diff --git a/bin/muse-chat-api.py b/bin/muse-chat-api.py
index 37599db..21238fd 100755
--- a/bin/muse-chat-api.py
+++ b/bin/muse-chat-api.py
@@ -284,6 +284,24 @@ def cdp_call(ws, method, params=None):
 cdp_call.counter = 100
 
 
+def ev1(ws, expr, await_p=False):
+    """Runtime.evaluate that skips CDP event chatter while awaiting its
+    response. ev() reads a single message and can catch an event
+    instead (the known None-result quirk); uploads do several DOM
+    calls first, so chatter is likely."""
+    ws.send(json.dumps({
+        "id": 1, "method": "Runtime.evaluate",
+        "params": {"expression": expr, "returnByValue": True,
+                   "awaitPromise": await_p}
+    }))
+    for _ in range(30):
+        resp = json.loads(ws.recv())
+        if resp.get("id") != 1:
+            continue
+        return resp.get("result", {}).get("result", {}).get("value")
+    return None
+
+
 def cmd_upload(ws, filepath, message=None, dry_run=False):
     """Attach a file to the chat composer via CDP DOM.setFileInputFiles.
 
@@ -327,7 +345,7 @@ def cmd_upload(ws, filepath, message=None, dry_run=False):
     # element's OWN text: React swaps the file input after change, so
     # input.files is unreliable, and innerText on ancestors over-matches.
     base = os.path.basename(filepath)
-    preview = ev(ws, """(() => {
+    preview = ev1(ws, """(() => {
       const needle = %s;
       const own = e => [...e.childNodes].filter(n => n.nodeType === 3)
         .map(n => n.nodeValue).join('');
@@ -369,7 +387,7 @@ def cmd_upload(ws, filepath, message=None, dry_run=False):
     })()""", True)
     print("send: %s" % sent)
     time.sleep(5)
-    recent = ev(ws, """(() => {
+    recent = ev1(ws, """(() => {
       const ps = [...document.querySelectorAll('p')].slice(-10)
         .map(p => p.innerText.slice(0,200));
       return ps.join('\\n---\\n');