diff --git a/app.py b/app.py
index bee4dae8f..a5f3f6ec2 100644
--- a/app.py
+++ b/app.py
@@ -630,13 +630,24 @@ app.include_router(auth_router)
 
 @app.post("/api/activity/heartbeat")
 async def activity_heartbeat():
-    from src.interactive_gate import mark_browser_activity
+    from src.interactive_gate import (
+        mark_browser_activity,
+        maybe_stop_background_tasks_for_heartbeat,
+    )
+
     await mark_browser_activity()
+
     async def _stop_background():
         try:
-            await task_scheduler.stop_background_tasks_for_foreground(reason="browser heartbeat")
+            await maybe_stop_background_tasks_for_heartbeat(
+                task_scheduler.stop_background_tasks_for_foreground
+            )
         except Exception:
-            logging.getLogger("app.foreground_gate").debug("heartbeat task stop failed", exc_info=True)
+            logging.getLogger("app.foreground_gate").debug(
+                "heartbeat task stop failed",
+                exc_info=True,
+            )
+
     asyncio.create_task(_stop_background())
     return {"ok": True}
 
diff --git a/src/interactive_gate.py b/src/interactive_gate.py
index 38c684fa2..efa46f453 100644
--- a/src/interactive_gate.py
+++ b/src/interactive_gate.py
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ _PASSIVE_EXACT_PATHS = {
     "/api/activity/heartbeat",
     "/api/client-perf",
     "/api/tasks/notifications",
+    "/api/tasks/runs/recent",
     "/api/research/active",
     "/api/email/urgency-state",
     # UI idle poll sibling of urgency-state; must not pre-empt background tasks.
@@ -76,6 +77,19 @@ _PASSIVE_PREFIXES = (
 )
 
 
+async def maybe_stop_background_tasks_for_heartbeat(stop_background) -> bool:
+    """Stop background work for browser activity only when the gate is enabled.
+
+    ``stop_background`` is injected by the application boundary so this policy
+    remains independently testable without importing the full FastAPI app.
+    """
+    if not _enabled():
+        return False
+
+    await stop_background(reason="browser heartbeat")
+    return True
+
+
 def should_track_interactive_request(path: str, method: str = "GET") -> bool:
     if not _enabled():
         return False
diff --git a/tests/test_poll_endpoint_no_task_interrupt.py b/tests/test_poll_endpoint_no_task_interrupt.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..da5c40412
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_poll_endpoint_no_task_interrupt.py
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+"""Regression tests for polling endpoints and foreground task interruption."""
+
+import asyncio
+import importlib
+
+
+def _reload_gate():
+    import src.interactive_gate as ig
+
+    importlib.reload(ig)
+    return ig
+
+
+def test_tasks_runs_recent_is_passive():
+    ig = _reload_gate()
+
+    assert not ig.should_track_interactive_request(
+        "/api/tasks/runs/recent", "GET"
+    )
+
+
+def test_tasks_runs_recent_does_not_affect_other_task_paths():
+    ig = _reload_gate()
+
+    # A neighboring mutating path must remain interactive.
+    assert ig.should_track_interactive_request(
+        "/api/tasks/runs/recent/something", "POST"
+    )
+
+
+def test_heartbeat_does_not_stop_background_tasks_when_gate_disabled(monkeypatch):
+    ig = _reload_gate()
+    monkeypatch.setenv("BACKGROUND_TASK_FOREGROUND_GATE", "false")
+
+    stop_calls = []
+
+    async def fake_stop_background_tasks_for_foreground(*, reason):
+        stop_calls.append(reason)
+
+    result = asyncio.run(
+        ig.maybe_stop_background_tasks_for_heartbeat(
+            fake_stop_background_tasks_for_foreground
+        )
+    )
+
+    assert result is False
+    assert stop_calls == []
+
+
+def test_heartbeat_stops_background_tasks_when_gate_enabled(monkeypatch):
+    ig = _reload_gate()
+    monkeypatch.delenv("BACKGROUND_TASK_FOREGROUND_GATE", raising=False)
+
+    stop_calls = []
+
+    async def fake_stop_background_tasks_for_foreground(*, reason):
+        stop_calls.append(reason)
+
+    result = asyncio.run(
+        ig.maybe_stop_background_tasks_for_heartbeat(
+            fake_stop_background_tasks_for_foreground
+        )
+    )
+
+    assert result is True
+    assert stop_calls == ["browser heartbeat"]