diff --git a/crates/protos/protos/local/temporal/sdk/core/streams/streams.proto b/crates/protos/protos/local/temporal/sdk/core/streams/streams.proto
index 1f9eb63830..9cb4576f15 100644
--- a/crates/protos/protos/local/temporal/sdk/core/streams/streams.proto
+++ b/crates/protos/protos/local/temporal/sdk/core/streams/streams.proto
@@ -167,6 +167,10 @@ message ReadRequest {
   uint32 max_records = 4;
   // The `state` of the previous answer of the same read. Empty on its first call.
   bytes state = 5;
+  // For a reader that sleeps on the stream's notifier. When the read waits its whole `wait` and
+  // finds nothing, the store arms the stream in the same step, so the next append notifies the
+  // notifier. A reader that doesn't wait on the notifier leaves it unset.
+  bool arm = 6;
 }
 
 // A later attempt of a producer started writing. Readers synthesize it, and no store holds it.
@@ -201,6 +205,13 @@ message ReadResponse {
   // The owner's chain ended and the read delivered every record the stream retains. No later
   // call returns a record.
   bool done = 4;
+  // The read asked to arm, found nothing and armed the stream, so the next append notifies the
+  // stream's notifier. Never set with records or with `done`.
+  bool armed = 5;
+  // Set with `armed`: the notification counter of the read's position, zero for an empty
+  // stream. A notification with a higher counter names a record after the position, so the
+  // reader waits for a counter above this one. One that landed before the wait started counts.
+  int64 wake_after = 6;
 }
 
 message LatestRequest {
diff --git a/crates/streams/src/handle.rs b/crates/streams/src/handle.rs
index 40791da4e4..e49faead7a 100644
--- a/crates/streams/src/handle.rs
+++ b/crates/streams/src/handle.rs
@@ -255,8 +255,9 @@ impl Streams {
     /// the interval over. So many readers parked on a quiet stream don't load the server. Once
     /// the owner ended, or the store marked the stream closed, the read delivers what is left
     /// and answers `done`. A read pinned to a run ends when that run closes, even if the chain
-    /// continued as new. A read whose owner Temporal doesn't know yet answers empty within
-    /// [StreamsOptions::owner_start_grace], so it can start before its owner does.
+    /// continued as new. A read with `arm` that waits its whole `wait` and finds nothing arms the
+    /// stream and answers `armed`. A read whose owner Temporal doesn't know yet answers empty
+    /// within [StreamsOptions::owner_start_grace], so it can start before its owner does.
     pub async fn read(&self, request: ReadRequest) -> StreamResult<ReadResponse> {
         let stream = address(request.stream.as_ref())?;
         let mut state = ReadState::decode_from(&request.state)?;
@@ -302,6 +303,9 @@ impl Streams {
                 remaining.min(until_check)
             };
             page_request.wait = wait.try_into().ok();
+            // Only the pass that waits out the read's own wait arms, so a shorter pass before an
+            // owner check doesn't wake the caller for a gap shorter than the reader chose.
+            page_request.arm = request.arm && !state.owner_ended && remaining <= until_check;
             let (mut page, closed) =
                 read_with(&*self.store, &target, &page_request, &mut state).await?;
             page_request.after = page.cursor.clone();
@@ -317,6 +321,8 @@ impl Streams {
             }
             if state.owner_ended {
                 page.done = true;
+                page.armed = false;
+                page.wake_after = 0;
                 break page;
             }
             if unix_ms() >= state.next_check_ms {
@@ -1625,6 +1631,83 @@ mod tests {
         panic!("the read never ended");
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn only_the_pass_that_waits_out_the_read_arms() {
+        // Owner checks every 20 ms cut the wait into passes. One arm for the whole wait keeps a
+        // gap shorter than the reader's wait from costing a notification.
+        let setup = setup(quick());
+        let page = setup
+            .streams
+            .read(ReadRequest {
+                arm: true,
+                ..read_after("", &[], Duration::from_millis(300))
+            })
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        assert!(page.armed && page.records.is_empty() && !page.done);
+        assert_eq!(page.wake_after, 0, "an empty stream wakes on any counter");
+        assert_eq!(
+            setup
+                .store
+                .newest_or_arm(&chain("run-1"), "out")
+                .await
+                .unwrap(),
+            crate::NewestOrArm::Armed(2),
+            "the read armed once"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn an_armed_read_waits_for_a_counter_above_its_position() {
+        let setup = setup(StreamsOptions::default());
+        setup.streams.append(append("p", 1, "1")).await.unwrap();
+        let landed = setup.streams.append(append("p", 2, "2")).await.unwrap();
+        let page = setup
+            .streams
+            .read(ReadRequest {
+                arm: true,
+                ..read_after(&landed.last_cursor, &[], Duration::from_millis(20))
+            })
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        assert!(page.armed);
+        let at = |cursor: &str| {
+            crate::cursor_position(
+                cursor,
+                setup.store.name(),
+                &setup.streams.hash(&stream("out")),
+            )
+            .unwrap()
+            .unwrap()
+            .to_string()
+        };
+        assert_eq!(
+            Some(page.wake_after),
+            crate::progress_counter(&at(&landed.last_cursor))
+        );
+        let next = setup.streams.append(append("p", 3, "3")).await.unwrap();
+        assert!(
+            crate::progress_counter(&at(&next.last_cursor)).unwrap() > page.wake_after,
+            "the next record's notification wakes the reader"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn a_read_that_finds_its_owner_ended_answers_done_unarmed() {
+        let setup = setup(quick());
+        setup.owners.end("wf", WorkflowExecutionStatus::Completed);
+        let page = setup
+            .streams
+            .read(ReadRequest {
+                arm: true,
+                ..read_after("", &[], Duration::from_secs(5))
+            })
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        assert!(page.done);
+        assert!(!page.armed);
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn a_read_ends_when_its_owner_chain_ends_and_marks_it_closed() {
         let setup = setup(quick());
diff --git a/crates/streams/src/reader.rs b/crates/streams/src/reader.rs
index 200d8a3e8c..caa81dfb01 100644
--- a/crates/streams/src/reader.rs
+++ b/crates/streams/src/reader.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 use crate::{
     BEGINNING, END, StreamError, StreamResult, StreamStore, cursor_position, mint_cursor,
+    progress_counter,
     proto::{
         ChainId, ReadRecord, ReadRequest, ReadResponse, StoreLatestRequest, StoreReadRequest,
         StreamRecord, StreamRecordKind, Supersession, read_record,
@@ -305,16 +306,16 @@ pub(crate) async fn read_with(
         .read(StoreReadRequest {
             chain: Some(target.chain.clone()),
             topic: target.topic.clone(),
-            after_position: position,
+            after_position: position.clone(),
             wait: request.wait,
             max_records: match request.max_records {
                 0 => DEFAULT_MAX_RECORDS,
                 max => max,
             },
-            arm: false,
+            arm: request.arm,
         })
         .await?;
-    let closed = page.closed;
+    let (closed, armed) = (page.closed, page.armed);
     let mut records = Vec::with_capacity(page.records.len());
     let mut previous = start;
     for stored in page.records {
@@ -360,6 +361,14 @@ pub(crate) async fn read_with(
             cursor: previous,
             state: Vec::new(),
             done: false,
+            armed,
+            // An armed read found nothing after `position`, so a notification counter above that
+            // position's counter can only come from a newer record.
+            wake_after: if armed {
+                progress_counter(&position).unwrap_or(0)
+            } else {
+                0
+            },
         },
         closed,
     ))