diff --git a/src/Edge/NativeComponent.php b/src/Edge/NativeComponent.php
index c10235a9..1e4f598d 100644
--- a/src/Edge/NativeComponent.php
+++ b/src/Edge/NativeComponent.php
@@ -91,6 +91,9 @@ abstract class NativeComponent
 
     protected ?NavigationIntent $nativeNavigationIntent = null;
 
+    /** True while dispatching a system back (type 8) from native navigation. */
+    protected bool $nativeAnsweringSystemBack = false;
+
     protected ?NativeRouter $nativeRouter = null;
 
     protected array $nativeParams = [];
@@ -2019,6 +2022,23 @@ public function onBackPressed(): void
         $this->back();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Dispatch a system back — the hardware button, the system back
+     * chevron, or an edge-swipe pop. While it runs, back() knows the
+     * event came from native navigation and skips its farewell publish;
+     * see back() for why that matters.
+     */
+    public function handleSystemBack(): void
+    {
+        $this->nativeAnsweringSystemBack = true;
+
+        try {
+            $this->onBackPressed();
+        } finally {
+            $this->nativeAnsweringSystemBack = false;
+        }
+    }
+
     public static function registerDumpHandler(): void
     {
         if (self::$dumpHandlerRegistered) {
@@ -2365,7 +2385,7 @@ public function runLoop(): void
 
                     continue;
                 }
-                $this->onBackPressed();
+                $this->handleSystemBack();
 
                 continue;
             }
@@ -2528,7 +2548,18 @@ public function back(): static
         }
 
         $this->nativeNavigationIntent = new NavigationIntent(NavigationIntent::BACK);
-        $this->publishFinalState();
+
+        // The farewell frame keeps a PHP-initiated pop looking fresh while
+        // the native side animates it. Answering a SYSTEM back is the
+        // opposite situation: native navigation may already have removed
+        // this screen and shrunk its path, so a farewell frame reaches the
+        // coordinator as an unknown URI — which its reconciliation can only
+        // read as a brand-new push. Skip it to avoid reintroducing a screen
+        // that native navigation is backing away from.
+        if (! $this->nativeAnsweringSystemBack) {
+            $this->publishFinalState();
+        }
+
         $this->stop();
 
         return $this;
diff --git a/src/Testing/TestableComponent.php b/src/Testing/TestableComponent.php
index 864ed4f8..ac3d89e3 100644
--- a/src/Testing/TestableComponent.php
+++ b/src/Testing/TestableComponent.php
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@ public function pressBack(): static
     {
         $this->startInteraction();
 
-        $this->guard(fn () => $this->component->onBackPressed());
+        $this->guard(fn () => $this->component->handleSystemBack());
 
         return $this->afterInteraction();
     }
@@ -647,7 +647,7 @@ public function follow(): static
     public function goBack(): TestableComponent
     {
         if ($this->component->getNavigationIntent() === null) {
-            $this->guard(fn () => $this->component->onBackPressed());
+            $this->guard(fn () => $this->component->handleSystemBack());
         }
 
         $intent = $this->component->getNavigationIntent();
@@ -1423,8 +1423,8 @@ protected function startInteraction(): void
 
     /**
      * Post-interaction re-render, mirroring the runloop: a component that
-     * set a navigation intent has stopped (its final state was already
-     * published by publishFinalState()); otherwise render the next frame.
+     * set a navigation intent has stopped (and may have published a farewell
+     * frame as part of that navigation); otherwise render the next frame.
      */
     protected function afterInteraction(): static
     {
diff --git a/tests/Feature/SystemBackFarewellTest.php b/tests/Feature/SystemBackFarewellTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b47fbb08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Feature/SystemBackFarewellTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+<?php
+
+use Native\Mobile\Edge\Element;
+use Native\Mobile\Edge\Elements\Column;
+use Native\Mobile\Edge\NativeComponent;
+use Native\Mobile\Edge\NavigationIntent;
+use Native\Mobile\Testing\Native;
+use Tests\Fixtures\Edge\DetailScreen;
+
+/**
+ * back() publishes one farewell frame so a PHP-initiated pop has fresh
+ * content to show while the native side animates it. A system back
+ * (hardware button, back chevron, edge-swipe pop) is the opposite case:
+ * native navigation may already have removed the departing screen and
+ * shrunk its path, so its farewell frame can arrive as an unknown URI —
+ * reconciled as a brand-new push. These tests pin the split: farewell for
+ * PHP-initiated backs, none when answering a system back.
+ */
+function farewellScreen(): NativeComponent
+{
+    return new class extends NativeComponent
+    {
+        public int $farewellFrames = 0;
+
+        public function render(): Element
+        {
+            return Column::make();
+        }
+
+        protected function publishFinalState(): void
+        {
+            $this->farewellFrames++;
+        }
+    };
+}
+
+it('publishes a farewell frame for a PHP-initiated back', function () {
+    $screen = farewellScreen();
+
+    $screen->back();
+
+    expect($screen->getNavigationIntent()?->type)->toBe(NavigationIntent::BACK)
+        ->and($screen->farewellFrames)->toBe(1);
+});
+
+it('skips the farewell frame when answering a system back', function () {
+    $screen = farewellScreen();
+
+    $screen->handleSystemBack();
+
+    expect($screen->getNavigationIntent()?->type)->toBe(NavigationIntent::BACK)
+        ->and($screen->farewellFrames)->toBe(0);
+});
+
+it('resets the system-back flag when the back handler throws', function () {
+    $screen = new class extends NativeComponent
+    {
+        public int $farewellFrames = 0;
+
+        public function render(): Element
+        {
+            return Column::make();
+        }
+
+        protected function publishFinalState(): void
+        {
+            $this->farewellFrames++;
+        }
+
+        public function onBackPressed(): void
+        {
+            throw new RuntimeException('boom');
+        }
+    };
+
+    try {
+        $screen->handleSystemBack();
+    } catch (RuntimeException) {
+        // expected
+    }
+
+    $screen->back();
+
+    expect($screen->farewellFrames)->toBe(1);
+});
+
+it('skips the farewell frame for a harness back press', function () {
+    $bridge = Native::fakeBridge();
+
+    $screen = Native::test(DetailScreen::class);
+    $mounted = count($bridge->publishes);
+
+    $screen->pressBack()->assertWentBack();
+
+    expect($bridge->publishes)->toHaveCount($mounted);
+});
+
+it('publishes a farewell frame for a PHP-initiated harness back', function () {
+    $bridge = Native::fakeBridge();
+
+    $screen = Native::test(DetailScreen::class);
+    $mounted = count($bridge->publishes);
+
+    $screen->tap('Go back')->assertWentBack();
+
+    expect($bridge->publishes)->toHaveCount($mounted + 1);
+});