diff --git a/internal/channels/telegram/handlers.go b/internal/channels/telegram/handlers.go
index c21e0c1c..381d8e3d 100644
--- a/internal/channels/telegram/handlers.go
+++ b/internal/channels/telegram/handlers.go
@@ -164,7 +164,51 @@ func (c *Channel) handleMessage(ctx context.Context, update telego.Update) {
 	var mediaPaths []string
 
 	if len(mediaList) > 0 {
-		// Build media tags for content
+		// First pass: process each media item.
+		// For audio/voice: attempt STT transcription so that buildMediaTags can embed the transcript.
+		// For documents: extract text content to append after the media tags.
+		// Note: buildMediaTags is called AFTER this loop so it picks up populated Transcript fields.
+		var extraContent string
+		for i := range mediaList {
+			m := &mediaList[i]
+
+			switch m.Type {
+			case "audio", "voice":
+				transcript, sttErr := c.transcribeAudio(ctx, m.FilePath)
+				if sttErr != nil {
+					slog.Warn("telegram: STT transcription failed, falling back to media placeholder",
+						"type", m.Type, "error", sttErr,
+					)
+				} else {
+					m.Transcript = transcript
+				}
+
+			case "document":
+				// Extract text content from documents
+				if m.FileName != "" && m.FilePath != "" {
+					docContent, err := extractDocumentContent(m.FilePath, m.FileName)
+					if err != nil {
+						slog.Warn("document extraction failed", "file", m.FileName, "error", err)
+					} else if docContent != "" {
+						extraContent += "\n\n" + docContent
+					}
+				}
+
+			case "video", "animation":
+				// Video: notify user that video is not fully supported yet.
+				// Only add the notice when there is no caption/text — media tags haven't been
+				// prepended yet at this stage of the pipeline.
+				if content == "" {
+					extraContent += "\n\n[Video received — video content analysis is not yet supported, only caption text is processed]"
+				}
+			}
+
+			if m.FilePath != "" {
+				mediaPaths = append(mediaPaths, m.FilePath)
+			}
+		}
+
+		// Build media tags AFTER the processing loop so transcript fields are populated.
 		mediaTags := buildMediaTags(mediaList)
 		if mediaTags != "" {
 			if content != "" {
@@ -174,32 +218,9 @@ func (c *Channel) handleMessage(ctx context.Context, update telego.Update) {
 			}
 		}
 
-		// Process each media item
-		for i := range mediaList {
-			m := &mediaList[i]
-
-			switch m.Type {
-			case "document":
-				// Extract text content from documents
-				if m.FileName != "" && m.FilePath != "" {
-					docContent, err := extractDocumentContent(m.FilePath, m.FileName)
-					if err != nil {
-						slog.Warn("document extraction failed", "file", m.FileName, "error", err)
-					} else if docContent != "" {
-						content += "\n\n" + docContent
-					}
-				}
-
-			case "video", "animation":
-				// Video: notify user that video is not fully supported yet
-				if content == "" || content == buildMediaTags(mediaList) {
-					content += "\n\n[Video received — video content analysis is not yet supported, only caption text is processed]"
-				}
-			}
-
-			if m.FilePath != "" {
-				mediaPaths = append(mediaPaths, m.FilePath)
-			}
+		// Append any extra content accumulated during processing (doc text, video note, etc.)
+		if extraContent != "" {
+			content += extraContent
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -353,6 +374,22 @@ func (c *Channel) handleMessage(ctx context.Context, update telego.Update) {
 		peerKind = "group"
 	}
 
+	// Audio-aware routing: if a voice/audio message was received and a dedicated speaking agent
+	// is configured, route to that agent instead of the default channel agent.
+	// This prevents voice turns from landing on a text-router agent that cannot handle audio.
