
     if (openChannels.length === 0 && !outgoing) {
       return undefined;
@@ -3088,7 +3101,11 @@ export class ChannelRegistry {
 
   resolveLocus(conversationId: string): string | null {
     const home = this.homeChannelResolver?.(conversationId);
-    return home ?? this.activeChannelResolver?.(conversationId) ?? this.defaultPublishChannel ?? null;
+    return home
+      ?? this.activeChannelResolver?.(conversationId)
+      ?? this.homeChannel
+      ?? this.defaultPublishChannel
+      ?? null;
   }
 
   async routeSpeech(
diff --git a/src/types/framework.ts b/src/types/framework.ts
index 003ed8d92..4ba6c0f1a 100644
--- a/src/types/framework.ts
+++ b/src/types/framework.ts
@@ -256,6 +256,14 @@ export interface FrameworkConfig {
   /** Inference routing policy for server-initiated inference (optional). */
   inferenceRouting?: InferenceRoutingPolicy;
 
+  /**
+   * Home channel for turns with no channel provenance (heartbeats, timers):
+   * plain-text speech on such a turn routes here instead of the last-active
+   * channel. Channel descriptor id form, e.g. `discord:{guildId}:{channelId}`.
+   * A real triggering channel (or a fork's home) still takes precedence.
+   */
+  homeChannel?: string;
+
   /** EventGate config. If omitted, all events trigger inference (unchanged default). */
   gate?: GateOptions;
 
