diff --git a/src/BookReader.js b/src/BookReader.js
index 63d10d2c2..ba5bd2b17 100644
--- a/src/BookReader.js
+++ b/src/BookReader.js
@@ -704,6 +704,7 @@ BookReader.prototype.init = function() {
     plugin._bindNavigationHandlers();
   }
   this.setupKeyListeners();
+  this._setupUserActionListeners();
 
   this.lastScroll = (new Date().getTime());
   this.refs.$brContainer.on('scroll', this, function(e) {
@@ -821,6 +822,43 @@ BookReader.prototype.resize = function() {
   this.trigger(BookReader.eventNames.resize);
 };
 
+/**
+ * Registers the UI wrapping BookReader (e.g. `<ia-bookreader>`), which hosts book
+ * UI of its own — side menus, panels — outside BookReader's own element.
+ *
+ * @param {import('@/src/ia-bookreader/ia-bookreader.js').IaBookReader} shell
+ */
+BookReader.prototype.initShell = function (shell) {
+  this.shell = shell;
+  // Only the shell sees interactions with both its UI and BookReader's own.
+  this._setupUserActionListeners(shell);
+};
+
+/**
+ * Binds listeners that signal the patron is actively using the book.
+ *
+ * Consumers outside BookReader (e.g. ia-book-actions) use this to keep a loan
+ * from expiring while it is being read. The capture phase is required: several
+ * control handlers return `false`, which jQuery turns into `stopPropagation()`,
+ * so a bubbling listener would never see clicks on the navbar.
+ *
+ * @private
+ * @param {HTMLElement} [target] element to listen on; prefer the outermost one
+ * that holds book UI, since anything outside it is invisible to these listeners.
+ */
+BookReader.prototype._setupUserActionListeners = function (target = this.refs.$br[0]) {
+  if (!target || target === this._userActionTarget) return;
+
+  if (!this._onUserAction) {
+    this._onUserAction = () => this.trigger(BookReader.eventNames.userAction);
+  }
+  for (const eventName of ['pointerdown', 'keydown']) {
+    this._userActionTarget?.removeEventListener(eventName, this._onUserAction, { capture: true });
+    target.addEventListener(eventName, this._onUserAction, { capture: true });
+  }
+  this._userActionTarget = target;
+};
+
 /**
  * Binds keyboard and keyboard focus event listeners
  */
diff --git a/src/BookReader/Navbar/Navbar.js b/src/BookReader/Navbar/Navbar.js
index 4daafcb31..ebdaeaadb 100644
--- a/src/BookReader/Navbar/Navbar.js
+++ b/src/BookReader/Navbar/Navbar.js
@@ -170,12 +170,6 @@ export class Navbar {
       },
     };
 
-    // custom event for auto-loan-renew in ia-book-actions
-    // - to know if user is actively reading
-    this.$nav.find('nav.BRcontrols li button').on('click', () => {
-      this.br.trigger(EVENTS.userAction);
-    });
-
     for (const control in navigationControls) {
       jIcons.filter(`.${control}`).on('click.bindNavigationHandlers', () => {
         navigationControls[control]();
diff --git a/src/ia-bookreader/ia-bookreader.js b/src/ia-bookreader/ia-bookreader.js
index e8c7a29a5..d4567d01f 100644
--- a/src/ia-bookreader/ia-bookreader.js
+++ b/src/ia-bookreader/ia-bookreader.js
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@ export class IaBookReader extends LitElement {
   _bindEventListeners() {
     window.addEventListener('BookReader:PostInit', /** @param {CustomEvent} e */ (e) => {
       this.bookreader = e.detail.props;
-      this.bookreader.shell = this;
+      this.bookreader.initShell(this);
       this.bookReaderLoaded = true;
       this.bookReaderCannotLoad = false;
       this.loaded = true;
diff --git a/src/plugins/tts/WebTTSEngine.js b/src/plugins/tts/WebTTSEngine.js
index 9d0fad36a..c95569595 100644
--- a/src/plugins/tts/WebTTSEngine.js
+++ b/src/plugins/tts/WebTTSEngine.js
@@ -57,10 +57,12 @@ export default class WebTTSEngine extends AbstractTTSEngine {
         });
 