+	targetAgentID := c.AgentID()
+	if c.config.VoiceAgentID != "" {
+		for _, m := range mediaList {
+			if m.Type == "audio" || m.Type == "voice" {
+				targetAgentID = c.config.VoiceAgentID
+				slog.Debug("telegram: routing voice inbound to speaking agent",
+					"agent_id", targetAgentID, "media_type", m.Type,
+				)
+				break
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	c.Bus().PublishInbound(bus.InboundMessage{
 		Channel:      c.Name(),
 		SenderID:     senderID,
@@ -361,7 +398,7 @@ func (c *Channel) handleMessage(ctx context.Context, update telego.Update) {
 		Media:        mediaPaths,
 		PeerKind:     peerKind,
 		UserID:       userID,
-		AgentID:      c.AgentID(),
+		AgentID:      targetAgentID,
 		HistoryLimit: c.historyLimit,
 		Metadata:     metadata,
 	})
diff --git a/internal/channels/telegram/media.go b/internal/channels/telegram/media.go
index c50cdc57..07935f2f 100644
--- a/internal/channels/telegram/media.go
+++ b/internal/channels/telegram/media.go
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ type MediaInfo struct {
 	ContentType string // MIME type
 	FileName    string // original filename
 	FileSize    int64
+	Transcript  string // STT transcript for audio/voice media (empty if not transcribed)
 }
 
 // mediaGroupBuffer buffers media group (album) messages before processing them together.
@@ -251,6 +252,7 @@ func (c *Channel) downloadMedia(ctx context.Context, fileID string, maxBytes int
 }
 
 // buildMediaTags generates content tags for media items (matching TS media placeholder format).
+// For audio/voice items that have been transcribed, the transcript is embedded in a <transcript> block.
 func buildMediaTags(mediaList []MediaInfo) string {
 	var tags []string
 	for _, m := range mediaList {
@@ -260,9 +262,17 @@ func buildMediaTags(mediaList []MediaInfo) string {
 		case "video", "animation":
 			tags = append(tags, "<media:video>")
 		case "audio":
-			tags = append(tags, "<media:audio>")
+			if m.Transcript != "" {
+				tags = append(tags, fmt.Sprintf("<media:audio>\n<transcript>%s</transcript>", html.EscapeString(m.Transcript)))
+			} else {
+				tags = append(tags, "<media:audio>")
+			}
 		case "voice":
-			tags = append(tags, "<media:voice>")
+			if m.Transcript != "" {
+				tags = append(tags, fmt.Sprintf("<media:voice>\n<transcript>%s</transcript>", html.EscapeString(m.Transcript)))
+			} else {
+				tags = append(tags, "<media:voice>")
+			}
 		case "document":
 			tags = append(tags, "<media:document>")
 		}
diff --git a/internal/channels/telegram/media_test.go b/internal/channels/telegram/media_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f568db34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/channels/telegram/media_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,150 @@
+package telegram
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// --- buildMediaTags tests ---
+
+// TestBuildMediaTags_NoTranscript_Legacy verifies that the pre-patch behaviour is
+// preserved: audio/voice items without a transcript still produce plain tags,
+// and all other media types are unaffected.
+func TestBuildMediaTags_NoTranscript_Legacy(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name  string
+		items []MediaInfo
+		want  string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:  "image",
+			items: []MediaInfo{{Type: "image"}},
+			want:  "<media:image>",
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "video",
+			items: []MediaInfo{{Type: "video"}},
+			want:  "<media:video>",
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "animation",
+			items: []MediaInfo{{Type: "animation"}},
+			want:  "<media:video>",
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "audio without transcript",
+			items: []MediaInfo{{Type: "audio"}},
+			want:  "<media:audio>",
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "voice without transcript",
+			items: []MediaInfo{{Type: "voice"}},
+			want:  "<media:voice>",
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "document",
+			items: []MediaInfo{{Type: "document"}},
+			want:  "<media:document>",
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "empty list",
+			items: []MediaInfo{},
+			want:  "",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := buildMediaTags(tt.items)
+			if got != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("buildMediaTags(%v) = %q, want %q", tt.items, got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestBuildMediaTags_VoiceWithTranscript verifies that a voice item with a
+// populated Transcript field generates the <transcript> sub-block.
+func TestBuildMediaTags_VoiceWithTranscript(t *testing.T) {
+	items := []MediaInfo{{Type: "voice", Transcript: "xin chào"}}
+	got := buildMediaTags(items)
+
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(got, "<media:voice>") {
+		t.Errorf("expected output to start with <media:voice>, got: %q", got)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(got, "<transcript>") {
+		t.Errorf("expected <transcript> block, got: %q", got)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(got, "xin chào") {
+		t.Errorf("expected transcript text in output, got: %q", got)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(got, "</transcript>") {
+		t.Errorf("expected closing </transcript>, got: %q", got)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestBuildMediaTags_AudioWithTranscript verifies the same for audio type.
