diff --git a/gateway/run.py b/gateway/run.py
index f5a411244aa..73700e3b529 100644
--- a/gateway/run.py
+++ b/gateway/run.py
@@ -4240,13 +4240,19 @@ class GatewayRunner(GatewayAuthorizationMixin, GatewayKanbanWatchersMixin, Gatew
         # current run finishes (or is interrupted).  Skip this for a
         # successful steer — the text already landed inside the run and
         # must NOT also be replayed as a next-turn user message.
+        #
+        # Route through _queue_or_replace_pending_event (the same FIFO
+        # infrastructure used by busy queue-mode and /queue) rather than a
+        # raw merge_pending_message_event(merge_text=True). The raw merge
+        # newline-joins consecutive TEXT follow-ups into a SINGLE pending
+        # turn, destroying message boundaries — so two separate user
+        # messages sent while the agent was busy (interrupt mode, or a
+        # steer that fell back to queue) arrived as one mashed-together
+        # turn (#43066 sub-bug 2). The FIFO path gives each text its own
+        # turn in arrival order while still preserving photo-burst / album
+        # merge semantics for media.
         if not steered:
-            merge_pending_message_event(
-                adapter._pending_messages,
-                session_key,
-                event,
-                merge_text=event.message_type == MessageType.TEXT,
-            )
+            self._queue_or_replace_pending_event(session_key, event)
 
         is_queue_mode = effective_mode == "queue"
         is_steer_mode = effective_mode == "steer"
diff --git a/tests/gateway/test_busy_session_ack.py b/tests/gateway/test_busy_session_ack.py
index c5517c5f638..c58031fdb5c 100644
--- a/tests/gateway/test_busy_session_ack.py
+++ b/tests/gateway/test_busy_session_ack.py
@@ -312,13 +312,14 @@ class TestBusySessionAck:
         agent.steer = MagicMock(return_value=False)  # rejected
         runner._running_agents[sk] = agent
 
-        with patch("gateway.run.merge_pending_message_event") as mock_merge:
-            await runner._handle_active_session_busy_message(event, sk)
+        await runner._handle_active_session_busy_message(event, sk)
 
         agent.steer.assert_called_once()
         agent.interrupt.assert_not_called()
-        # Fell back to queue semantics: event was merged into pending messages
-        mock_merge.assert_called_once()
+        # Fell back to queue semantics: event was stored for the next turn
+        # via the FIFO path (each follow-up its own turn — no newline-merge
+        # that would mash separate messages together, #43066).
+        assert adapter._pending_messages.get(sk) is event
 
         # Ack uses queue-mode wording (not steer, not interrupt)
         call_kwargs = adapter._send_with_retry.call_args
@@ -340,16 +341,61 @@ class TestBusySessionAck:
         # Agent is still being set up — sentinel in place
         runner._running_agents[sk] = sentinel
 
-        with patch("gateway.run.merge_pending_message_event") as mock_merge:
-            await runner._handle_active_session_busy_message(event, sk)
+        await runner._handle_active_session_busy_message(event, sk)
 
-        # Event was queued instead of steered
-        mock_merge.assert_called_once()
+        # Event was queued instead of steered (FIFO path, #43066)
+        assert adapter._pending_messages.get(sk) is event
 
         call_kwargs = adapter._send_with_retry.call_args
         content = call_kwargs.kwargs.get("content") or call_kwargs[1].get("content", "")
         assert "Queued for the next turn" in content
 
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_interrupt_mode_text_followups_fifo_not_merged(self):
+        """Two TEXT follow-ups during a busy turn (interrupt mode) must each
+        get their OWN next-turn slot via FIFO — NOT newline-merged into one
+        mashed-together turn (#43066 sub-bug 2). Before the fix the
+        interrupt/steer-fallback path called merge_pending_message_event
+        with merge_text=True, collapsing 'first' and 'second' into
+        'first\\nsecond' and destroying message boundaries."""
+        runner, _sentinel = _make_runner()
+        runner._busy_input_mode = "interrupt"
+        runner._queued_events = {}
+        adapter = _make_adapter()
+
+        # Both events must share the SAME platform object so they resolve to
+        # the same adapter (a fresh MagicMock per event would not).
+        shared_platform = Platform.TELEGRAM
+
+        def _evt(text):
+            src = SessionSource(
+                platform=shared_platform, chat_id="123",
+                chat_type="dm", user_id="user1",
+            )
+            return MessageEvent(text=text, message_type=MessageType.TEXT,
+                                source=src, message_id=f"m-{text[:5]}")
+
+        first = _evt("first message")
+        second = _evt("second message")
+        sk = build_session_key(first.source)
+        runner.adapters[shared_platform] = adapter
+
+        agent = MagicMock()
+        agent._active_children = []  # real list → not demoted to queue
+        runner._running_agents[sk] = agent
+
+        await runner._handle_active_session_busy_message(first, sk)
+        runner._busy_ack_ts = {}  # avoid the 30s ack-debounce early return
+        await runner._handle_active_session_busy_message(second, sk)
+
+        # First lands in the head slot; second goes to the FIFO overflow —
+        # they are NOT merged into a single pending event.
+        head = adapter._pending_messages.get(sk)
+        assert head is first
+        assert head.text == "first message"  # not "first message\nsecond message"
+        overflow = runner._queued_events.get(sk, [])
+        assert [e.text for e in overflow] == ["second message"]
+
     @pytest.mark.asyncio
     async def test_debounce_suppresses_rapid_acks(self):
         """Second message within 30s should NOT send another ack."""