diff --git a/apps/AfterRay/Sources/AfterRayApp.swift b/apps/AfterRay/Sources/AfterRayApp.swift
index 1251f08..d40a964 100644
--- a/apps/AfterRay/Sources/AfterRayApp.swift
+++ b/apps/AfterRay/Sources/AfterRayApp.swift
@@ -321,7 +321,8 @@ private final class AfterRayMenuBar: NSObject {
     private var statusItem: NSStatusItem?
     private var pauseItem: NSMenuItem?
     private var computeItem: NSMenuItem?
-    private var isRecording = false
+    private var recordingState: DaemonRecordingState?
+    private var isChangingRecording = false
     private var shortcut = RecallHotKeyStore.shared.hotKey
     private var preferenceObserver: NSObjectProtocol?
 
@@ -437,8 +438,8 @@ private final class AfterRayMenuBar: NSObject {
         statusItem = nil
     }
 
-    func setRecording(_ isRecording: Bool) {
-        self.isRecording = isRecording
+    func setRecordingState(_ recordingState: DaemonRecordingState?) {
+        self.recordingState = recordingState
         refresh()
     }
 
@@ -463,19 +464,20 @@ private final class AfterRayMenuBar: NSObject {
 
     @objc private func toggleCapture() {
         Task {
-            guard !AfterRayTerminationState.shared.isTerminating else { return }
-            let daemon = UnixSocketDaemonClient(socketPath: DaemonSupervisor.shared.socketPath)
-            do {
-                if isRecording {
-                    _ = try await daemon.recordStop(reason: "menu")
-                    isRecording = false
-                } else {
-                    _ = try await daemon.recordStart()
-                    isRecording = true
-                }
+            guard !AfterRayTerminationState.shared.isTerminating,
+                  !isChangingRecording
+            else { return }
+            isChangingRecording = true
+            refresh()
+            defer {
+                isChangingRecording = false
                 refresh()
-            } catch {
-                AfterRayLog.error(error.localizedDescription, source: "menu")
+            }
+            let control = AfterRayServices.shared.control
+            let changed = await control.toggleRecording()
+            recordingState = control.status?.recordingState
+            if !changed, let message = control.message {
+                AfterRayLog.error(message, source: "menu")
             }
         }
     }
@@ -502,11 +504,16 @@ private final class AfterRayMenuBar: NSObject {
         guard let button = statusItem?.button else { return }
         statusItem?.isVisible = true
         button.image = Self.icon()
-        button.alphaValue = isRecording ? 1 : 0.46
+        let captureIsActive = switch recordingState {
+        case .waiting, .recording, .stopping: true
+        case .idle, .failed, nil: false
+        }
+        button.alphaValue = captureIsActive ? 1 : 0.46
         let copy = AfterRayLocalization.shared.copy
-        let state = isRecording ? copy.menu.recording : copy.menu.paused
+        let state = captureIsActive ? copy.menu.recording : copy.menu.paused
         button.toolTip = copy.menu.tooltip(state, shortcut.displayString)
-        pauseItem?.title = isRecording ? copy.menu.pauseCapture : copy.menu.resumeCapture
+        pauseItem?.title = captureIsActive ? copy.menu.pauseCapture : copy.menu.resumeCapture
+        pauseItem?.isEnabled = !isChangingRecording && recordingState != .stopping
     }
 