+func TestBuildMediaTags_AudioWithTranscript(t *testing.T) {
+	items := []MediaInfo{{Type: "audio", Transcript: "hello world"}}
+	got := buildMediaTags(items)
+
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(got, "<media:audio>") {
+		t.Errorf("expected output to start with <media:audio>, got: %q", got)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(got, "<transcript>hello world</transcript>") {
+		t.Errorf("expected transcript content, got: %q", got)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestBuildMediaTags_TranscriptHTMLEscaping verifies that special HTML characters
+// in the transcript are properly escaped to prevent XML injection.
+func TestBuildMediaTags_TranscriptHTMLEscaping(t *testing.T) {
+	items := []MediaInfo{{Type: "voice", Transcript: `<script>alert("xss")</script>`}}
+	got := buildMediaTags(items)
+
+	// Raw angle brackets must NOT appear inside the transcript block.
+	if strings.Contains(got, "<script>") {
+		t.Errorf("unescaped <script> tag found in output — XSS risk: %q", got)
+	}
+	// Escaped form must be present.
+	if !strings.Contains(got, "&lt;script&gt;") {
+		t.Errorf("expected HTML-escaped content, got: %q", got)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestBuildMediaTags_MultipleItems verifies correct handling of mixed media lists,
+// including one voice with transcript and others without.
+func TestBuildMediaTags_MultipleItems(t *testing.T) {
+	items := []MediaInfo{
+		{Type: "image"},
+		{Type: "voice", Transcript: "hey there"},
+		{Type: "document"},
+	}
+	got := buildMediaTags(items)
+	parts := strings.Split(got, "\n")
+
+	// Should have 3 top-level entries (image, voice block [2 lines], document)
+	// but since voice produces 2 lines the split will have 4 parts.
+	if !strings.Contains(parts[0], "<media:image>") {
+		t.Errorf("first part should be image tag, got: %q", parts[0])
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(got, "<media:voice>") {
+		t.Errorf("expected voice tag, not found in: %q", got)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(got, "hey there") {
+		t.Errorf("expected transcript text, not found in: %q", got)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(got, "<media:document>") {
+		t.Errorf("expected document tag, not found in: %q", got)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestBuildMediaTags_UnknownType verifies that an unrecognised media type is
+// silently ignored (no panic, no output).
+func TestBuildMediaTags_UnknownType(t *testing.T) {
+	items := []MediaInfo{{Type: "sticker"}}
+	got := buildMediaTags(items)
+	if got != "" {
+		t.Errorf("expected empty string for unknown type, got: %q", got)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/channels/telegram/stt.go b/internal/channels/telegram/stt.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ef6bd090
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/channels/telegram/stt.go
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+package telegram
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"log/slog"
+	"mime/multipart"
+	"net/http"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"time"
+)
+
+const (
+	// defaultSTTTimeoutSeconds is the default timeout for STT proxy requests.
+	defaultSTTTimeoutSeconds = 30
+
+	// sttTranscribeEndpoint is the path appended to STTProxyURL.
+	sttTranscribeEndpoint = "/transcribe_audio"
+)
+
+// sttResponse is the expected JSON response from the STT proxy.
+type sttResponse struct {
+	Transcript string `json:"transcript"`
+}
+
+// transcribeAudio calls the configured STT proxy service with the given audio file and returns
+// the transcribed text. It returns ("", nil) silently when:
+//   - STT is not configured (STTProxyURL is empty), or
+//   - filePath is empty (download failed earlier in the pipeline).
+//
+// Any HTTP or parse error is returned so the caller can log it and fall back gracefully.
+// This matches the TS speaking-service /transcribe_audio contract used in managed deployments.
+func (c *Channel) transcribeAudio(ctx context.Context, filePath string) (string, error) {
+	if c.config.STTProxyURL == "" {
+		// STT not configured — skip silently.
+		return "", nil
+	}
+	if filePath == "" {
+		// File download failed earlier; nothing to transcribe.
+		return "", nil
+	}
+
+	// Resolve request timeout.
+	timeoutSec := c.config.STTTimeoutSeconds
+	if timeoutSec <= 0 {
+		timeoutSec = defaultSTTTimeoutSeconds
+	}
+
+	// Open the downloaded audio file.
+	f, err := os.Open(filePath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("stt: open audio file %q: %w", filePath, err)
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+
+	// Build multipart/form-data body.