diff --git a/test/home-channel-routing.test.ts b/test/home-channel-routing.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b8099cb85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/home-channel-routing.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,230 @@
+/**
+ * Configured home channel for no-trigger turns (heartbeats, timers).
+ *
+ * Without `homeChannel`, a turn with no triggering channel resolves its speech
+ * locus to `defaultPublishChannel` — the most-recent inbound across ALL
+ * channels — so a heartbeat check-in lands wherever a message last happened to
+ * arrive. With it, such turns speak in the configured channel, while a fork's
+ * home or a real triggering channel still wins.
+ */
+
+import { describe, it, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
+import { mkdtempSync, rmSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { join } from 'node:path';
+import { AgentFramework } from '../src/index.js';
+import { ChannelRegistry } from '../src/mcpl/channel-registry.js';
+import type { McplServerRegistry } from '../src/mcpl/server-registry.js';
+import type { FeatureSetManager } from '../src/mcpl/feature-set-manager.js';
+import { CapabilityGrant, ALL_CAPABILITY_PATHS } from '../src/mcpl/capability-grant.js';
+import type { ChannelContext } from '../src/mcpl/types.js';
+import { MockMembrane, createMockResponse } from './helpers/mock-membrane.js';
+
+const HOME = 'discord:g1:home';
+const BUSY = 'discord:g1:busy';
+const TRIGGER = 'discord:g1:trigger';
+const FORK_HOME = 'discord:g1:fork-home';
+
+function makeRegistry(opts: {
+  homeChannel?: string;
+  homeChannelResolver?: (agentName: string) => string | undefined;
+  activeChannelResolver?: (agentName: string) => string | undefined;
+}) {
+  const registry = new ChannelRegistry(
+    { getServer: () => undefined } as unknown as McplServerRegistry,
+    {} as FeatureSetManager,
+    () => {},
+    () => {},
+    opts,
+  );
+  // The global most-recent-inbound locus: some unrelated channel was busy.
+  (registry as unknown as { defaultPublishChannel: string | null }).defaultPublishChannel = BUSY;
+  return registry;
+}
+
+describe('homeChannel: speech locus for no-trigger turns', () => {
+  it('a no-trigger turn resolves to the configured home channel, not the last-active one', () => {
+    const registry = makeRegistry({ homeChannel: HOME, activeChannelResolver: () => undefined });
+    assert.equal(registry.resolveLocus('agent'), HOME);
+  });
+
+  it('without homeChannel the global most-recent-inbound fallback is unchanged', () => {
+    const registry = makeRegistry({ activeChannelResolver: () => undefined });
+    assert.equal(registry.resolveLocus('agent'), BUSY);
+  });
+
+  it('a triggering channel still wins over the home channel', () => {
+    const registry = makeRegistry({ homeChannel: HOME, activeChannelResolver: () => TRIGGER });
+    assert.equal(registry.resolveLocus('agent'), TRIGGER);
+  });
+
+  it("a conversation fork's home still wins over everything", () => {
+    const registry = makeRegistry({
+      homeChannel: HOME,
+      homeChannelResolver: () => FORK_HOME,
+      activeChannelResolver: () => TRIGGER,
+    });
+    assert.equal(registry.resolveLocus('agent'), FORK_HOME);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('FrameworkConfig.homeChannel reaches the ChannelRegistry', () => {
+  let tempDir: string;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    tempDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'home-channel-test-'));
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    rmSync(tempDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+
+  it('a heartbeat-style turn (no trigger) on a trunk agent resolves to homeChannel', async () => {
+    const framework = await AgentFramework.create({
+      storePath: join(tempDir, 'test.chronicle'),
+      membrane: new MockMembrane().asMembrane(),
+      agents: [{ name: 'scout', model: 'test-model', systemPrompt: 'You are scout.' }],
+      modules: [],
+      homeChannel: HOME,
+    });
+    const internals = framework as unknown as {
+      initializeMcpl(servers: unknown[], routing?: unknown): Promise<void>;
+      channelRegistry: ChannelRegistry | null;
+    };
+    await internals.initializeMcpl([]);
+    const registry = internals.channelRegistry!;
+    (registry as unknown as { defaultPublishChannel: string | null }).defaultPublishChannel = BUSY;
+    assert.equal(registry.resolveLocus('scout'), HOME);
+    await framework.stop();
+  });
+});
+
+describe('homeChannel: a no-trigger turn is told, and published to, the home channel', () => {
+  let tempDir: string;
+  let membrane: MockMembrane;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    tempDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'home-channel-delivery-'));
+    membrane = new MockMembrane();
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    rmSync(tempDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+
+  /**
+   * A trunk agent on the real ChannelRegistry, with HOME and BUSY registered
+   * and open on a publish-capable mock server. Records every channels/publish
+   * and every channel context the turn is given (what the agent is told).
+   */
+  async function setup(homeChannel?: string) {
+    const framework = await AgentFramework.create({
+      storePath: join(tempDir, 'test.chronicle'),
+      membrane: membrane.asMembrane(),
+      agents: [{ name: 'scout', model: 'test-model', systemPrompt: 'You are scout.' }],
+      modules: [],
+      ...(homeChannel ? { homeChannel } : {}),
+    });
+    const internals = framework as unknown as {
+      initializeMcpl(servers: unknown[], routing?: unknown): Promise<void>;
+      channelRegistry: ChannelRegistry | null;
+      pendingRequests: Array<{ agentName: string; reason: string; source: string; timestamp: number }>;
+    };
+    await internals.initializeMcpl([]);
+    const registry = internals.channelRegistry!;
+
+    const published: string[] = [];
+    const server = {
+      grant: new CapabilityGrant(new Set(ALL_CAPABILITY_PATHS), []),
+      sendChannelsPublish: async (params: { channelId?: string }) => {
+        published.push(params.channelId ?? '');
+        return { delivered: true, messageId: `out-${published.length}` };
+      },
+    };
+    const raw = registry as unknown as {
+      serverRegistry: McplServerRegistry;
+      channels: Map<string, { serverId: string; descriptor: { id: string; type: string; label: string }; open: boolean }>;
+      defaultPublishChannel: string | null;
+      defaultPublishMessageId: string | null;
+    };
+    raw.serverRegistry = { getServer: () => server } as unknown as McplServerRegistry;
+    for (const id of [HOME, BUSY]) {
+      raw.channels.set(`discord:${id}`, { serverId: 'discord', descriptor: { id, type: 'discord', label: id }, open: true });
+    }
+
+    const told: Array<ChannelContext | undefined> = [];
+    const build = registry.buildChannelContext.bind(registry);
+    registry.buildChannelContext = (agentName?: string) => {
+      const ctx = build(agentName);
+      if (agentName === 'scout') told.push(ctx);
+      return ctx;
+    };
+
+    /** Run one heartbeat-style turn (no triggering channel) that says `text`. */
+    async function heartbeat(text: string) {
+      membrane.pushResponse(createMockResponse([{ type: 'text', text }]));
+      internals.pendingRequests.push({ agentName: 'scout', reason: 'heartbeat', source: 'framework', timestamp: Date.now() });
+      await framework.runUntilIdle();
+    }
+
+    /** Some other channel had activity: the global most-recent-inbound locus. */
+    function busyElsewhere() {
+      raw.defaultPublishChannel = BUSY;
+      raw.defaultPublishMessageId = 'busy-1';
+    }
+
+    function routingNotices(): string[] {
+      return framework.getAgent('scout')!.getContextManager().queryMessages({}).messages
+        .flatMap((m) => m.content)
+        .filter((b): b is { type: 'text'; text: string } => b.type === 'text' && b.text.startsWith('[routing]'))
+        .map((b) => b.text);
+    }
+
+    return { framework, published, told, heartbeat, busyElsewhere, routingNotices };
+  }
+
+  it('with activity in another channel, the heartbeat speaks in HOME, not the busy channel', async () => {
+    const t = await setup(HOME);
+    try {
+      t.busyElsewhere();
+      await t.heartbeat('heartbeat check-in');
+      assert.deepEqual(t.published, [HOME], 'published to the home channel only');
+      assert.ok(t.told.length > 0, 'the turn was given a channel context');
+      for (const ctx of t.told) {
+        assert.equal(ctx?.defaultOutgoing?.channelId, HOME, 'the agent is told its speech lands in HOME');
+      }
+      assert.ok(t.routingNotices().some((n) => n.includes(HOME)), 'the routing notice names HOME');
+      assert.ok(!t.routingNotices().some((n) => n.includes(BUSY)), 'and never the busy channel');
+    } finally {
+      await t.framework.stop();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('with no prior inbound message at all, the heartbeat still speaks in HOME', async () => {
+    const t = await setup(HOME);
+    try {
+      await t.heartbeat('first words');
+      assert.deepEqual(t.published, [HOME]);
+      for (const ctx of t.told) {
+        assert.equal(ctx?.defaultOutgoing?.channelId, HOME);
+      }
+    } finally {
+      await t.framework.stop();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('control: without homeChannel the same heartbeat follows the busy channel', async () => {
+    const t = await setup();
+    try {
+      t.busyElsewhere();
+      await t.heartbeat('heartbeat check-in');
+      assert.deepEqual(t.published, [BUSY]);
+      for (const ctx of t.told) {
+        assert.equal(ctx?.defaultOutgoing?.channelId, BUSY);
+      }
+    } finally {
+      await t.framework.stop();
+    }
+  });
+});