diff --git a/broker/realtime_broker/agent.py b/broker/realtime_broker/agent.py
index de6df34..bf66235 100644
--- a/broker/realtime_broker/agent.py
+++ b/broker/realtime_broker/agent.py
@@ -131,7 +131,11 @@ async def _handle_evt_error(self, evt) -> None:
     "right after you answer, the next utterance is usually the same user "
     "following up. A follow-up question, reaction, or challenge to what you just "
     "said ('are you sure?', 'okay, and...', 'what about tomorrow?') is addressed "
-    "to you even when it does not name you. Answer it. When torn between "
+    "to you even when it does not name you. Answer it. A second exception, "
+    "absolute: the FIRST speech you hear after a session starts is always "
+    "addressed to you, because the user just said the wake word to open the "
+    "session. Never call wait_for_user on that first utterance; answer it even "
+    "if it sounds like background or does not name you. When torn between "
     "answering a plausible follow-up and staying silent, answer: a wrongly "
     "ignored user must repeat themselves, which is worse than a wrongly "
     "answered TV line."
diff --git a/broker/realtime_broker/server.py b/broker/realtime_broker/server.py
index 04cd24a..9e25a78 100644
--- a/broker/realtime_broker/server.py
+++ b/broker/realtime_broker/server.py
@@ -368,6 +368,16 @@ async def process_frame(self, frame: Frame, direction: FrameDirection) -> None:
             await self.cancel_task(task)
         await self.push_frame(frame, direction)
 
+    def is_first_turn(self) -> bool:
+        """True while this connection's FIRST committed user turn is in flight.
+
+        A wake word opened the connection, so that first utterance is addressed
+        to us by construction — the wait_for_user handler uses this to refuse
+        suppressing it. Independent of the hygiene knobs: `_turns` is counted
+        (and reset per connect) even when both bounds are disabled.
+        """
+        return self._turns <= 1
+
     def on_device_connect(self) -> None:
         # Fresh wake = fresh budget and window. The connect handler runs for
         # the NEW client before a kicked stale socket's disconnect fires (and
@@ -618,6 +628,17 @@ async def _wait_for_user(params):
         # Non-addressed speech (TV, side conversation, background). Acknowledge
         # the call but suppress the follow-up response (run_llm=False) so the bot
         # stays silent and keeps listening instead of replying to the room.
+        if hygiene.is_first_turn():
+            # Belt-and-suspenders for the instruction above: the wake word that
+            # opened this connection is proof the first utterance was meant for
+            # us, but the model still wait_for_user's it sometimes and strands
+            # the session silent. Let the response run so it answers.
+            logger.warning("wait_for_user on turn 1 overridden; answering instead")
+            await params.result_callback(
+                "That speech was addressed to you: the user just said the wake "
+                "word. Answer it now."
+            )
+            return
         await params.result_callback(
             "", properties=FunctionCallResultProperties(run_llm=False)
         )
diff --git a/broker/tools/harness.py b/broker/tools/harness.py
index 1fea79d..02930ba 100644
--- a/broker/tools/harness.py
+++ b/broker/tools/harness.py
@@ -273,6 +273,22 @@ async def s_challenge_follow_up(url):
         return r2.got_audio, f"challenge reply={t!r}", r2.first_audio_ms
 
 
+async def s_first_turn_addressed(url):
+    # Turn-1 twin of tv_line_after_answer, deliberately the SAME line: a wake
+    # word opened this connection, so whatever follows it is addressed to us
+    # even when it sounds exactly like the room. The model used to
+    # wait_for_user the first utterance away and strand the session silent
+    # (live logs); this line reproduced that 0/3 before the turn-1 override.
+    # The pair encodes the tradeoff — same words, answer on turn 1, ignore on
+    # turn 2.
+    async with session(url) as c:
+        tv = ("Oh man, it's good, huh? I told you this show gets better. "
+              "Hang on, I'm gonna grab another drink before it starts.")
+        r = await c.ask(tv, voice="echo")
+        t = r.transcript().lower() if r.got_audio else ""
+        return r.got_audio, f"first-turn reply={t!r}", r.first_audio_ms
+
+
 async def s_tv_line_after_answer(url):
     # Counter-metric to the follow-up bias in BACKGROUND_GUIDANCE: a
     # conversational TV line in a different voice right after the bot
@@ -323,6 +339,7 @@ async def s_mid_speech_disconnect(url):
     "reconnect": s_reconnect,
     "background_rejection": s_background_rejection,
     "challenge_follow_up": s_challenge_follow_up,
+    "first_turn_addressed": s_first_turn_addressed,
     "tv_line_after_answer": s_tv_line_after_answer,
     "mid_speech_disconnect": s_mid_speech_disconnect,
 }