+	// Fields:
+	//   file      — audio file bytes (required)
+	//   tenant_id — optional tenant identifier forwarded to the proxy
+	var body bytes.Buffer
+	w := multipart.NewWriter(&body)
+
+	fw, err := w.CreateFormFile("file", filepath.Base(filePath))
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("stt: create form file field: %w", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := io.Copy(fw, f); err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("stt: write audio bytes to form: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if c.config.STTTenantID != "" {
+		if err := w.WriteField("tenant_id", c.config.STTTenantID); err != nil {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("stt: write tenant_id field: %w", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if err := w.Close(); err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("stt: close multipart writer: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	// Build HTTP request with a deadline.
+	reqCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, time.Duration(timeoutSec)*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	url := c.config.STTProxyURL + sttTranscribeEndpoint
+	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(reqCtx, http.MethodPost, url, &body)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("stt: build request to %q: %w", url, err)
+	}
+	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", w.FormDataContentType())
+	if c.config.STTAPIKey != "" {
+		req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer "+c.config.STTAPIKey)
+	}
+
+	slog.Debug("telegram: calling STT proxy", "url", url, "file", filepath.Base(filePath))
+
+	client := &http.Client{}
+	resp, err := client.Do(req)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("stt: request to %q failed: %w", url, err)
+	}
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+
+	respBody, err := io.ReadAll(io.LimitReader(resp.Body, 1<<20)) // 1 MB cap
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("stt: read response body: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("stt: upstream returned %d: %s", resp.StatusCode, string(respBody))
+	}
+
+	var result sttResponse
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(respBody, &result); err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("stt: parse response JSON: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	slog.Debug("telegram: STT transcript received",
+		"length", len(result.Transcript),
+		"preview", func() string {
+			if len(result.Transcript) > 80 {
+				return result.Transcript[:80] + "..."
+			}
+			return result.Transcript
+		}(),
+	)
+
+	return result.Transcript, nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/channels/telegram/stt_test.go b/internal/channels/telegram/stt_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..70670fc1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/channels/telegram/stt_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,304 @@
+package telegram
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/nextlevelbuilder/goclaw/internal/config"
+)
+
+// newChannelWithSTT is a minimal Channel stub for STT unit tests.
+// It skips bot initialisation (which requires a real Telegram token).
+func newChannelWithSTT(cfg config.TelegramConfig) *Channel {
+	return &Channel{config: cfg}
+}
+
+// writeTempAudio writes a fake audio file and returns its path.
+// The caller is responsible for removing the file after the test.
+func writeTempAudio(t *testing.T, content string) string {
+	t.Helper()
+	f, err := os.CreateTemp("", "stt_test_*.ogg")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("create temp audio file: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := f.WriteString(content); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write temp audio file: %v", err)
+	}
+	f.Close()
+	return f.Name()
+}
+
+// --- transcribeAudio unit tests ---
+
+// TestTranscribeAudio_NoProxy verifies that when STTProxyURL is empty, the
+// function returns ("", nil) without making any HTTP call.
+func TestTranscribeAudio_NoProxy(t *testing.T) {
+	c := newChannelWithSTT(config.TelegramConfig{})
+	transcript, err := c.transcribeAudio(context.Background(), "/any/file.ogg")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected nil error, got: %v", err)
+	}
+	if transcript != "" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected empty transcript, got: %q", transcript)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestTranscribeAudio_EmptyFilePath verifies that an empty filePath is a silent
+// no-op even when STT is configured.
+func TestTranscribeAudio_EmptyFilePath(t *testing.T) {
+	c := newChannelWithSTT(config.TelegramConfig{
+		STTProxyURL: "https://stt.example.com",
+	})
+	transcript, err := c.transcribeAudio(context.Background(), "")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected nil error, got: %v", err)
+	}
+	if transcript != "" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected empty transcript, got: %q", transcript)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestTranscribeAudio_MissingFile verifies that a non-existent file path returns
+// an error (not a silent empty result).
+func TestTranscribeAudio_MissingFile(t *testing.T) {
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		// Should never be reached.
+		t.Error("unexpected HTTP call for missing file")
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	c := newChannelWithSTT(config.TelegramConfig{STTProxyURL: srv.URL})
+	_, err := c.transcribeAudio(context.Background(), "/nonexistent/file.ogg")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected an error for missing file, got nil")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestTranscribeAudio_Success verifies the happy path: a real HTTP server returns
+// {"transcript": "hello world"} and the function returns that string.
