diff --git a/gearslip/src/main/java/app/seb3thehacker/gearslip/GearslipRunner.kt b/gearslip/src/main/java/app/seb3thehacker/gearslip/GearslipRunner.kt
index bc65ecf..a1ceb0c 100644
--- a/gearslip/src/main/java/app/seb3thehacker/gearslip/GearslipRunner.kt
+++ b/gearslip/src/main/java/app/seb3thehacker/gearslip/GearslipRunner.kt
@@ -589,6 +589,8 @@ class GearslipRunner(
             // The driver picked the radio or another source on the car: pause the phone's music
             // as Android Auto does, instead of letting it play on to no one.
             onTakenBack = { CarServices.pausePhoneMedia("the car switched to another source") },
+            onPausedForNow = { CarServices.pausePhoneMediaForNow() },
+            onGivenBack = { CarServices.resumePhoneMedia() },
         )
         if (CarSettings.pipeAudio.value) {
             openChannel(media.serviceId)
diff --git a/gearslip/src/main/java/app/seb3thehacker/gearslip/audio/AudioLink.kt b/gearslip/src/main/java/app/seb3thehacker/gearslip/audio/AudioLink.kt
index 24ff01a..e86a0fb 100644
--- a/gearslip/src/main/java/app/seb3thehacker/gearslip/audio/AudioLink.kt
+++ b/gearslip/src/main/java/app/seb3thehacker/gearslip/audio/AudioLink.kt
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ class AudioLink(
     private val onClose: (AudioLink) -> Unit = { CarAudio.detach(it) },
     /** The car took the sound back after giving it, as when the driver switches to the radio. */
     private val onTakenBack: () -> Unit = {},
+    /** The car wants the speakers for a moment (a call, its own voice), and then [onGivenBack]. */
+    private val onPausedForNow: () -> Unit = {},
+    private val onGivenBack: () -> Unit = {},
 ) : CarAudio.Link {
 
     private var configIndex = 0
@@ -43,6 +46,8 @@ class AudioLink(
     @Volatile private var started = false
     @Volatile private var focusGranted = false
     @Volatile private var focusRequested = false
+    /** The car took the speakers for a moment, and we paused the phone's music until it's done. */
+    @Volatile private var pausedForNow = false
     @Volatile private var inFlight = 0
     // The Uconnect asks for 4 on its video channel; assume the same until its Config says otherwise.
     @Volatile private var maxUnacked = 4
@@ -222,9 +227,32 @@ class AudioLink(
         val had = focusGranted
         focusGranted = state == FOCUS_STATE_GAIN || state == FOCUS_STATE_GAIN_TRANSIENT ||
             state == FOCUS_STATE_GAIN_MEDIA_ONLY
-        if (focusGranted) startStream() else stop()
-        // A ducking request leaves the music playing; a loss means another source has the speakers.
-        if (had && (state == FOCUS_STATE_LOSS || state == FOCUS_STATE_LOSS_TRANSIENT)) onTakenBack()
+        when {
+            focusGranted -> {
+                startStream()
+                if (pausedForNow) {
+                    pausedForNow = false
+                    onGivenBack()
+                }
+            }
+            // A call or the car's own voice. Releasing focus here meant the car never handed it
+            // back, so the music stayed paused after the call: keep the claim and wait for GAIN.
+            state == FOCUS_STATE_LOSS_TRANSIENT -> {
+                synchronized(startLock) { stopLocked(release = false) }
+                if (had) {
+                    pausedForNow = true
+                    onPausedForNow()
+                }
+            }
+            else -> {
+                stop()
+                // A ducking request leaves the music playing; a loss means another source has the speakers.
+                if (state == FOCUS_STATE_LOSS && (had || pausedForNow)) {
+                    pausedForNow = false
+                    onTakenBack()
+                }
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -299,19 +327,20 @@ class AudioLink(
         synchronized(startLock) { stopLocked() }
     }
 