         navigator.mediaSession.setActionHandler('play', () => {
+          this.events.trigger('mediaSessionAction');
           audio.play();
           this.resume();
         });
         navigator.mediaSession.setActionHandler('pause', () => {
+          this.events.trigger('mediaSessionAction');
           audio.pause();
           this.pause();
         });
@@ -70,8 +72,14 @@ export default class WebTTSEngine extends AbstractTTSEngine {
         // Some devices only support the previoustrack/nexttrack (e.g. Win10), so show those.
         // Android devices do support the seek actions, but we don't want to show both buttons
         // and have them do the same thing.
-        navigator.mediaSession.setActionHandler('previoustrack', () => this.jumpBackward());
-        navigator.mediaSession.setActionHandler('nexttrack', () => this.jumpForward());
+        navigator.mediaSession.setActionHandler('previoustrack', () => {
+          this.events.trigger('mediaSessionAction');
+          this.jumpBackward();
+        });
+        navigator.mediaSession.setActionHandler('nexttrack', () => {
+          this.events.trigger('mediaSessionAction');
+          this.jumpForward();
+        });
       });
     }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/tts/plugin.tts.js b/src/plugins/tts/plugin.tts.js
index a5d4433ff..01c3f09ee 100644
--- a/src/plugins/tts/plugin.tts.js
+++ b/src/plugins/tts/plugin.tts.js
@@ -197,6 +197,9 @@ export class TtsPlugin extends BookReaderPlugin {
     renderVoicesMenu(voicesMenu);
     voicesMenu.on("change", ev => this.ttsEngine.setVoice(voicesMenu.val()));
     this.ttsEngine.events.on('pause resume start', () => this.updateState());
+    // Media session controls (lock screen, notification shade, headset buttons)
+    // have no DOM presence, so BookReader's own listeners cannot see them.
+    this.ttsEngine.events.on('mediaSessionAction', () => this.br.trigger(BookReader.eventNames.userAction));
     this.ttsEngine.events.on('voiceschanged', () => renderVoicesMenu(voicesMenu));
     this.br.on('translationEnabled', () => renderVoicesMenu(voicesMenu));
     this.br.on('translationDisabled', () => renderVoicesMenu(voicesMenu));
diff --git a/tests/jest/BookReader.userAction.test.js b/tests/jest/BookReader.userAction.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c209bf6bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/jest/BookReader.userAction.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+import BookReader from '@/src/BookReader.js';
+
+/** @type {BookReader} */
+let br;
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  document.body.innerHTML = '<div id="BookReader">';
+  br = new BookReader({ data: [[{ width: 123, height: 123, uri: 'https://archive.org/image0.jpg', pageNum: '1' }]] });
+  br.init();
+});
+
+/** @returns {jest.Mock} */
+function listenForUserAction() {
+  const listener = jest.fn();
+  window.addEventListener(`BookReader:${BookReader.eventNames.userAction}`, listener);
+  return listener;
+}
+
+test('clicking anywhere in the BookReader signals a user action', () => {
+  const listener = listenForUserAction();
+  br.refs.$brContainer[0].dispatchEvent(new Event('pointerdown', { bubbles: true }));
+  expect(listener).toHaveBeenCalled();
+});
+
+test('typing anywhere in the BookReader signals a user action', () => {
+  const listener = listenForUserAction();
+  br.refs.$brContainer[0].dispatchEvent(new KeyboardEvent('keydown', { bubbles: true }));
+  expect(listener).toHaveBeenCalled();
+});
+
+test('signals a user action even when a control stops propagation', () => {
+  const $button = br.refs.$br.find('nav.BRcontrols button').first();
+  expect($button.length).toBe(1);
+  $button.on('pointerdown', (ev) => ev.stopPropagation());
+
+  const listener = listenForUserAction();
+  $button[0].dispatchEvent(new Event('pointerdown', { bubbles: true }));
+  expect(listener).toHaveBeenCalled();
+});
+
+test('does not signal a user action for events outside the BookReader', () => {
+  const listener = listenForUserAction();
+  document.body.dispatchEvent(new Event('pointerdown', { bubbles: true }));
+  expect(listener).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+});
+
+describe('when a shell wraps the BookReader', () => {
+  /** @type {HTMLElement} */
+  let shell;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    shell = document.createElement('div');
+    br.refs.$br[0].replaceWith(shell);
+    shell.appendChild(br.refs.$br[0]);
+    br.initShell(shell);
+  });
+
+  test('signals a user action for UI outside the BookReader element', () => {
+    const sibling = shell.appendChild(document.createElement('nav'));
+    const listener = listenForUserAction();
+    sibling.dispatchEvent(new Event('pointerdown', { bubbles: true }));
+    expect(listener).toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  test('signals a user action exactly once for UI inside the BookReader', () => {
+    const listener = listenForUserAction();
+    br.refs.$brContainer[0].dispatchEvent(new Event('pointerdown', { bubbles: true }));
+    expect(listener).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/tests/jest/ia-bookreader/ia-bookreader.test.js b/tests/jest/ia-bookreader/ia-bookreader.test.js
index b2c20ff99..cbea2fea6 100644
--- a/tests/jest/ia-bookreader/ia-bookreader.test.js
+++ b/tests/jest/ia-bookreader/ia-bookreader.test.js
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ describe('<ia-bookreader>', () => {
       test('Listens for Global Event @BookReader:PostInit', async () => {
         const brStub = {
           resize: sinon.fake(),
+          initShell: sinon.fake(),
           currentIndex: sinon.fake(),
           jumpToIndex: sinon.fake(),
           options: { enableMultipleBooks: false }, // for multipleBooks