+func TestTranscribeAudio_Success(t *testing.T) {
+	audioFile := writeTempAudio(t, "fake-ogg-bytes")
+	defer os.Remove(audioFile)
+
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		// Verify endpoint path.
+		if r.URL.Path != sttTranscribeEndpoint {
+			t.Errorf("unexpected path: %s", r.URL.Path)
+		}
+		// Verify method.
+		if r.Method != http.MethodPost {
+			t.Errorf("expected POST, got %s", r.Method)
+		}
+		// Verify multipart body contains a "file" field.
+		if err := r.ParseMultipartForm(1 << 20); err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("parse multipart: %v", err)
+		}
+		if _, _, err := r.FormFile("file"); err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("expected 'file' field in multipart form: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(sttResponse{Transcript: "hello world"})
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	c := newChannelWithSTT(config.TelegramConfig{STTProxyURL: srv.URL})
+	transcript, err := c.transcribeAudio(context.Background(), audioFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if transcript != "hello world" {
+		t.Errorf("expected %q, got %q", "hello world", transcript)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestTranscribeAudio_BearerToken verifies that STTAPIKey is sent as an
+// Authorization: Bearer header.
+func TestTranscribeAudio_BearerToken(t *testing.T) {
+	audioFile := writeTempAudio(t, "fake-ogg-bytes")
+	defer os.Remove(audioFile)
+
+	const wantKey = "super-secret-key"
+	var gotAuth string
+
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		gotAuth = r.Header.Get("Authorization")
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(sttResponse{Transcript: "ok"})
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	c := newChannelWithSTT(config.TelegramConfig{
+		STTProxyURL: srv.URL,
+		STTAPIKey:   wantKey,
+	})
+	if _, err := c.transcribeAudio(context.Background(), audioFile); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if gotAuth != "Bearer "+wantKey {
+		t.Errorf("expected Authorization %q, got %q", "Bearer "+wantKey, gotAuth)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestTranscribeAudio_NoAuthHeader verifies that no Authorization header is sent
+// when STTAPIKey is empty.
+func TestTranscribeAudio_NoAuthHeader(t *testing.T) {
+	audioFile := writeTempAudio(t, "fake-ogg-bytes")
+	defer os.Remove(audioFile)
+
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if auth := r.Header.Get("Authorization"); auth != "" {
+			t.Errorf("expected no Authorization header, got %q", auth)
+		}
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(sttResponse{Transcript: "ok"})
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	c := newChannelWithSTT(config.TelegramConfig{STTProxyURL: srv.URL})
+	if _, err := c.transcribeAudio(context.Background(), audioFile); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestTranscribeAudio_TenantID verifies that STTTenantID is forwarded as a
+// multipart "tenant_id" field when set.
+func TestTranscribeAudio_TenantID(t *testing.T) {
+	audioFile := writeTempAudio(t, "fake-ogg-bytes")
+	defer os.Remove(audioFile)
+
+	const wantTenant = "acme-corp"
+	var gotTenant string
+
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if err := r.ParseMultipartForm(1 << 20); err == nil {
+			gotTenant = r.FormValue("tenant_id")
+		}
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(sttResponse{Transcript: "ok"})
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	c := newChannelWithSTT(config.TelegramConfig{
+		STTProxyURL: srv.URL,
+		STTTenantID: wantTenant,
+	})
+	if _, err := c.transcribeAudio(context.Background(), audioFile); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if gotTenant != wantTenant {
+		t.Errorf("expected tenant_id %q, got %q", wantTenant, gotTenant)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestTranscribeAudio_NoTenantField verifies that when STTTenantID is empty, the
+// multipart form does NOT include a "tenant_id" field.
+func TestTranscribeAudio_NoTenantField(t *testing.T) {
+	audioFile := writeTempAudio(t, "fake-ogg-bytes")
+	defer os.Remove(audioFile)
+
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if err := r.ParseMultipartForm(1 << 20); err == nil {
+			if tid := r.FormValue("tenant_id"); tid != "" {
+				t.Errorf("expected no tenant_id field, got %q", tid)
+			}
+		}
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(sttResponse{Transcript: "ok"})
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	c := newChannelWithSTT(config.TelegramConfig{STTProxyURL: srv.URL})
+	if _, err := c.transcribeAudio(context.Background(), audioFile); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestTranscribeAudio_UpstreamError verifies that a non-200 response is surfaced
+// as an error (not silently swallowed).
