diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 17ea4f6..1058067 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -657,6 +657,27 @@ Infra notes for THIS repo:
 **Full handoff & step-by-step plan:** `LotusGuild/cinny` →
 [`HANDOFF_ELEMENT_CALL_FORK.md`](https://code.lotusguild.org/LotusGuild/cinny/src/branch/lotus/HANDOFF_ELEMENT_CALL_FORK.md).
 
+### Not planned: background web push
+
+**Decision (2026-11-09):** the web app does **not** get background push
+notifications (notifications while no Lotus tab is open), and no push gateway
+(Sygnal) is run on our infrastructure.
+
+- **Why:** people who want notifications keep the **desktop app** open (it
+  notifies natively and keeps running in the tray), and on phones people use
+  **Element X** or **FluffyChat**, which already push through their own
+  gateways. A gateway would only help someone using the website with every tab
+  closed, which doesn't justify another service to run, monitor and secure on
+  LXC 151.
+- **What users get:** OS notifications while the web or desktop app is open,
+  in-app toasts, quiet hours and pause, email notifications (optional, Synapse).
+- **If this changes:** the plan (Sygnal on LXC 151, VAPID key, NPM route locked
+  to Synapse, config.json `webPush` entry) is in
+  [cinny #202](https://code.lotusguild.org/LotusGuild/cinny/issues/202#issuecomment-6221),
+  and the finished-but-unmerged client side (service-worker `push` handler,
+  pusher registration, setting, tests) is in closed
+  [cinny PR #489](https://code.lotusguild.org/LotusGuild/cinny/pulls/489).
+
 ### Custom Features
 
 All custom code lives in `src/app/` on the `lotus` branch of `code.lotusguild.org/LotusGuild/cinny`. Changes survive upstream merges as long as they don't conflict with the same files upstream touched.
diff --git a/landing/data/comparison.json b/landing/data/comparison.json
index 952e2cb..a9f7e06 100644
--- a/landing/data/comparison.json
+++ b/landing/data/comparison.json
@@ -1616,7 +1616,7 @@
           "cells": [
             {
               "mark": "part",
-              "note": "OS notifications while the app is open; no background push yet"
+              "note": "OS notifications while the web or desktop app is open (the desktop app keeps running in the tray); background web push is not planned, so use Element X or FluffyChat on phones"
             },
             {
               "mark": "part",
diff --git a/landing/index.html b/landing/index.html
index 5901cc7..1761c7a 100644
--- a/landing/index.html
+++ b/landing/index.html
@@ -1342,7 +1342,7 @@ Client comparison last reviewed <time datetime="2026-09-26">September 26, 2026</
                 </tr>
                 <tr>
                     <td>Push notifications</td>
-                    <td class="ours"><span class="part">~</span><small>OS notifications while the app is open; no background push yet</small></td>
+                    <td class="ours"><span class="part">~</span><small>OS notifications while the web or desktop app is open (the desktop app keeps running in the tray); background web push is not planned, so use Element X or FluffyChat on phones</small></td>
                     <td><span class="part">~</span><small>only while the tab/app is open; optional email</small></td>
                     <td><span class="yes">✓</span></td>
                     <td><span class="yes">✓</span></td>