diff --git a/hub/src/web/routes/voice.test.ts b/hub/src/web/routes/voice.test.ts
index 88fd344d..0969ff70 100644
--- a/hub/src/web/routes/voice.test.ts
+++ b/hub/src/web/routes/voice.test.ts
@@ -488,6 +488,21 @@ describe('GET /api/voice/backend', () => {
         }
     })
 
+    test('returns no backend when no voice credentials are configured', async () => {
+        delete process.env.VOICE_BACKEND
+        delete process.env.ELEVENLABS_API_KEY
+        delete process.env.GEMINI_API_KEY
+        delete process.env.GOOGLE_API_KEY
+        delete process.env.DASHSCOPE_API_KEY
+        delete process.env.QWEN_API_KEY
+        const app = createApp()
+        const headers = await authHeaders()
+        const res = await app.request('/api/voice/backend', { headers })
+        expect(res.status).toBe(200)
+        const body = await res.json() as { backend: string | null; backends: string[] }
+        expect(body).toEqual({ backend: null, backends: [] })
+    })
+
     test('returns elevenlabs by default with backends list', async () => {
         delete process.env.VOICE_BACKEND
         delete process.env.GEMINI_API_KEY
diff --git a/web/src/api/client.test.ts b/web/src/api/client.test.ts
index 2bfa8006..25926e50 100644
--- a/web/src/api/client.test.ts
+++ b/web/src/api/client.test.ts
@@ -127,4 +127,14 @@ describe('ApiClient error mapping', () => {
         expect(init?.body).toBeInstanceOf(FormData)
         expect(new Headers(init?.headers).has('content-type')).toBe(false)
     })
+
+    it('preserves an unavailable voice backend response', async () => {
+        fetchMock.mockResolvedValueOnce(
+            new Response(JSON.stringify({ backend: null, backends: [] }), { status: 200 })
+        )
+
+        const api = new ApiClient('test-token')
+        await expect(api.fetchVoiceBackend()).resolves.toEqual({ backend: null, backends: [] })
+        expect(fetchMock.mock.calls[0]?.[0]).toBe('/api/voice/backend')
+    })
 })
diff --git a/web/src/api/client.ts b/web/src/api/client.ts
index e945c748..73aa6b6a 100644
--- a/web/src/api/client.ts
+++ b/web/src/api/client.ts
@@ -951,7 +951,7 @@ export class ApiClient {
         return this.getToken ? this.getToken() : this.token
     }
 
-    async fetchVoiceBackend(): Promise<{ backend: string; backends: string[] }> {
+    async fetchVoiceBackend(): Promise<{ backend: string | null; backends: string[] }> {
         return await this.request('/api/voice/backend')
     }
 
diff --git a/web/src/realtime/VoiceBackendSession.test.tsx b/web/src/realtime/VoiceBackendSession.test.tsx
index 8c592da1..131c597b 100644
--- a/web/src/realtime/VoiceBackendSession.test.tsx
+++ b/web/src/realtime/VoiceBackendSession.test.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { cleanup, render, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react'
+import { act, cleanup, render, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react'
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { VoiceBackendSession } from '@/realtime/VoiceBackendSession'
 import type { ApiClient } from '@/api/client'
@@ -10,15 +10,15 @@ vi.mock('@/api/voice', () => ({
 }))
 
 vi.mock('@/realtime/RealtimeVoiceSession', () => ({
-    RealtimeVoiceSession: () => null,
+    RealtimeVoiceSession: () => <div data-testid="elevenlabs-session" />,
 }))
 
 vi.mock('@/realtime/GeminiLiveVoiceSession', () => ({
-    GeminiLiveVoiceSession: () => null,
+    GeminiLiveVoiceSession: () => <div data-testid="gemini-session" />,
 }))
 
 vi.mock('@/realtime/QwenVoiceSession', () => ({
-    QwenVoiceSession: () => null,
+    QwenVoiceSession: () => <div data-testid="qwen-session" />,
 }))
 
 const api = {} as ApiClient
@@ -48,6 +48,29 @@ describe('VoiceBackendSession', () => {
         consoleError.mockRestore()
     })
 
+    it('does not mount a voice session when no backend is configured', async () => {
+        fetchVoiceBackendMock.mockResolvedValue({ backend: null, backends: [] })
+        const onReadyChange = vi.fn()
+
+        const view = render(
+            <VoiceBackendSession
+                api={api}
+                micMuted={false}
+                onStatusChange={vi.fn()}
+                onReadyChange={onReadyChange}
+            />
+        )
+        await act(async () => {
+            await Promise.resolve()
+        })
+
+        expect(fetchVoiceBackendMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(api)
+        expect(view.queryByTestId('elevenlabs-session')).toBeNull()
+        expect(view.queryByTestId('gemini-session')).toBeNull()
+        expect(view.queryByTestId('qwen-session')).toBeNull()
+        expect(onReadyChange).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    })
+
     it('reports the detected backend as ready', async () => {
         fetchVoiceBackendMock.mockResolvedValue({ backend: 'elevenlabs', backends: ['elevenlabs'] })
         const onStatusChange = vi.fn()