diff --git a/src/cliproxy/account-manager.ts b/src/cliproxy/account-manager.ts
index fc450c7b..614aa507 100644
--- a/src/cliproxy/account-manager.ts
+++ b/src/cliproxy/account-manager.ts
@@ -135,6 +135,14 @@ export function getAccountsRegistryPath(): string {
   return path.join(getCliproxyDir(), 'accounts.json');
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get path to paused tokens directory
+ * Paused tokens are moved here so CLIProxyAPI won't discover them
+ */
+export function getPausedDir(): string {
+  return path.join(getAuthDir(), 'paused');
+}
+
 /**
  * Load accounts registry
  */
@@ -176,10 +184,12 @@ export function saveAccountsRegistry(registry: AccountsRegistry): void {
 /**
  * Sync registry with actual token files
  * Removes stale entries where token file no longer exists
+ * For paused accounts, checks both auth/ and paused/ directories
  * Called automatically when loading accounts
  */
 function syncRegistryWithTokenFiles(registry: AccountsRegistry): boolean {
   const authDir = getAuthDir();
+  const pausedDir = getPausedDir();
   let modified = false;
 
   for (const [_providerName, providerAccounts] of Object.entries(registry.providers)) {
@@ -189,7 +199,14 @@ function syncRegistryWithTokenFiles(registry: AccountsRegistry): boolean {
 
     for (const [accountId, meta] of Object.entries(providerAccounts.accounts)) {
       const tokenPath = path.join(authDir, meta.tokenFile);
-      if (!fs.existsSync(tokenPath)) {
+      const pausedPath = path.join(pausedDir, meta.tokenFile);
+
+      // For paused accounts, check paused dir; for active accounts, check auth dir
+      const expectedPath = meta.paused ? pausedPath : tokenPath;
+      // Also accept if file exists in either location (handles edge cases)
+      const existsAnywhere = fs.existsSync(tokenPath) || fs.existsSync(pausedPath);
+
+      if (!fs.existsSync(expectedPath) && !existsAnywhere) {
         staleIds.push(accountId);
       }
     }
@@ -395,6 +412,7 @@ export function setDefaultAccount(provider: CLIProxyProvider, accountId: string)
 
 /**
  * Pause an account (skip in quota rotation)
+ * Moves token file to paused/ subdir so CLIProxyAPI won't discover it
  */
 export function pauseAccount(provider: CLIProxyProvider, accountId: string): boolean {
   const registry = loadAccountsRegistry();
@@ -404,6 +422,21 @@ export function pauseAccount(provider: CLIProxyProvider, accountId: string): boo
     return false;
   }
 
+  const accountMeta = providerAccounts.accounts[accountId];
+  const authDir = getAuthDir();
+  const pausedDir = getPausedDir();
+  const tokenPath = path.join(authDir, accountMeta.tokenFile);
+  const pausedPath = path.join(pausedDir, accountMeta.tokenFile);
+
+  // Move token file to paused directory (if it exists in auth dir)
+  if (fs.existsSync(tokenPath)) {
+    // Create paused directory if it doesn't exist
+    if (!fs.existsSync(pausedDir)) {
+      fs.mkdirSync(pausedDir, { recursive: true, mode: 0o700 });
+    }
+    fs.renameSync(tokenPath, pausedPath);
+  }
+
   providerAccounts.accounts[accountId].paused = true;
   providerAccounts.accounts[accountId].pausedAt = new Date().toISOString();
   saveAccountsRegistry(registry);
@@ -412,6 +445,7 @@ export function pauseAccount(provider: CLIProxyProvider, accountId: string): boo
 
 /**
  * Resume a paused account
+ * Moves token file back from paused/ to auth/ so CLIProxyAPI can discover it
  */
 export function resumeAccount(provider: CLIProxyProvider, accountId: string): boolean {
   const registry = loadAccountsRegistry();
@@ -421,6 +455,17 @@ export function resumeAccount(provider: CLIProxyProvider, accountId: string): bo
     return false;
   }
 
+  const accountMeta = providerAccounts.accounts[accountId];
+  const authDir = getAuthDir();
+  const pausedDir = getPausedDir();
+  const tokenPath = path.join(authDir, accountMeta.tokenFile);
+  const pausedPath = path.join(pausedDir, accountMeta.tokenFile);
+
+  // Move token file back from paused directory (if it exists in paused dir)
+  if (fs.existsSync(pausedPath)) {
+    fs.renameSync(pausedPath, tokenPath);
+  }
+
   providerAccounts.accounts[accountId].paused = false;
   providerAccounts.accounts[accountId].pausedAt = undefined;
   saveAccountsRegistry(registry);
@@ -474,11 +519,12 @@ export function removeAccount(provider: CLIProxyProvider, accountId: string): bo
     return false;
   }
 
-  // Get token file to delete
+  // Get token file to delete (check both auth and paused directories)
   const tokenFile = providerAccounts.accounts[accountId].tokenFile;
   const tokenPath = path.join(getAuthDir(), tokenFile);
+  const pausedPath = path.join(getPausedDir(), tokenFile);
 
-  // Delete token file
+  // Delete token file from auth directory
   if (fs.existsSync(tokenPath)) {
     try {
       fs.unlinkSync(tokenPath);
@@ -487,6 +533,15 @@ export function removeAccount(provider: CLIProxyProvider, accountId: string): bo
     }
   }
 
+  // Also delete from paused directory if it exists there
+  if (fs.existsSync(pausedPath)) {
+    try {
+      fs.unlinkSync(pausedPath);
+    } catch {
+      // Ignore deletion errors
+    }
+  }
+
   // Remove from registry
   delete providerAccounts.accounts[accountId];
 
@@ -547,6 +602,7 @@ export function touchAccount(provider: CLIProxyProvider, accountId: string): voi
 
 /**
  * Get token file path for an account
+ * Returns path in paused/ dir if account is paused, otherwise auth/
  */
 export function getAccountTokenPath(provider: CLIProxyProvider, accountId?: string): string | null {
   const account = accountId ? getAccount(provider, accountId) : getDefaultAccount(provider);
@@ -555,7 +611,9 @@ export function getAccountTokenPath(provider: CLIProxyProvider, accountId?: stri
     return null;
   }
 
-  return path.join(getAuthDir(), account.tokenFile);
+  // Return path from paused directory if account is paused
+  const baseDir = account.paused ? getPausedDir() : getAuthDir();
+  return path.join(baseDir, account.tokenFile);
 }
 
 /**