diff --git a/node/src/cli.ts b/node/src/cli.ts
index 0339458..1699463 100644
--- a/node/src/cli.ts
+++ b/node/src/cli.ts
@@ -265,6 +265,27 @@ program
     process.stdout.write(lines.join("\n"));
   });
 
+program
+  .command("session-end")
+  .description(
+    "SessionEnd-hook helper: derives the session's mailbox name from stdin session_id and asks the daemon to delete it if empty (no pending messages either direction). Silent on all errors — the daemon sweeper is the safety net.",
+  )
+  .option("--url <url>", "Daemon base URL", DEFAULT_URL)
+  .action(async (opts: { url: string }) => {
+    const stdin = parseHookStdin(readStdinIfPiped());
+    const sid = stdin?.session_id?.trim();
+    if (!sid) return;
+    const cwd = typeof stdin?.cwd === "string" ? stdin.cwd : process.cwd();
+    const name = deriveSessionName(sid, cwd);
+    try {
+      await callJson("POST", `${opts.url}/v1/session-end`, {
+        headers: { "X-Mailbox": name },
+      });
+    } catch {
+      // Daemon unreachable or other error — sweeper will clean up later.
+    }
+  });
+
 program
   .command("list")
   .description("List known mailboxes.")
diff --git a/node/src/db.ts b/node/src/db.ts
index 0dbe158..56d3168 100644
--- a/node/src/db.ts
+++ b/node/src/db.ts
@@ -366,6 +366,25 @@ export class MailboxStore {
     }));
   }
 
+  deleteIfEmpty(name: string): { deleted: boolean; reason: "deleted" | "not-found" | "has-pending" } {
+    return runInTransaction(this.db, () => {
+      const row = this.stmts.findMailbox.get(name) as MailboxRow | undefined;
+      if (!row) return { deleted: false, reason: "not-found" as const };
+      const pendingIn = (this.stmts.countPending.get(name) as { n: number } | undefined)?.n ?? 0;
+      if (pendingIn > 0) return { deleted: false, reason: "has-pending" as const };
+      const pendingOutRow = this.db
+        .prepare(
+          "SELECT 1 FROM messages WHERE from_mailbox = ? AND delivered_at IS NULL LIMIT 1",
+        )
+        .get(name);
+      if (pendingOutRow) return { deleted: false, reason: "has-pending" as const };
+      const namesJson = JSON.stringify([name]);
+      this.stmts.deleteMessagesForNames.run(namesJson, namesJson);
+      this.stmts.deleteMailboxesByNames.run(namesJson);
+      return { deleted: true, reason: "deleted" as const };
+    });
+  }
+
   pruneStale(deleteAfterMinutes: number): { deletedMailboxes: number; deletedMessages: number } {
     if (deleteAfterMinutes <= 0) return { deletedMailboxes: 0, deletedMessages: 0 };
     const cutoff = new Date(Date.now() - deleteAfterMinutes * 60_000).toISOString();
diff --git a/node/src/server.ts b/node/src/server.ts
index c0996bc..8b1ed7a 100644
--- a/node/src/server.ts
+++ b/node/src/server.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ function readVersion(): string {
 }
 
 const ANONYMOUS_PATHS = new Set(["/v1/list", "/v1/peek"]);
+const SKIP_UPSERT_PATHS = new Set(["/v1/session-end"]);
 
 export async function buildServer(cfg: DaemonConfig, store: MailboxStore): Promise<FastifyInstance> {
   const app = Fastify({
@@ -49,7 +50,9 @@ export async function buildServer(cfg: DaemonConfig, store: MailboxStore): Promi
     }
 
     req.mailboxName = name;
-    store.upsertMailbox(name);
+    if (!SKIP_UPSERT_PATHS.has(url)) {
+      store.upsertMailbox(name);
+    }
   });
 
   app.get("/health", async () => ({
@@ -175,6 +178,12 @@ export async function buildServer(cfg: DaemonConfig, store: MailboxStore): Promi
     },
   );
 
