diff --git a/src/cli/commands/watch.ts b/src/cli/commands/watch.ts
index 6c06ed8..dddddd8 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/watch.ts
+++ b/src/cli/commands/watch.ts
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ async function fetchReviewTasks(serverUrl: string): Promise<AgentHubEvent[]> {
  */
 export async function watchEvents(
   serverUrl: string,
-  options: { once?: boolean; role?: string; awaitReview?: boolean } = {},
+  options: { once?: boolean; role?: string; awaitReview?: boolean; newOnly?: boolean } = {},
 ): Promise<void> {
   const url = new URL('/events', serverUrl);
   // Pass role to the server for an additional server-side filter (saves
@@ -181,7 +181,10 @@ export async function watchEvents(
 
   // --await-review: surface a submission that's ALREADY pending on connect,
   // so the architect isn't blind to reviews submitted before this watcher.
-  if (options.awaitReview) {
+  // --new-only suppresses this backlog check so the notifier can be re-armed
+  // without instantly exiting on a still-non-empty review queue (no spin) —
+  // it then fires only on the NEXT genuine task→review transition.
+  if (options.awaitReview && !options.newOnly) {
     const pending = await fetchReviewTasks(serverUrl);
     if (pending.length > 0) {
       for (const ev of pending) console.log(formatEvent(ev));
diff --git a/src/cli/index.ts b/src/cli/index.ts
index ba00c09..13df86d 100644
--- a/src/cli/index.ts
+++ b/src/cli/index.ts
@@ -620,6 +620,7 @@ export function createProgram(cwd: string): Command {
     .option('--once', 'Exit 0 after the first event (useful as a blocking wait for agents)')
     .option('--role <role>', 'Client-side role filter (only show events for this role)')
     .option('--await-review', 'Exit when an implementer submits (task → review); architect review-queue notifier')
+    .option('--new-only', 'With --await-review: fire only on NEW submissions, ignore tasks already in review on connect (re-armable without spinning)')
     .action(async (options) => {
       const { serverUrl } = await resolveContext(program, cwd);
       if (!serverUrl) {
@@ -631,6 +632,7 @@ export function createProgram(cwd: string): Command {
         once: options.once as boolean | undefined,
         role: options.role as string | undefined,
         awaitReview: options.awaitReview as boolean | undefined,
+        newOnly: options.newOnly as boolean | undefined,
       });
     });