diff --git a/gateway/platforms/telegram.py b/gateway/platforms/telegram.py
index df44733e..aae0cce7 100644
--- a/gateway/platforms/telegram.py
+++ b/gateway/platforms/telegram.py
@@ -105,11 +105,14 @@ class TelegramAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
     
     # Telegram message limits
     MAX_MESSAGE_LENGTH = 4096
+    MEDIA_GROUP_WAIT_SECONDS = 0.8
     
     def __init__(self, config: PlatformConfig):
         super().__init__(config, Platform.TELEGRAM)
         self._app: Optional[Application] = None
         self._bot: Optional[Bot] = None
+        self._media_group_events: Dict[str, MessageEvent] = {}
+        self._media_group_tasks: Dict[str, asyncio.Task] = {}
     
     async def connect(self) -> bool:
         """Connect to Telegram and start polling for updates."""
@@ -872,8 +875,53 @@ class TelegramAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
             except Exception as e:
                 logger.warning("[Telegram] Failed to cache document: %s", e, exc_info=True)
 
+        media_group_id = getattr(msg, "media_group_id", None)
+        if media_group_id:
+            await self._queue_media_group_event(str(media_group_id), event)
+            return
+
         await self.handle_message(event)
     
+    async def _queue_media_group_event(self, media_group_id: str, event: MessageEvent) -> None:
+        """Buffer Telegram media-group items so albums arrive as one logical event.
+
+        Telegram delivers albums as multiple updates with a shared media_group_id.
+        If we forward each item immediately, the gateway thinks the second image is a
+        new user message and interrupts the first. We debounce briefly and merge the
+        attachments into a single MessageEvent.
+        """
+        existing = self._media_group_events.get(media_group_id)
+        if existing is None:
+            self._media_group_events[media_group_id] = event
+        else:
+            existing.media_urls.extend(event.media_urls)
+            existing.media_types.extend(event.media_types)
+            if event.text:
+                if existing.text:
+                    if event.text not in existing.text.split("\n\n"):
+                        existing.text = f"{existing.text}\n\n{event.text}"
+                else:
+                    existing.text = event.text
+
+        prior_task = self._media_group_tasks.get(media_group_id)
+        if prior_task:
+            prior_task.cancel()
+
+        self._media_group_tasks[media_group_id] = asyncio.create_task(
+            self._flush_media_group_event(media_group_id)
+        )
+
+    async def _flush_media_group_event(self, media_group_id: str) -> None:
+        try:
+            await asyncio.sleep(self.MEDIA_GROUP_WAIT_SECONDS)
+            event = self._media_group_events.pop(media_group_id, None)
+            if event is not None:
+                await self.handle_message(event)
+        except asyncio.CancelledError:
+            return
+        finally:
+            self._media_group_tasks.pop(media_group_id, None)
+
     async def _handle_sticker(self, msg: Message, event: "MessageEvent") -> None:
         """
         Describe a Telegram sticker via vision analysis, with caching.
diff --git a/tests/gateway/test_telegram_documents.py b/tests/gateway/test_telegram_documents.py
index 7a76625f..25cfc249 100644
--- a/tests/gateway/test_telegram_documents.py
+++ b/tests/gateway/test_telegram_documents.py
@@ -81,20 +81,21 @@ def _make_document(
     return doc
 
 
-def _make_message(document=None, caption=None):
-    """Build a mock Telegram Message with the given document."""
+def _make_message(document=None, caption=None, media_group_id=None, photo=None):
+    """Build a mock Telegram Message with the given document/photo."""
     msg = MagicMock()
     msg.message_id = 42
     msg.text = caption or ""
     msg.caption = caption
     msg.date = None
-    # Media flags — all None except document
-    msg.photo = None
+    # Media flags — all None except explicit payload
+    msg.photo = photo
     msg.video = None
     msg.audio = None
     msg.voice = None
     msg.sticker = None
     msg.document = document
+    msg.media_group_id = media_group_id
     # Chat / user
     msg.chat = MagicMock()
     msg.chat.id = 100
@@ -165,6 +166,12 @@ class TestDocumentTypeDetection:
 # TestDocumentDownloadBlock
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+def _make_photo(file_obj=None):
+    photo = MagicMock()
+    photo.get_file = AsyncMock(return_value=file_obj or _make_file_obj(b"photo-bytes"))
+    return photo
+
+
 class TestDocumentDownloadBlock:
     @pytest.mark.asyncio
     async def test_supported_pdf_is_cached(self, adapter):
@@ -339,6 +346,32 @@ class TestDocumentDownloadBlock:
         adapter.handle_message.assert_called_once()
 
 
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# TestMediaGroups — media group (album) buffering
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+class TestMediaGroups:
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_photo_album_is_buffered_and_combined(self, adapter):
+        first_photo = _make_photo(_make_file_obj(b"first"))
+        second_photo = _make_photo(_make_file_obj(b"second"))
+
+        msg1 = _make_message(caption="two images", media_group_id="album-1", photo=[first_photo])
+        msg2 = _make_message(media_group_id="album-1", photo=[second_photo])
+
+        with patch("gateway.platforms.telegram.cache_image_from_bytes", side_effect=["/tmp/one.jpg", "/tmp/two.jpg"]):
+            await adapter._handle_media_message(_make_update(msg1), MagicMock())
+            await adapter._handle_media_message(_make_update(msg2), MagicMock())
+            assert adapter.handle_message.await_count == 0
+            await asyncio.sleep(adapter.MEDIA_GROUP_WAIT_SECONDS + 0.05)
+
+        adapter.handle_message.assert_awaited_once()
+        event = adapter.handle_message.call_args[0][0]
+        assert event.text == "two images"
+        assert event.media_urls == ["/tmp/one.jpg", "/tmp/two.jpg"]
+        assert len(event.media_types) == 2
+
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # TestSendDocument — outbound file attachment delivery
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------