+  app.post("/v1/session-end", async (req) => {
+    const name = req.mailboxName!;
+    const result = store.deleteIfEmpty(name);
+    return { name, ...result };
+  });
+
   await registerMcp(app, store, cfg.hideAfterMinutes);
 
   return app;
diff --git a/node/tests/db.test.ts b/node/tests/db.test.ts
index 1aa9ff1..d3c2657 100644
--- a/node/tests/db.test.ts
+++ b/node/tests/db.test.ts
@@ -310,3 +310,54 @@ describe("pruneStale", () => {
     }
   });
 });
+
+describe("deleteIfEmpty", () => {
+  it("deletes a fresh mailbox with no pending messages and wipes its delivered history", () => {
+    const store = new MailboxStore(dbPath);
+    try {
+      store.send("alice", "bob", "old");
+      store.checkInbox("bob");
+      const r = store.deleteIfEmpty("bob");
+      expect(r).toEqual({ deleted: true, reason: "deleted" });
+      expect(store.listMailboxes().map((m) => m.name)).not.toContain("bob");
+    } finally {
+      store.close();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("refuses to delete when the mailbox has undelivered incoming mail", () => {
+    const store = new MailboxStore(dbPath);
+    try {
+      store.send("alice", "bob", "still pending");
+      const r = store.deleteIfEmpty("bob");
+      expect(r).toEqual({ deleted: false, reason: "has-pending" });
+      expect(store.peek("bob").pending).toBe(1);
+    } finally {
+      store.close();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("refuses to delete when the mailbox has undelivered outgoing mail", () => {
+    const store = new MailboxStore(dbPath);
+    try {
+      store.send("alice", "bob", "from alice");
+      const r = store.deleteIfEmpty("alice");
+      expect(r).toEqual({ deleted: false, reason: "has-pending" });
+      expect(store.listMailboxes().map((m) => m.name)).toContain("alice");
+    } finally {
+      store.close();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("is a no-op for an unknown name (e.g. renamed mailbox)", () => {
+    const store = new MailboxStore(dbPath);
+    try {
+      store.upsertMailbox("alice");
+      const r = store.deleteIfEmpty("nope");
+      expect(r).toEqual({ deleted: false, reason: "not-found" });
+      expect(store.listMailboxes().map((m) => m.name)).toEqual(["alice"]);
+    } finally {
+      store.close();
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/node/tests/server.test.ts b/node/tests/server.test.ts
index e8bf915..850c370 100644
--- a/node/tests/server.test.ts
+++ b/node/tests/server.test.ts
@@ -210,4 +210,43 @@ describe("REST surface", () => {
     const peek = await call("GET", "/v1/peek?name=bob");
     expect(peek.status).toBe(200);
   });
+
+  it("POST /v1/session-end deletes an empty mailbox and does not auto-recreate it", async () => {
+    await call("POST", "/v1/send", {
+      headers: { "X-Mailbox": "alice" },
+      body: { to: "bob", body: "x" },
+    });
+    await call("POST", "/v1/check-inbox?name=bob", { headers: { "X-Mailbox": "bob" } });
+
+    const r = await call("POST", "/v1/session-end", { headers: { "X-Mailbox": "bob" } });
+    expect(r.status).toBe(200);
+    expect(r.body).toMatchObject({ name: "bob", deleted: true, reason: "deleted" });
+
+    const list = await call("GET", "/v1/list");
+    const names = (list.body as Array<{ name: string }>).map((m) => m.name);
+    expect(names).not.toContain("bob");
+  });
+
+  it("POST /v1/session-end refuses to delete a mailbox with pending messages", async () => {
+    await call("POST", "/v1/send", {
+      headers: { "X-Mailbox": "alice" },
+      body: { to: "bob", body: "still pending" },
+    });
+    const r = await call("POST", "/v1/session-end", { headers: { "X-Mailbox": "bob" } });
+    expect(r.status).toBe(200);
+    expect(r.body).toMatchObject({ name: "bob", deleted: false, reason: "has-pending" });
+
+    const peek = await call("GET", "/v1/peek?name=bob");
+    expect(peek.body).toMatchObject({ pending: 1 });
+  });
+
+  it("POST /v1/session-end is a no-op for an unknown (e.g. renamed) name", async () => {
+    const r = await call("POST", "/v1/session-end", { headers: { "X-Mailbox": "renamed-away" } });
+    expect(r.status).toBe(200);
+    expect(r.body).toMatchObject({ name: "renamed-away", deleted: false, reason: "not-found" });
+
+    const list = await call("GET", "/v1/list");
+    const names = (list.body as Array<{ name: string }>).map((m) => m.name);
+    expect(names).not.toContain("renamed-away");
+  });
 });
diff --git a/plugin/hooks/hooks.json b/plugin/hooks/hooks.json
index b238873..04d4bf9 100644
--- a/plugin/hooks/hooks.json
+++ b/plugin/hooks/hooks.json
@@ -29,6 +29,16 @@
           }
         ]
       }
+    ],
+    "SessionEnd": [
+      {
+        "hooks": [
+          {
+            "type": "command",
+            "command": "claude-mailbox session-end"
+          }
+        ]
+      }
     ]
   }
 }