diff --git a/docs/users-and-requests.md b/docs/users-and-requests.md
index 7db97da7..3d4ae8f9 100644
--- a/docs/users-and-requests.md
+++ b/docs/users-and-requests.md
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@ Admins can override the default ebook/audiobook modes and request rules for indi
 
 ---
 
+## Clearing the activity list
+
+**Clear Completed** in the activity list clears finished downloads and their requests, and also finished requests that never had a download, such as a request closed because the book was already in the library. Pending and rejected requests are left alone.
+
 ## Requests
 
 The request system controls whether users can download directly or need admin approval first.
diff --git a/src/frontend/src/components/activity/ActivitySidebar.tsx b/src/frontend/src/components/activity/ActivitySidebar.tsx
index 2c5ef884..847f46c1 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/components/activity/ActivitySidebar.tsx
+++ b/src/frontend/src/components/activity/ActivitySidebar.tsx
@@ -379,17 +379,6 @@ export const ActivitySidebar = ({
     };
   }, [downloadItems, visibleRequestItems]);
 
-  const hasTerminalDownloadItems = useMemo(
-    () =>
-      mergedDownloadItems.some(
-        (item) =>
-          item.visualStatus === 'complete' ||
-          item.visualStatus === 'error' ||
-          item.visualStatus === 'cancelled',
-      ),
-    [mergedDownloadItems],
-  );
-
   const allItems = useMemo(() => {
     const combined = dedupeById([...mergedDownloadItems, ...mergedRequestItems]);
     return combined.toSorted((a, b) => b.timestamp - a.timestamp);
@@ -958,8 +947,9 @@ export const ActivitySidebar = ({
         })()}
       </div>
 
-      {(effectiveActiveTab === 'downloads' || effectiveActiveTab === 'all') &&
-        hasTerminalDownloadItems &&
+      {(effectiveActiveTab === 'downloads' ||
+        effectiveActiveTab === 'all' ||
+        effectiveActiveTab === 'requests') &&
         clearCompletedTargets.length > 0 && (
           <div
             className="flex items-center justify-center border-t p-3"
diff --git a/src/frontend/src/components/activity/clearCompleted.ts b/src/frontend/src/components/activity/clearCompleted.ts
index a2988dde..c00e5f49 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/components/activity/clearCompleted.ts
+++ b/src/frontend/src/components/activity/clearCompleted.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,19 @@
 import type { ActivityDismissTarget } from './ActivitySidebar';
 import type { ActivityItem } from './activityTypes';
 
+// A fulfilled request whose download is still under way is not finished.
+const ACTIVE_DELIVERY_STATES = new Set(['queued', 'resolving', 'locating', 'downloading']);
+
 /**
  * Items the "Clear Completed" button dismisses: every finished download, plus the request
  * linked to it once that request is itself finished. The server only dismisses finished
  * requests and rejects the whole batch if one is still pending, which a restart can cause
  * by reopening the request of a download that already ended.
+ *
+ * Also every finished request card that has no download of its own: an approved request
+ * nothing is still downloading for (auto-download closes a request whose book is already
+ * in the library without downloading anything), or a cancelled one. Rejected requests
+ * stay; they have their own view.
  */
 export const getClearCompletedTargets = (
   visibleItems: ActivityItem[],
@@ -21,6 +29,20 @@ export const getClearCompletedTargets = (
   const seen = new Set<string>();
 
   visibleItems.forEach((item) => {
+    if (item.kind === 'request' && typeof item.requestId === 'number') {
+      const record = item.requestRecord;
+      const finished =
+        record?.status === 'cancelled' ||
+        (record?.status === 'fulfilled' &&
+          !ACTIVE_DELIVERY_STATES.has(record.delivery_state ?? ''));
+      const requestKey = `request:${item.requestId}`;
+      if (finished && !pendingRequestIds.has(item.requestId) && !seen.has(requestKey)) {
+        seen.add(requestKey);
+        targets.push({ itemType: 'request', itemKey: requestKey });
+      }
+      return;
+    }
+
     const isTerminalDownload =
       item.kind === 'download' &&
       (item.visualStatus === 'complete' ||
diff --git a/src/frontend/src/tests/clearCompleted.test.ts b/src/frontend/src/tests/clearCompleted.test.ts
index 02e89e89..5d9c9f64 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/tests/clearCompleted.test.ts
+++ b/src/frontend/src/tests/clearCompleted.test.ts
@@ -98,4 +98,32 @@ describe('getClearCompletedTargets', () => {
 
     expect(targets).toEqual([]);
   });
+
+  it('clears a finished request that never had a download', () => {
+    const closed = makeRequestItem(30, 'fulfilled');
+    closed.requestRecord = Object.assign({}, closed.requestRecord, {
+      delivery_state: 'complete' as const,
+      admin_note: '[auto] Already in the library.',
+    });
+    const cancelled = makeRequestItem(31, 'cancelled');
+
+    const targets = getClearCompletedTargets([closed, cancelled], [closed, cancelled]);
+
+    expect(targets).toEqual([
+      { itemType: 'request', itemKey: 'request:30' },
+      { itemType: 'request', itemKey: 'request:31' },
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it('leaves pending, rejected and still-downloading requests alone', () => {
+    const pending = makeRequestItem(40, 'pending');
+    const rejected = makeRequestItem(41, 'rejected');
+    const downloading = makeRequestItem(42, 'fulfilled');
+    downloading.requestRecord = Object.assign({}, downloading.requestRecord, {
+      delivery_state: 'downloading' as const,
+    });
+
+    const items = [pending, rejected, downloading];
+    expect(getClearCompletedTargets(items, items)).toEqual([]);
+  });
 });