-    private fun stopLocked() {
+    /** [release] false keeps our claim on the speakers, so the car hands them back on its own. */
+    private fun stopLocked(release: Boolean = true) {
         if (!started) return
         started = false
         synchronized(ackLock) { ackLock.notifyAll() }
         runCatching {
             sendOnChannel(MSG_STOP, Protobuf.varintField(1, sessionId.toLong()))
-            if (focusRequested) sendControl(MSG_FOCUS_REQUEST, Protobuf.varintField(1, FOCUS_RELEASE.toLong()))
+            if (release && focusRequested) sendControl(MSG_FOCUS_REQUEST, Protobuf.varintField(1, FOCUS_RELEASE.toLong()))
         }
-        focusRequested = false
+        if (release) focusRequested = false
         focusGranted = false
         aac?.release()
         aac = null
-        GearslipLog.i("$tag: -> Stop, AudioFocusRequest(RELEASE) after $chunks chunks / $bytes bytes")
+        GearslipLog.i("$tag: -> Stop${if (release) ", AudioFocusRequest(RELEASE)" else ""} after $chunks chunks / $bytes bytes")
         chunks = 0
         bytes = 0
         // A new stream starts with the car's buffer empty again: earn the lead back if it's needed.
diff --git a/gearslip/src/main/java/app/seb3thehacker/gearslip/car/CarServices.kt b/gearslip/src/main/java/app/seb3thehacker/gearslip/car/CarServices.kt
index 0b33326..502fdae 100644
--- a/gearslip/src/main/java/app/seb3thehacker/gearslip/car/CarServices.kt
+++ b/gearslip/src/main/java/app/seb3thehacker/gearslip/car/CarServices.kt
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package app.seb3thehacker.gearslip.car
 
 import android.content.ComponentName
 import android.content.Context
+import android.media.session.MediaController
 import android.media.session.MediaSessionManager
 import android.media.session.PlaybackState
 import app.seb3thehacker.gearslip.audio.CarAudio
@@ -254,7 +255,41 @@ object CarServices {
      * just the one Gearslip opened: anything the car was playing was going through the car.
      */
     fun pausePhoneMedia(why: String = "the car left") {
-        val ctx = context ?: return
+        pausedForNow = null
+        pausedOwnForNow = false
+        pause(why)
+    }
+
+    /** What [pausePhoneMediaForNow] paused, for [resumePhoneMedia] to play again. */
+    @Volatile private var pausedForNow: List<MediaController>? = null
+    /** Without notification access, whether it paused the app Gearslip drives itself. */
+    @Volatile private var pausedOwnForNow = false
+
+    /** The car wants the speakers for a moment: pause, and remember what to play after. */
+    fun pausePhoneMediaForNow() {
+        pausedOwnForNow = false
+        pausedForNow = pause("the car needs the speakers for a moment")
+    }
+
+    /** The car handed the speakers back: play what it paused, unless the driver has since. */
+    fun resumePhoneMedia() {
+        val paused = pausedForNow ?: return
+        pausedForNow = null
+        if (pausedOwnForNow) {
+            pausedOwnForNow = false
+            mediaOrNull()?.let { if (!it.now.value.playing) it.togglePlay() }
+            return
+        }
+        val waiting = paused.filter { it.playbackState?.state == PlaybackState.STATE_PAUSED }
+        waiting.forEach { runCatching { it.transportControls.play() } }
+        if (waiting.isNotEmpty()) {
+            app.seb3thehacker.gearslip.GearslipLog.i("media: playing ${waiting.joinToString { it.packageName }} again: the car gave the speakers back")
+        }
+    }
+
+    /** What it paused. Without notification access it can only reach the app Gearslip drives itself. */
+    private fun pause(why: String): List<MediaController> {
+        val ctx = context ?: return emptyList()
         val manager = ctx.getSystemService(MediaSessionManager::class.java)
         val listener = ComponentName(ctx, GearslipNotificationListener::class.java)
         val playing = try {
@@ -264,13 +299,19 @@ object CarServices {
         }
         if (playing == null) {
             // No notification access: the app Gearslip itself is driving is all it can reach.
-            mediaOrNull()?.let { if (it.now.value.playing) it.togglePlay() }
-            return
+            mediaOrNull()?.let {
+                if (it.now.value.playing) {
+                    it.togglePlay()
+                    pausedOwnForNow = true
+                }
+            }
+            return emptyList()
         }
         playing.forEach { runCatching { it.transportControls.pause() } }
         if (playing.isNotEmpty()) {
             app.seb3thehacker.gearslip.GearslipLog.i("media: paused ${playing.joinToString { it.packageName }}: $why")
         }
+        return playing
     }
 
     /** The car went away: nothing should keep running for a screen that no longer exists. */