diff --git a/bot/conversations/onboarding.ts b/bot/conversations/onboarding.ts
index 4ba8f4f..46e0db6 100644
--- a/bot/conversations/onboarding.ts
+++ b/bot/conversations/onboarding.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,30 @@ const PACE_MAP: Record<string, string> = {
   active: 'active',
 }
 
+async function sendTelegramMessage(
+  chatId: number,
+  text: string,
+  extra?: Record<string, unknown>
+) {
+  const token = process.env.TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN
+  if (!token) throw new Error('TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN is not set')
+
+  const response = await fetch(`https://api.telegram.org/bot${token}/sendMessage`, {
+    method: 'POST',
+    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+    body: JSON.stringify({
+      chat_id: chatId,
+      text,
+      ...extra,
+    }),
+  })
+
+  if (!response.ok) {
+    const body = await response.text()
+    throw new Error(`Telegram sendMessage failed (${response.status}): ${body}`)
+  }
+}
+
 export async function onboardingConversation(conversation: BotConversation, ctx: BotContext) {
   const lang = getLang(ctx.from?.language_code)
 
@@ -178,7 +202,7 @@ export async function onboardingConversation(conversation: BotConversation, ctx:
       })
 
       if (!result) {
-        await ctx.api.sendMessage(chatId, 'Something went wrong. Please try /start again.')
+        await sendTelegramMessage(chatId, 'Something went wrong. Please try /start again.')
         return
       }
 
@@ -189,18 +213,18 @@ export async function onboardingConversation(conversation: BotConversation, ctx:
         description: result.description,
       }) + (isHttps ? '' : `\n\n🔗 ${appUrl}`)
 
-      await ctx.api.sendMessage(
-        chatId,
-        questText,
-        isHttps ? {
-          reply_markup: {
-            inline_keyboard: [[{ text: t(lang, 'open_quest'), web_app: { url: appUrl } }]],
-          },
-        } : {}
-      )
+      await sendTelegramMessage(chatId, questText, isHttps ? {
+        reply_markup: {
+          inline_keyboard: [[{ text: t(lang, 'open_quest'), web_app: { url: appUrl } }]],
+        },
+      } : {})
     } catch (error) {
       console.error('Background quest creation failed:', error)
-      await ctx.api.sendMessage(chatId, 'Something went wrong. Please try /start again.')
+      try {
+        await sendTelegramMessage(chatId, 'Something went wrong. Please try /start again.')
+      } catch (sendError) {
+        console.error('Failed to send fallback error message:', sendError)
+      }
     }
   })()