diff --git a/payload/user/remote_access/pager-webui/server.py b/payload/user/remote_access/pager-webui/server.py
index ebce502..8e329c9 100644
--- a/payload/user/remote_access/pager-webui/server.py
+++ b/payload/user/remote_access/pager-webui/server.py
@@ -3445,11 +3445,16 @@ def _read_hop():
     return out.strip()
 
 
+_HOP_PAUSE_HELD = False  # True while a Mark VIII role/attack holds hop off
+
+
 def _pause_hop():
+    global _HOP_PAUSE_HELD
     if _read_hop() != '0':
         device_run(['uci', 'set', 'pineapd.wlan1mon.hop=0'])
         device_run(['uci', 'commit', 'pineapd'])
         device_run(['/etc/init.d/pineapd', 'reload'])
+    _HOP_PAUSE_HELD = True
 
 
 def _resume_hop():
@@ -3468,6 +3473,8 @@ def _resume_hop():
     device_run(['uci', 'set', 'pineapd.wlan1mon.hop=%s' % wanted])
     device_run(['uci', 'commit', 'pineapd'])
     device_run(['/etc/init.d/pineapd', 'reload'])
+    global _HOP_PAUSE_HELD
+    _HOP_PAUSE_HELD = False
 
 
 def _remove_radio1_ap():
@@ -4789,6 +4796,20 @@ def health_check():
                     msg='reconciler re-applied: %s' % ','.join(rep['changed']))
         except Exception:
             pass
+        # Restore the hopping baseline unless a Mark VIII role/attack holds
+        # the pause intentionally (_resume_hop self-guards against fighting a
+        # live Pager hop enable).
+        if not _HOP_PAUSE_HELD:
+            try:
+                before = _read_hop()
+                if before == '0':
+                    import mk8_events
+                    _resume_hop()
+                    mk8_events.log_event(
+                        'guard_fix',
+                        msg='restored wlan1mon.hop baseline (was %s)' % before)
+            except Exception:
+                pass
     h['mem_percent'] = _mem_percent()
     if h['mem_percent'] >= MEM_WARN_PERCENT:
         h['mem_streak'] = h.get('mem_streak', 0) + 1
diff --git a/tests/test_health.py b/tests/test_health.py
index 2e10866..1dd491b 100644
--- a/tests/test_health.py
+++ b/tests/test_health.py
@@ -244,3 +244,65 @@ class SupervisorExtrasTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()
+
+
+class HopBaselineTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.runs = []
+        self.old_run = server.device_run
+        self.old_iface = server._iface_up
+        server._iface_up = lambda name: True
+
+        def fake_run(args, timeout=20, input_data=None):
+            a = list(args)
+            self.runs.append(a)
+            if a[:2] == ['pidof', 'pineapd']:
+                return (0, '123\n', '')
+            if a[:3] == ['uci', 'get', 'pineapd.wlan1mon.hop']:
+                return (0, self.hop + '\n', '')
+            return (0, '', '')
+
+        server.device_run = fake_run
+        self.hop = '0'
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        server.device_run = self.old_run
+        server._iface_up = self.old_iface
+        server._health['ticks'] = 0
+
+    def test_resume_called_when_not_held(self):
+        import unittest.mock as um
+        old_held = server._HOP_PAUSE_HELD
+        server._HOP_PAUSE_HELD = False
+        server._health['ticks'] = server.HEALTH_STA_PARK_INTERVAL - 1
+        try:
+            with mock.patch.object(server, '_sta_uplink_enabled',
+                                   return_value=False), \
+                 mock.patch.object(server, '_raise_monitors',
+                                   return_value=[]), \
+                 mock.patch('mk8_guard.reconcile',
+                            return_value={'changed': [], 'pool_cleared': False,
+                                          'monitors_raised': []}), \
+                 mock.patch.object(server, '_resume_hop') as resume:
+                server.health_check()
+            resume.assert_called_once()
+        finally:
+            server._HOP_PAUSE_HELD = old_held
+
+    def test_resume_skipped_while_pause_held(self):
+        old_held = server._HOP_PAUSE_HELD
+        server._HOP_PAUSE_HELD = True
+        server._health['ticks'] = server.HEALTH_STA_PARK_INTERVAL - 1
+        try:
+            with mock.patch.object(server, '_sta_uplink_enabled',
+                                   return_value=False), \
+                 mock.patch.object(server, '_raise_monitors',
+                                   return_value=[]), \
+                 mock.patch('mk8_guard.reconcile',
+                            return_value={'changed': [], 'pool_cleared': False,
+                                          'monitors_raised': []}), \
+                 mock.patch.object(server, '_resume_hop') as resume:
+                server.health_check()
+            resume.assert_not_called()
+        finally:
+            server._HOP_PAUSE_HELD = old_held