diff --git a/solstone/observe/sense.py b/solstone/observe/sense.py
index 910e5391d..592d5f46d 100644
--- a/solstone/observe/sense.py
+++ b/solstone/observe/sense.py
@@ -568,8 +568,9 @@ class FileSensor:
                 f"Segment fully observed{note_str}: {day}/{segment} ({duration}s)"
             )
 
-        # Touch stream.updated marker for downstream consumers
-        if day:
+        # Touch stream.updated marker for downstream consumers -- live ingest
+        # only; batch (re-process / importer) segments must not advance it.
+        if day and not batch:
             try:
                 health_dir = day_path(day) / "health"
                 health_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
diff --git a/solstone/think/importers/cli.py b/solstone/think/importers/cli.py
index 8a982336d..d93443102 100644
--- a/solstone/think/importers/cli.py
+++ b/solstone/think/importers/cli.py
@@ -1136,6 +1136,7 @@ def _import_one_from_args(args: argparse.Namespace) -> dict[str, Any] | None:
                         f"transcribed successfully ({total_elapsed}s)"
                     )
 
+            _touch_health_marker(day)
             _callosum.emit("supervisor", "drain", day=day)
 
         # Complete processing metadata
diff --git a/solstone/think/thinking.py b/solstone/think/thinking.py
index cb2e406ac..fa7517d32 100644
--- a/solstone/think/thinking.py
+++ b/solstone/think/thinking.py
@@ -3437,13 +3437,6 @@ def main() -> None:
                         skip_talents=skip_talents,
                         live=False,
                     )
-                    # Touch stream.updated marker after each segment
-                    try:
-                        health_dir = day_path(day) / "health"
-                        health_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-                        (health_dir / "stream.updated").touch()
-                    except Exception:
-                        pass
                     batch_success += success
                     batch_failed += failed
                     _update_status(segments_completed=i, segments_total=total)
@@ -3614,15 +3607,6 @@ def main() -> None:
         _run_result["success"] = success_count
         _run_result["failed"] = fail_count
 
-        # Touch stream.updated marker after segment processing
-        if args.segment:
-            try:
-                health_dir = day_path(day) / "health"
-                health_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-                (health_dir / "stream.updated").touch()
-            except Exception:
-                pass
-
         # POST-PHASE: Final indexing and stats (daily only)
         if not args.segment:
             logging.info("Running post-phase: indexer rescan")
diff --git a/tests/test_importer.py b/tests/test_importer.py
index 2c9983d97..d2f7c9f33 100644
--- a/tests/test_importer.py
+++ b/tests/test_importer.py
@@ -1462,6 +1462,15 @@ def test_import_one_skips_wait_when_disabled(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     assert result.get("segments")
     assert "failed_segments" not in result
 
+    marker = tmp_path / "chronicle" / "20260303" / "health" / "stream.updated"
+    assert marker.exists()
+    drain_days = [
+        call.kwargs["day"]
+        for call in callosum.emit.call_args_list
+        if call.args[:2] == ("supervisor", "drain")
+    ]
+    assert drain_days == ["20260303"]
+
 
 def test_import_one_audio_reimport_is_deduped(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     mod = importlib.import_module("solstone.think.importers.cli")
diff --git a/tests/test_sense.py b/tests/test_sense.py
index ba4917b04..d8f6d8e39 100644
--- a/tests/test_sense.py
+++ b/tests/test_sense.py
@@ -1086,6 +1086,24 @@ def test_file_sensor_observing_without_batch_emits_live_observed(
     assert "batch" not in observed
 
 
+def test_file_sensor_live_observed_touches_stream_updated(
+    tmp_path, monkeypatch, mock_callosum
+):
+    _observed_event_from_observing(tmp_path, monkeypatch, mock_callosum, batch=False)
+
+    marker = tmp_path / "chronicle" / "20250101" / "health" / "stream.updated"
+    assert marker.exists()
+
+
+def test_file_sensor_batch_observed_does_not_touch_stream_updated(
+    tmp_path, monkeypatch, mock_callosum
+):
+    _observed_event_from_observing(tmp_path, monkeypatch, mock_callosum, batch=True)
+
+    marker = tmp_path / "chronicle" / "20250101" / "health" / "stream.updated"
+    assert not marker.exists()
+
+
 def test_file_sensor_segment_observed_no_handlers(tmp_path, monkeypatch, mock_callosum):
     """Test that observe.observed is emitted immediately for segments with no matching handlers.
 
diff --git a/tests/test_updated_days.py b/tests/test_updated_days.py
index e8c956875..d6a09a26c 100644
--- a/tests/test_updated_days.py
+++ b/tests/test_updated_days.py
@@ -33,6 +33,17 @@ def test_updated_days_clean(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     assert updated_days() == []
 
 
+def test_updated_days_stream_newer_than_daily_is_updated(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """Day with stream.updated newer than daily.updated is updated."""
+    monkeypatch.setenv("SOLSTONE_JOURNAL", str(tmp_path))
+    day_dir = tmp_path / "chronicle" / "20260101" / "health"
+    day_dir.mkdir(parents=True)
+    (day_dir / "daily.updated").touch()
+    time.sleep(0.05)
+    (day_dir / "stream.updated").touch()
+    assert updated_days() == ["20260101"]
+
+
 def test_updated_days_no_stream(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     """Day without stream.updated is not updated (no stream data)."""
     monkeypatch.setenv("SOLSTONE_JOURNAL", str(tmp_path))