diff --git a/src/SEQTA.ts b/src/SEQTA.ts
index 92bae369..60a6b6a7 100644
--- a/src/SEQTA.ts
+++ b/src/SEQTA.ts
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@ async function init() {
     IsSEQTAPage = true;
     console.info("[BetterSEQTA+] Verified SEQTA Page");
 
+    if (typeof window !== "undefined" && window === window.top) {
+      void browser.runtime.sendMessage({ type: "cloudSettingsPoll" }).catch(() => {});
+    }
+
     registerFetchSeqtaAppLinkListener();
 
     const documentLoadStyle = document.createElement("style");
diff --git a/src/background/cloudSettingsAutoSync.ts b/src/background/cloudSettingsAutoSync.ts
index 8aa23112..a75de192 100644
--- a/src/background/cloudSettingsAutoSync.ts
+++ b/src/background/cloudSettingsAutoSync.ts
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ export const CLOUD_SUMMARY_URL = `${ACCOUNTS_BASE}/api/user/cloud-summary`;
 const CLOUD_SETTINGS_SYNC_URL = `${ACCOUNTS_BASE}/api/bsplus/settings/sync`;
 const REFRESH_URL = `${ACCOUNTS_BASE}/api/bsplus/refresh`;
 
-const ALARM_NAME = "bsplus_cloud_settings_auto_sync";
-const PERIOD_MINUTES = 60;
 const UPLOAD_DEBOUNCE_MS = 2000;
+const POLL_THROTTLE_MS = 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000;
+const POLL_THROTTLE_KEY = "bsplus_lastCloudPoll";
 
 type CloudSummaryResponse = {
   desqta?: unknown;
@@ -323,6 +323,9 @@ export function runCloudSettingsPoll(): Promise<void> {
   if (pollInFlight) return pollInFlight;
   pollInFlight = (async () => {
     try {
+      const { [POLL_THROTTLE_KEY]: last } = await browser.storage.local.get(POLL_THROTTLE_KEY);
+      if (Date.now() - (Number(last) || 0) < POLL_THROTTLE_MS) return;
+      await browser.storage.local.set({ [POLL_THROTTLE_KEY]: Date.now() });
       await runCloudSettingsPollInner();
     } catch (e) {
       console.error("[BS+ cloud sync] Poll error:", e);
@@ -360,14 +363,11 @@ async function runDebouncedUploadJob(): Promise<void> {
   }
 }
 
-async function syncAlarmWithStorage(): Promise<void> {
+async function syncAutoUploadWithStorage(): Promise<void> {
   const all = (await browser.storage.local.get()) as Record<string, unknown>;
   if (!isAutoCloudSyncEnabled(all)) {
-    await browser.alarms.clear(ALARM_NAME);
     clearUploadDebounce();
-    return;
   }
-  await browser.alarms.create(ALARM_NAME, { periodInMinutes: PERIOD_MINUTES });
 }
 
 function onStorageChanged(
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ function onStorageChanged(
   if (area !== "local") return;
 
   if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(changes, "autoCloudSettingsSync")) {
-    void syncAlarmWithStorage();
+    void syncAutoUploadWithStorage();
   }
 
   const keys = Object.keys(changes);
@@ -392,15 +392,8 @@ function onStorageChanged(
   })();
 }
 
-function onAlarm(alarm: browser.Alarms.Alarm): void {
-  if (alarm.name !== ALARM_NAME) return;
-  void runCloudSettingsPoll();
-}
-
 export function initCloudSettingsAutoSync(deps: { reloadSeqtaPages: () => void }): void {
   reloadSeqtaPagesFn = deps.reloadSeqtaPages;
-  browser.alarms.onAlarm.addListener(onAlarm);
   browser.storage.onChanged.addListener(onStorageChanged);
-  void syncAlarmWithStorage();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/manifests/manifest.json b/src/manifests/manifest.json
index f768851e..b4bfe4e4 100644
--- a/src/manifests/manifest.json
+++ b/src/manifests/manifest.json
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
       "64": "resources/icons/icon-64.png"
     }
   },
-  "permissions": ["tabs", "notifications", "storage", "alarms"],
+  "permissions": ["tabs", "notifications", "storage"],
   "host_permissions": ["https://newsapi.org/", "https://betterseqta.org/", "https://accounts.betterseqta.org/", "*://*/*"],
   "background": {
     "service_worker": "background.ts"
diff --git a/src/seqta/utils/cloudSettingsSync.ts b/src/seqta/utils/cloudSettingsSync.ts
index 9472a5ac..8918cd80 100644
--- a/src/seqta/utils/cloudSettingsSync.ts
+++ b/src/seqta/utils/cloudSettingsSync.ts
@@ -36,7 +36,10 @@ export const SENSITIVE_DEVICE_STORAGE_KEYS_EXACT = [
 /** e.g. any future `plugin.global-search.storage.*` keys in chrome.storage */
 export const SENSITIVE_DEVICE_STORAGE_KEY_PREFIXES = ["plugin.global-search.storage."] as const;
 
-const CLIENT_ONLY_CLOUD_KEYS_EXACT = [BSPLUS_CLOUD_KNOWN_REMOTE_UPDATED_AT_KEY] as const;
+const CLIENT_ONLY_CLOUD_KEYS_EXACT = [
+  BSPLUS_CLOUD_KNOWN_REMOTE_UPDATED_AT_KEY,
+  "bsplus_lastCloudPoll",
+] as const;
 
 /** After restoring from cloud, keep local session so the user stays signed in. */
 const AUTH_KEYS_TO_PRESERVE = [