diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/contrib/wiring.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/contrib/wiring.tsx
index 895826794a1..0676c2da77d 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/contrib/wiring.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/contrib/wiring.tsx
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import { type ChatMessage, chatMessageText, preserveLocalAssistantErrors, toChat
 import { sessionMessagesSignature } from '@/lib/session-signatures'
 import { isMessagingSource } from '@/lib/session-source'
 import { latestSessionTodos } from '@/lib/todos'
+import { playWakeSound } from '@/lib/wake-sound'
 import { $billingSettingsRequest } from '@/store/billing-block'
 import { requestVoiceConversationStart } from '@/store/composer'
 import { setCronFocusJobId } from '@/store/cron'
@@ -670,6 +671,10 @@ export function ContribWiring({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
           | { profile?: null | string; start_new_session?: boolean }
           | undefined
 
+        // Audible confirmation that the wake registered, before voice capture
+        // starts. Gated by the shared sound-mute toggle.
+        playWakeSound()
+
         // Multi-profile routing: a wake phrase enrolled by another profile
         // re-homes the gateway to that profile first (live swap — same path
         // as clicking it in the profile rail), then opens the fresh session
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/wake-sound.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/wake-sound.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..354eff8e44f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/wake-sound.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+import { $hapticsMuted } from '@/store/haptics'
+
+import { playWakeSound } from './wake-sound'
+
+// Minimal WebAudio doubles: enough to record that playWakeSound wired
+// oscillators to the destination when it should, and stayed silent when muted.
+class FakeParam {
+  setValueAtTime = vi.fn()
+  exponentialRampToValueAtTime = vi.fn()
+}
+
+class FakeOscillator {
+  type = 'sine'
+  frequency = new FakeParam()
+  connect = vi.fn()
+  start = vi.fn()
+  stop = vi.fn()
+}
+
+class FakeGain {
+  gain = new FakeParam()
+  connect = vi.fn()
+}
+
+let oscillators: FakeOscillator[]
+
+class FakeAudioContext {
+  state = 'running'
+  currentTime = 0
+  destination = {}
+  resume = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined)
+
+  createOscillator() {
+    const osc = new FakeOscillator()
+    oscillators.push(osc)
+
+    return osc
+  }
+
+  createGain() {
+    return new FakeGain()
+  }
+}
+
+describe('playWakeSound', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    oscillators = []
+    $hapticsMuted.set(false)
+    vi.stubGlobal('AudioContext', FakeAudioContext)
+  })
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.unstubAllGlobals()
+    $hapticsMuted.set(false)
+  })
+
+  it('plays a two-note rising chime when sound is on', () => {
+    playWakeSound()
+
+    // G5 then C6 — two enveloped oscillators, both routed onward.
+    expect(oscillators).toHaveLength(2)
+    expect(oscillators[0].frequency.setValueAtTime).toHaveBeenCalledWith(783.99, expect.any(Number))
+    expect(oscillators[1].frequency.setValueAtTime).toHaveBeenCalledWith(1046.5, expect.any(Number))
+    for (const osc of oscillators) {
+      expect(osc.start).toHaveBeenCalled()
+      expect(osc.stop).toHaveBeenCalled()
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('stays silent when the shared sound-mute toggle is on', () => {
+    $hapticsMuted.set(true)
+    playWakeSound()
+    expect(oscillators).toHaveLength(0)
+  })
+
+  it('never throws when WebAudio is unavailable', () => {
+    vi.stubGlobal('AudioContext', undefined)
+    expect(() => playWakeSound()).not.toThrow()
+  })
+})
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/wake-sound.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/wake-sound.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3eb9f1c0d86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/wake-sound.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+// Wake-word activation chime. A short, bright, rising two-note "ding" that
+// plays the moment "Hey Hermes" is detected, so it's obvious the wake
+// registered before voice capture starts. Deliberately distinct from the
+// turn-end completion cue (completion-sound.ts): this one RISES (open/ready),
+// the completion cue settles (done). Reuses the same lightweight WebAudio
+// synthesis approach — no asset file to ship.
+
+import { $hapticsMuted } from '@/store/haptics'
+
+let ctx: AudioContext | null = null
+
+function getCtx(): AudioContext | null {
+  if (typeof window === 'undefined') {
+    return null
+  }
+
+  try {
+    if (!ctx) {
+      const Ctor =
+        window.AudioContext || (window as unknown as { webkitAudioContext?: typeof AudioContext }).webkitAudioContext
+
+      if (!Ctor) {
+        return null
+      }
+
+      ctx = new Ctor()
+    }
+
+    // Autoplay policies can leave the context suspended until a gesture; a
+    // resume() here recovers it once the user has interacted with the window.
+    if (ctx.state === 'suspended') {
+      void ctx.resume().catch(() => undefined)
+    }
+
+    return ctx
+  } catch {
+    return null
+  }
+}
+
+// One enveloped sine voice → master. Linear-ish attack into an exponential
+// decay keeps the tail smooth and avoids the click you get ramping to zero.
+function ding(ac: AudioContext, master: GainNode, t0: number, freq: number, dur: number, gain: number) {
+  const osc = ac.createOscillator()
+  const env = ac.createGain()
+  const end = t0 + dur
+
+  osc.type = 'sine'
+  osc.frequency.setValueAtTime(freq, t0)
+
+  env.gain.setValueAtTime(0.0001, t0)
+  env.gain.exponentialRampToValueAtTime(Math.max(gain, 0.0002), t0 + 0.008)
+  env.gain.exponentialRampToValueAtTime(0.0001, end)
+
+  osc.connect(env)
+  env.connect(master)
+  osc.start(t0)
+  osc.stop(end + 0.02)
+}
+
+// Play the wake chime. Honours the shared sound-mute toggle ($hapticsMuted),
+// the same gate the completion cue uses, so muting turn-end sounds also
+// silences this. Best-effort: never throws into the wake-event handler.
+export function playWakeSound(): void {
+  if ($hapticsMuted.get()) {
+    return
+  }
+
+  const ac = getCtx()
+
+  if (!ac) {
+    return
+  }
+
+  try {
+    const master = ac.createGain()
+    master.gain.setValueAtTime(0.5, ac.currentTime)
+    master.connect(ac.destination)
+
+    const t0 = ac.currentTime + 0.01
+    // Rising perfect-fourth: G5 -> C6. Short and bright — "listening".
+    ding(ac, master, t0, 783.99, 0.12, 0.06)
+    ding(ac, master, t0 + 0.1, 1046.5, 0.28, 0.07)
+  } catch {
+    // WebAudio can throw if the context died mid-call; a missed chime must
+    // never break wake handling.
+  }
+}