diff --git a/examples/simple_repeater/MyMesh.h b/examples/simple_repeater/MyMesh.h
index 455b883b0..d1d7eca81 100644
--- a/examples/simple_repeater/MyMesh.h
+++ b/examples/simple_repeater/MyMesh.h
@@ -617,6 +617,9 @@ class MyMesh : public mesh::Mesh, public CommonCLICallbacks
   bool startSharedEspNowBridgeIfReady() {
     if (espnow_bridge.isRunning()) return true;
     if (!_prefs.espnow_bridge_enabled) return false;
+    // Browser OTA pauses the bridges for the entire upload session. The
+    // periodic retry must not undo that pause on its next loop iteration.
+    if (_cli.getBoard()->isOTAUpdateRunning()) return false;
     if (mqtt_bridge && mqtt_bridge->isRunning() && !WiFi.isConnected()) return false;
     if (!millisHasNowPassed(shared_espnow_retry_at)) return false;
     shared_espnow_retry_at = millis() + 5000;
diff --git a/examples/simple_room_server/MyMesh.h b/examples/simple_room_server/MyMesh.h
index df105a687..3d21f01f0 100644
--- a/examples/simple_room_server/MyMesh.h
+++ b/examples/simple_room_server/MyMesh.h
@@ -580,6 +580,8 @@ public:
   bool startSharedEspNowBridgeIfReady() {
     if (espnow_bridge.isRunning()) return true;
     if (!_prefs.espnow_bridge_enabled) return false;
+    // Keep the browser uploader's bridge pause in effect until OTA stops.
+    if (_cli.getBoard()->isOTAUpdateRunning()) return false;
     if (bridge && bridge->isRunning() && !WiFi.isConnected()) return false;
     if (!millisHasNowPassed(shared_espnow_retry_at)) return false;
     shared_espnow_retry_at = millis() + 5000;
diff --git a/test/test_wifi_ota_start.py b/test/test_wifi_ota_start.py
index 0bdc902a1..f1eda6d28 100644
--- a/test/test_wifi_ota_start.py
+++ b/test/test_wifi_ota_start.py
@@ -171,6 +171,61 @@ int main() {
         fixture = (ROOT / "test/fixtures/webconfig_ota_handoff.cpp").read_text()
         self.compile_and_run(fixture.replace("@METHODS@", methods))
 
+    def test_background_bridge_retry_waits_until_ota_stops(self):
+        fixture = r'''
+#include <cassert>
+#include <cstdint>
+uint32_t now = 0;
+uint32_t millis() { return now; }
+bool millisHasNowPassed(uint32_t deadline) { return int32_t(now - deadline) >= 0; }
+struct Board {
+  bool ota = true;
+  bool isOTAUpdateRunning() const { return ota; }
+} board;
+struct Cli { Board* getBoard() { return &board; } };
+struct Bridge {
+  unsigned starts = 0;
+  bool running = false;
+  bool isRunning() const { return running; }
+  void begin() { ++starts; running = true; }
+};
+struct WiFiMock { bool isConnected() { return true; } } WiFi;
+struct Mesh {
+  Cli _cli;
+  struct { bool espnow_bridge_enabled = true; } _prefs;
+  Bridge espnow_bridge;
+  Bridge* @MQTT_MEMBER@ = nullptr;
+  uint32_t shared_espnow_retry_at = 0;
+  void configureBridgeFilter(Bridge*) {}
+  @RETRY@
+};
+int main() {
+  Mesh mesh;
+  // Simulate repeated servicePostMeshLoop calls, spanning several retry windows.
+  for (now = 0; now <= 30000; now += 100) {
+    assert(!mesh.startSharedEspNowBridgeIfReady());
+    assert(mesh.espnow_bridge.starts == 0);
+  }
+  board.ota = false;
+  assert(mesh.startSharedEspNowBridgeIfReady());
+  assert(mesh.espnow_bridge.starts == 1);
+  assert(mesh.startSharedEspNowBridgeIfReady());
+  assert(mesh.espnow_bridge.starts == 1);
+  mesh.espnow_bridge.running = false;
+  mesh._prefs.espnow_bridge_enabled = false;
+  now += 30000;
+  assert(!mesh.startSharedEspNowBridgeIfReady());
+  assert(mesh.espnow_bridge.starts == 1);
+}
+'''
+        for role, mqtt_member in (("simple_repeater", "mqtt_bridge"),
+                                  ("simple_room_server", "bridge")):
+            with self.subTest(role=role):
+                source = (ROOT / "examples" / role / "MyMesh.h").read_text()
+                retry = extract_braced(source, "bool startSharedEspNowBridgeIfReady()")
+                self.compile_and_run(fixture.replace("@RETRY@", retry)
+                                     .replace("@MQTT_MEMBER@", mqtt_member))
+
     def test_full_companion_cli_reports_webconfig_stop_and_hardware_errors(self):
         source = (ROOT / "examples/companion_radio/MyMesh.cpp").read_text()
         command = extract_braced(source, 'if (strcmp(command, "start ota") == 0')