diff --git a/src/livekit/SileroVADGate.ts b/src/livekit/SileroVADGate.ts
index e7bd9751..86814bcf 100644
--- a/src/livekit/SileroVADGate.ts
+++ b/src/livekit/SileroVADGate.ts
@@ -82,9 +82,10 @@ export class SileroVADGate {
       onSpeechRealStart: (): void => {},
     });
 
-    // Gate starts closed — audio is muted until the first speech frame arrives.
-    this.gateOpen = false;
-    this.onClose();
+    // Gate starts OPEN so audio flows immediately. The first silence frame
+    // will close it. This also means a failed model load degrades gracefully
+    // (audio still flows) rather than permanently muting the user.
+    this.gateOpen = true;
 
     await this.vad.start();
     log.info("MicVAD started");
diff --git a/src/state/CallViewModel/localMember/Publisher.ts b/src/state/CallViewModel/localMember/Publisher.ts
index faed893b..77e8e419 100644
--- a/src/state/CallViewModel/localMember/Publisher.ts
+++ b/src/state/CallViewModel/localMember/Publisher.ts
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ export class Publisher {
         void vadGate.destroy();
         vadGate = null;
       }
-      // Reset gate to open so audio flows if VAD is toggled off mid-call
+      // Always reopen gate when VAD stops so audio flows without VAD
       transformer?.setVADOpen(true);
     };
 
@@ -468,8 +468,6 @@ export class Publisher {
       }
       const stream = new MediaStream([rawTrack]);
       vadGate = new SileroVADGate(stream, ctx);
-      // Close the gate immediately — VAD will open it once speech is confirmed.
-      transformer?.setVADOpen(false);
       vadGate.onOpen  = (): void => transformer?.setVADOpen(true);
       vadGate.onClose = (): void => transformer?.setVADOpen(false);
       vadGate.start().catch((e: unknown) => {