diff --git a/src/stores/__tests__/sounds.spec.js b/src/stores/__tests__/sounds.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..48ed851198e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/stores/__tests__/sounds.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+/**
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Nextcloud GmbH and Nextcloud contributors
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+ */
+
+import { getCurrentUser } from '@nextcloud/auth'
+import axios from '@nextcloud/axios'
+import { generateOcsUrl } from '@nextcloud/router'
+import { createPinia, setActivePinia } from 'pinia'
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import BrowserStorage from '../../services/BrowserStorage.js'
+import { getTalkConfig } from '../../services/CapabilitiesManager.ts'
+
+vi.mock('@nextcloud/auth', () => ({
+	getCurrentUser: vi.fn(),
+}))
+vi.mock('@nextcloud/axios', () => ({
+	default: {
+		post: vi.fn(() => Promise.resolve()),
+	},
+}))
+vi.mock('../../services/BrowserStorage.js', () => ({
+	default: {
+		getItem: vi.fn(),
+		setItem: vi.fn(),
+	},
+}))
+vi.mock('../../services/CapabilitiesManager.ts', () => ({
+	getTalkConfig: vi.fn(),
+}))
+
+/**
+ * The initial value is computed when the module is loaded, so load it fresh for every test
+ */
+async function loadSoundsStore() {
+	vi.resetModules()
+	const { useSoundsStore } = await import('../sounds.js')
+	setActivePinia(createPinia())
+	return useSoundsStore()
+}
+
+describe('soundsStore', () => {
+	beforeEach(() => {
+		vi.clearAllMocks()
+		getCurrentUser.mockReturnValue({ uid: 'alice' })
+		getTalkConfig.mockReturnValue(undefined)
+		BrowserStorage.getItem.mockReturnValue(null)
+	})
+
+	describe('initial value for users', () => {
+		it('takes the value from the capabilities on Talk 24+', async () => {
+			getTalkConfig.mockReturnValue(false)
+			const store = await loadSoundsStore()
+			expect(store.shouldPlaySounds).toBe(false)
+			expect(getTalkConfig).toHaveBeenCalledWith('local', 'call', 'play-sounds')
+		})
+
+		it('prefers the capabilities over browser storage', async () => {
+			getTalkConfig.mockReturnValue(true)
+			BrowserStorage.getItem.mockReturnValue('no')
+			const store = await loadSoundsStore()
+			expect(store.shouldPlaySounds).toBe(true)
+		})
+
+		it('falls back to browser storage when the server has no capability', async () => {
+			BrowserStorage.getItem.mockReturnValue('no')
+			const store = await loadSoundsStore()
+			expect(store.shouldPlaySounds).toBe(false)
+		})
+
+		it('defaults to enabled without capability or storage', async () => {
+			const store = await loadSoundsStore()
+			expect(store.shouldPlaySounds).toBe(true)
+		})
+	})
+
+	describe('initial value for guests', () => {
+		beforeEach(() => {
+			getCurrentUser.mockReturnValue(null)
+		})
+
+		it('prefers browser storage over the capabilities', async () => {
+			getTalkConfig.mockReturnValue(true)
+			BrowserStorage.getItem.mockReturnValue('no')
+			const store = await loadSoundsStore()
+			expect(store.shouldPlaySounds).toBe(false)
+		})
+
+		it('takes the value from the capabilities without storage', async () => {
+			getTalkConfig.mockReturnValue(false)
+			const store = await loadSoundsStore()
+			expect(store.shouldPlaySounds).toBe(false)
+		})
+
+		it('defaults to enabled on older servers', async () => {
+			const store = await loadSoundsStore()
+			expect(store.shouldPlaySounds).toBe(true)
+		})
+	})
+
+	describe('setShouldPlaySounds', () => {
+		it('saves on the server only when the capability exists', async () => {
+			getTalkConfig.mockReturnValue(true)
+			const store = await loadSoundsStore()
+			await store.setShouldPlaySounds(false)
+			expect(axios.post).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+				generateOcsUrl('apps/spreed/api/v1/settings/user'),
+				{ key: 'play_sounds', value: 'no' },
+			)
+			expect(BrowserStorage.setItem).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+			expect(store.shouldPlaySounds).toBe(false)
+		})
+
+		it('saves to browser storage instead on older servers, since they cannot hand it back', async () => {
+			const store = await loadSoundsStore()
+			await store.setShouldPlaySounds(false)
+			expect(axios.post).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+			expect(BrowserStorage.setItem).toHaveBeenCalledWith('play_sounds', 'no')
+			expect(store.shouldPlaySounds).toBe(false)
+		})
+
+		it('saves guests to browser storage', async () => {
+			getCurrentUser.mockReturnValue(null)
+			const store = await loadSoundsStore()
+			await store.setShouldPlaySounds(true)
+			expect(axios.post).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+			expect(BrowserStorage.setItem).toHaveBeenCalledWith('play_sounds', 'yes')
+		})
+	})
+})
diff --git a/src/stores/sounds.js b/src/stores/sounds.js
index 24dd0e2a350..8bb4db86719 100644
--- a/src/stores/sounds.js
+++ b/src/stores/sounds.js
@@ -11,20 +11,32 @@ import { getTalkConfig } from '../services/CapabilitiesManager.ts'
 import { setPlaySounds } from '../services/settingsService.ts'
 
 const hasUserAccount = Boolean(getCurrentUser()?.uid)
+const playSoundsCapability = getTalkConfig('local', 'call', 'play-sounds')
+const hasPlaySoundsCapability = playSoundsCapability !== undefined
+
 /**
- * Get play sounds option (from server for user or from browser storage for guest)
+ * Get play sounds option. A guest keeps whatever this browser remembered, otherwise the
+ * capability decides. Servers before Talk 24 don't hand the value out at all, so fall back
+ * to the browser and then to enabled.
+ *
+ * @return {boolean}
  */
-let shouldPlaySounds = false
-if (hasUserAccount) {
-	shouldPlaySounds = getTalkConfig('local', 'call', 'play-sounds')
-} else {
-	if (BrowserStorage.getItem('play_sounds')) {
-		shouldPlaySounds = BrowserStorage.getItem('play_sounds') !== 'no'
-	} else {
-		shouldPlaySounds = getTalkConfig('local', 'call', 'play-sounds')
+function getInitialShouldPlaySounds() {
+	const fromStorage = BrowserStorage.getItem('play_sounds')
+
+	if (!hasUserAccount && fromStorage) {
+		return fromStorage !== 'no'
+	}
+
+	if (hasPlaySoundsCapability) {
+		return playSoundsCapability
 	}
+
+	return fromStorage ? fromStorage !== 'no' : true
 }
 
+const shouldPlaySounds = getInitialShouldPlaySounds()
+
 /**
  * Preferred version is the .ogg, with .flac fallback if .ogg is not supported (Safari)
  */
@@ -55,7 +67,7 @@ export const useSoundsStore = defineStore('sounds', {
 		 * @param {boolean} value whether sounds should be played
 		 */
 		async setShouldPlaySounds(value) {
-			await setPlaySounds(hasUserAccount, value ? 'yes' : 'no')
+			await setPlaySounds(hasUserAccount && hasPlaySoundsCapability, value ? 'yes' : 'no')
 			this.shouldPlaySounds = value
 		},