     private static func icon() -> NSImage {
@@ -1515,8 +1522,8 @@ private struct AfterRayRootView: View {
         .onChange(of: isLive) { _, live in
             if live { audioPlayer.stop() }
         }
-        .onChange(of: control.isRecording, initial: true) { _, isRecording in
-            AfterRayMenuBar.shared.setRecording(isRecording)
+        .onChange(of: control.status?.recordingState, initial: true) { _, recordingState in
+            AfterRayMenuBar.shared.setRecordingState(recordingState)
         }
         .task {
             await bootstrap()
diff --git a/swift/AfterRayRecall/Sources/AfterRayControlModel.swift b/swift/AfterRayRecall/Sources/AfterRayControlModel.swift
index ee669fc..aca1b45 100644
--- a/swift/AfterRayRecall/Sources/AfterRayControlModel.swift
+++ b/swift/AfterRayRecall/Sources/AfterRayControlModel.swift
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ public final class AfterRayControlModel: ObservableObject {
         }
     }
     public var canToggleRecording: Bool {
-        !isChangingRecording && status?.recordingState != .stopping
+        !isChangingRecording
     }
 
     public func refreshStatus() async {
@@ -74,6 +74,12 @@ public final class AfterRayControlModel: ObservableObject {
         isChangingRecording = true
         defer { isChangingRecording = false }
         do {
+            // Menu-bar and overlay actions share this model, but the daemon can
+            // also change state after lock/sleep or another surface's command.
+            // Refresh before choosing start versus stop so a stale UI snapshot
+            // can never send the same command twice and strand capture paused.
+            status = try await daemon.status()
+            guard status?.recordingState != .stopping else { return false }
             if isCaptureSessionActive {
                 _ = try await daemon.recordStop(reason: "pause")
             } else {
diff --git a/swift/AfterRayRecall/Tests/AfterRayControlModelTests.swift b/swift/AfterRayRecall/Tests/AfterRayControlModelTests.swift
index 3d2a052..7455809 100644
--- a/swift/AfterRayRecall/Tests/AfterRayControlModelTests.swift
+++ b/swift/AfterRayRecall/Tests/AfterRayControlModelTests.swift
@@ -20,6 +20,56 @@ final class AfterRayControlModelTests: XCTestCase {
         XCTAssertEqual(commands, ["start", "stop"])
     }
 
+    func testToggleRefreshesStaleRecordingStateBeforeChoosingTheCommand() async {
+        let daemon = ControlDaemon()
+        await daemon.setRecordingState(.recording)
+        let model = AfterRayControlModel(daemon: daemon)
+        await model.refreshStatus()
+
+        // Capture was stopped elsewhere after this model last refreshed. The
+        // next click must start from the daemon's idle state, not issue stop a
+        // second time from the stale local snapshot.
+        await daemon.setRecordingState(.idle)
+        let changed = await model.toggleRecording()
+
+        XCTAssertTrue(changed)
+        XCTAssertTrue(model.isRecording)
+        let commands = await daemon.recordCommands
+        XCTAssertEqual(commands, ["start"])
+    }
+
+    func testToggleRefreshesStaleIdleStateBeforeChoosingTheCommand() async {
+        let daemon = ControlDaemon()
+        let model = AfterRayControlModel(daemon: daemon)
+        await model.refreshStatus()
+
+        // The inverse race matters too: capture started from another surface,
+        // so the stale idle model must stop that live session instead of
+        // sending a duplicate start.
+        await daemon.setRecordingState(.recording)
+        let changed = await model.toggleRecording()
+
+        XCTAssertTrue(changed)
+        XCTAssertFalse(model.isRecording)
+        let commands = await daemon.recordCommands
+        XCTAssertEqual(commands, ["stop"])
+    }
+
+    func testToggleDoesNotStayDisabledByAStaleStoppingState() async {
+        let daemon = ControlDaemon()
+        await daemon.setRecordingState(.stopping)
+        let model = AfterRayControlModel(daemon: daemon)
+        await model.refreshStatus()
+
+        await daemon.setRecordingState(.idle)
+        let changed = await model.toggleRecording()
+
+        XCTAssertTrue(changed)
+        XCTAssertTrue(model.isRecording)
+        let commands = await daemon.recordCommands
+        XCTAssertEqual(commands, ["start"])
+    }
+
     func testWaitingIsNotRecordingButSessionIsActive() async {
         let daemon = ControlDaemon()
         await daemon.setRecordingState(.waiting)