+func TestTranscribeAudio_UpstreamError(t *testing.T) {
+	audioFile := writeTempAudio(t, "fake-ogg-bytes")
+	defer os.Remove(audioFile)
+
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		http.Error(w, "service unavailable", http.StatusServiceUnavailable)
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	c := newChannelWithSTT(config.TelegramConfig{STTProxyURL: srv.URL})
+	_, err := c.transcribeAudio(context.Background(), audioFile)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error for non-200 response, got nil")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "503") {
+		t.Errorf("expected error to mention status 503, got: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestTranscribeAudio_InvalidJSON verifies that a 200 response with malformed
+// JSON is returned as an error.
+func TestTranscribeAudio_InvalidJSON(t *testing.T) {
+	audioFile := writeTempAudio(t, "fake-ogg-bytes")
+	defer os.Remove(audioFile)
+
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		w.Write([]byte(`not-json`))
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	c := newChannelWithSTT(config.TelegramConfig{STTProxyURL: srv.URL})
+	_, err := c.transcribeAudio(context.Background(), audioFile)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error for invalid JSON, got nil")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestTranscribeAudio_EmptyTranscript verifies that a 200 response with an empty
+// transcript field returns ("", nil) — not an error.
+func TestTranscribeAudio_EmptyTranscript(t *testing.T) {
+	audioFile := writeTempAudio(t, "fake-ogg-bytes")
+	defer os.Remove(audioFile)
+
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(sttResponse{Transcript: ""})
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	c := newChannelWithSTT(config.TelegramConfig{STTProxyURL: srv.URL})
+	transcript, err := c.transcribeAudio(context.Background(), audioFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if transcript != "" {
+		t.Errorf("expected empty transcript, got %q", transcript)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestTranscribeAudio_ContextCancelled verifies that a cancelled context causes
+// the HTTP call to fail fast.
+func TestTranscribeAudio_ContextCancelled(t *testing.T) {
+	audioFile := writeTempAudio(t, "fake-ogg-bytes")
+	defer os.Remove(audioFile)
+
+	// Server that blocks until the test is done — ensures the cancel fires first.
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		<-r.Context().Done()
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	cancel() // cancel immediately
+
+	c := newChannelWithSTT(config.TelegramConfig{STTProxyURL: srv.URL})
+	_, err := c.transcribeAudio(ctx, audioFile)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error for cancelled context, got nil")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/config/config_channels.go b/internal/config/config_channels.go
index 54927092..49a5a001 100644
--- a/internal/config/config_channels.go
+++ b/internal/config/config_channels.go
@@ -23,6 +23,17 @@ type TelegramConfig struct {
 	ReactionLevel  string              `json:"reaction_level,omitempty"`   // "off" (default), "minimal", "full" — status emoji reactions
 	MediaMaxBytes  int64               `json:"media_max_bytes,omitempty"`  // max media download size in bytes (default 20MB)
 	LinkPreview    *bool               `json:"link_preview,omitempty"`     // enable URL previews in messages (default true)
+
+	// Optional STT (Speech-to-Text) pipeline for voice/audio inbound messages.
+	// When stt_proxy_url is set, audio/voice messages are transcribed before being forwarded to the agent.
+	STTProxyURL       string `json:"stt_proxy_url,omitempty"`       // base URL of the STT proxy service (e.g. "https://stt.example.com")
+	STTAPIKey         string `json:"stt_api_key,omitempty"`         // Bearer token for the STT proxy
+	STTTenantID       string `json:"stt_tenant_id,omitempty"`       // optional tenant/org identifier forwarded to the STT proxy
+	STTTimeoutSeconds int    `json:"stt_timeout_seconds,omitempty"` // per-request timeout for STT calls (default 30s)
+
+	// Optional audio-aware routing: when set, voice/audio inbound messages are routed to this
+	// agent instead of the default channel agent. Requires the named agent to exist in the config.
+	VoiceAgentID string `json:"voice_agent_id,omitempty"` // agent ID to route voice inbound to (e.g. "speaking-agent")
 }
 
 type DiscordConfig struct {