diff --git a/src/device-sync/__tests__/engine/real-planners.test.ts b/src/device-sync/__tests__/engine/real-planners.test.ts
index 2a20e232..fc4e91d5 100644
--- a/src/device-sync/__tests__/engine/real-planners.test.ts
+++ b/src/device-sync/__tests__/engine/real-planners.test.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {
   addDeviceContact,
   addServerCards,
   CALENDAR_AUTHORITY,
+  CONTACTS_AUTHORITY,
   createHarness,
   rowWrites,
   type Harness,
@@ -155,6 +156,37 @@ describe('device sync engine with the real planners', () => {
     expect(h.contacts().every((c) => !c.dirty)).toBe(true);
   });
 
+  describe('a membership edit on the device', () => {
+    async function adaJoinsFriends() {
+      const h = real();
+      const [ada] = addServerCards(h, ['Ada Lovelace']);
+      const group = h.server.addCard('a', { uid: 'g1', kind: 'group', name: { full: 'Friends' }, members: {} });
+      await h.run();
+      const contact = h.contactNamed('Ada Lovelace')!;
+      h.device.user.addToGroup(contact.id, Number(h.device.rows('groups')[0]._id));
+      return { h, ada, group, contact };
+    }
+
+    it('leaves the contact clean once the group card shows it', async () => {
+      const { h, ada, group, contact } = await adaJoinsFriends();
+
+      expect((await h.run()).outcome).toBe('ok');
+
+      const uid = h.server.get('ContactCard', 'a', ada)!.uid as string;
+      expect(h.server.get('ContactCard', 'a', group)!.members).toEqual({ [uid]: true });
+      expect(h.contacts().find((c) => c.id === contact.id)).toMatchObject({ dirty: false });
+    });
+
+    it('leaves nothing waiting for the teardown once it is uploaded', async () => {
+      const { h, ada, group } = await adaJoinsFriends();
+
+      expect(await h.teardown(CONTACTS_AUTHORITY)).toEqual({ pending: 0 });
+
+      const uid = h.server.get('ContactCard', 'a', ada)!.uid as string;
+      expect(h.server.get('ContactCard', 'a', group)!.members).toEqual({ [uid]: true });
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('a device edit of an object the server moved out of every synced collection', () => {
     /** Ada with two numbers in the synced book; the device deletes the second in place (AOSP). */
     async function adaWithDeletedNumber() {
diff --git a/src/device-sync/engine/contacts-sync.ts b/src/device-sync/engine/contacts-sync.ts
index 9a35eb32..fe917a84 100644
--- a/src/device-sync/engine/contacts-sync.ts
+++ b/src/device-sync/engine/contacts-sync.ts
@@ -710,7 +710,31 @@ export class ContactsSync extends ItemSync {
       }
       pending.actions.push(action as Pending['actions'][number]);
     }
-    if (byGroup.size) await this.send(acct, [...byGroup.values()]);
+    if (!byGroup.size) return;
+    await this.send(acct, [...byGroup.values()]);
+    await this.cleanAfterMemberships(acct, rows);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * A contact stays dirty until the group cards show its membership edits.
+   * Those that now have nothing else to upload are cleaned right away, so
+   * nothing looks like it still waits (turning sync off would ask about it).
+   */
+  private async cleanAfterMemberships(acct: string, rowIds: number[]): Promise<void> {
+    await this.refreshGroups();
+    const works: Work[] = [];
+    for (const contact of await this.contactKind.loadByRowIds(rowIds)) {
+      if (!contact.dirty || contact.deleted || this.isStale(acct, contact.sourceId)) continue;
+      let plan;
+      try {
+        plan = this.contactKind.planUpload(contact, acct);
+      } catch (error) {
+        this.plannerFailed(acct, contact.sourceId ?? `row:${contact.rawContactId}`, 'upload', error);
+        continue;
+      }
+      if (plan.kind === 'clean') works.push({ group: plan.ops });
+    }
+    await this.env.writer.write(works);
   }
 
   // ── Deselection ──