diff --git a/docs/OPERATIONS.md b/docs/OPERATIONS.md
index 0ec580f..182ac8a 100644
--- a/docs/OPERATIONS.md
+++ b/docs/OPERATIONS.md
@@ -205,19 +205,20 @@ Disk meters are intentionally absent (models live on the Ollama hosts).
   `TTS_PROVIDER` forces one; `TTS_VOICE` / `ELEVENLABS_VOICE` set defaults.
   Output is cached on disk (sha of provider|voice|text, 200 files cap),
   rate-limited to 30 jobs/hour/account (429), kill-switched via
-  `tools_tts_enabled` (Admin Center → Features). Test overrides:
-  `ELEVENLABS_BASE_URL` / `OPENAI_BASE_URL`.
+  `tools_tts_enabled` (Admin Center → Features). Preview lines are
+  pre-generated once at boot and right after each preview save, so serving
+  users always hits the cache (`X-TTS-Cache: HIT/MISS` proves it). Test
+  overrides: `ELEVENLABS_BASE_URL` / `OPENAI_BASE_URL`.
 - **Settings → Voice** (per browser, localStorage): engine, language
   (auto-detect per message or forced), browser voice/rate/pitch, neural
   voice id, and one-tap previews of the admin-set lines.
 - **Admin Center → Features → Voice previews**: the default playback lines
   (`voice_previews` setting, 1–6 lines `{text, lang, rate, pitch, timbre,
   voice}`, each with its OWN voice character — masculine/feminine/any
-  timbre hint, speed, pitch, optional server voice id — so previews sound
-  different from each other; timbre matching is best-effort over the
-  browser's voice names, rate/pitch always apply; empty list resets to the
-  built-ins), also served to users via `GET /api/tools`. Users can adopt
-  any preview's character as their own playback voice from Settings → Voice.
+  timbre hint, speed, pitch, optional server voice id picked from a select
+  menu fed by the provider catalog), also served to users via
+  `GET /api/tools`. Users can adopt any preview's character as their own
+  playback voice from Settings → Voice.
 
 ## Personal providers (BYOK)
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/AdminCenter.tsx b/frontend/src/components/AdminCenter.tsx
index 8ebd345..a248f56 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/AdminCenter.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/AdminCenter.tsx
@@ -348,6 +348,7 @@ function VoicePreviewsCard() {
   const [loaded, setLoaded] = useState(false);
   const [busy, setBusy] = useState(false);
   const [msg, setMsg] = useState<{ ok: boolean; text: string } | null>(null);
+  const [serverVoices, setServerVoices] = useState<{ id: string; name: string }[]>([]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     api.adminGetSettings()
@@ -356,6 +357,7 @@ function VoicePreviewsCard() {
         setLoaded(true);
       })
       .catch(() => setLoaded(true));
+    api.ttsInfo().then((r) => setServerVoices(r.voices)).catch(() => {});
   }, []);
 
   async function save(next: VoicePreview[]) {
@@ -453,16 +455,30 @@ function VoicePreviewsCard() {
               </span>
               <span className="w-40">
                 <Field label={t("vfeat.voice")} hint={t("vfeat.voiceHint")}>
-                  <Input
-                    value={line.voice}
-                    disabled={busy}
-                    maxLength={64}
-                    placeholder={t("vfeat.voicePh")}
-                    aria-label={t("vfeat.voice")}
-                    onChange={(e) => patch(i, { voice: e.target.value })}
-                    onBlur={() => commit(i)}
-                    onKeyDown={(e) => { if (e.key === "Enter") (e.target as HTMLInputElement).blur(); }}
-                  />
+                  {serverVoices.length > 0 ? (
+                    <Picker
+                      ariaLabel={t("vfeat.voice")}
+                      value={line.voice}
+                      onChange={(v) => {
+                        patch(i, { voice: v });
+                        const next = lines.map((l, j) => (j === i ? { ...l, voice: v } : l));
+                        if (next[i]!.text.trim() !== "") void save(next);
+                      }}
+                      align="left"
+                      options={[{ value: "", label: t("vfeat.voicePh") }, ...serverVoices.map((v) => ({ value: v.id, label: v.name }))]}
+                    />
+                  ) : (
+                    <Input
+                      value={line.voice}
+                      disabled={busy}
+                      maxLength={64}
+                      placeholder={t("vfeat.voicePh")}
+                      aria-label={t("vfeat.voice")}
+                      onChange={(e) => patch(i, { voice: e.target.value })}
+                      onBlur={() => commit(i)}
+                      onKeyDown={(e) => { if (e.key === "Enter") (e.target as HTMLInputElement).blur(); }}
+                    />
+                  )}
                 </Field>
               </span>
               <label className="min-w-32 flex-1 text-xs opacity-80">
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/dialogs.tsx b/frontend/src/components/dialogs.tsx
index a5d0421..2b69b78 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/dialogs.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/dialogs.tsx
@@ -877,7 +877,7 @@ function VoiceSection() {
   const [voices, setVoices] = useState<SpeechSynthesisVoice[]>([]);
   const [previews, setPreviews] = useState<VoicePreview[]>([]);
   const [playing, setPlaying] = useState<number | null>(null);
-  const [ttsServer, setTtsServer] = useState<{ available: boolean; provider: string | null; voices: string[] } | null>(null);
+  const [ttsServer, setTtsServer] = useState<{ available: boolean; provider: string | null; voices: { id: string; name: string }[] } | null>(null);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     let alive = true;
@@ -979,7 +979,7 @@ function VoiceSection() {
       </Field>
       {(prefs.engine !== "browser") && (
         ttsServer?.available ? (
-          ttsServer.provider === "openai" ? (
+          ttsServer.voices.length > 0 ? (
             <Field label={t("voice.serverVoice")}>
               <Picker
                 ariaLabel={t("voice.serverVoice")}
@@ -987,7 +987,7 @@ function VoiceSection() {
                 value={prefs.serverVoice ?? ""}
                 onChange={(v) => update({ serverVoice: v || null })}
                 align="left"
-                options={[{ value: "", label: t("voice.defaultVoice") }, ...ttsServer.voices.map((v) => ({ value: v, label: v }))]}
+                options={[{ value: "", label: t("voice.defaultVoice") }, ...ttsServer.voices.map((v) => ({ value: v.id, label: v.name }))]}
               />
             </Field>
           ) : ttsServer.provider === "elevenlabs" ? (
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/accent.ts b/frontend/src/lib/accent.ts
index 1e27d97..15949b8 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/accent.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/accent.ts
@@ -123,21 +123,23 @@ function mixHex(hex: string, target: number, amount: number): string {
 }
 
 /**
- * Favicon follows the accent: a mini flower (petals in the accent ramp,
- * amber core like the logo) swapped in as an SVG data URL, so the tab icon
- * always matches the platform dress.
+ * Favicon follows the accent AND the theme: the tile background is
+ * theme-owned (white by day, near-black by night) while the flower itself
+ * wears the accent ramp — never an accent tile.
  */
-export function paintFavicon(baseHex: string): void {
+export function paintFavicon(baseHex: string, dark?: boolean): void {
   if (typeof document === "undefined") return;
   const base = /^#?[0-9a-f]{6}$/i.test(baseHex.trim()) ? baseHex.trim().replace(/^#?/, "#") : "#10b981";
-  const dark = mixHex(base, 0, 0.35);
+  const isDark = dark ?? document.documentElement.classList.contains("dark");
+  const tile = isDark ? "#09090b" : "#ffffff";
+  const ring = isDark ? "#27272a" : "#e7e5e4";
   const light = mixHex(base, 255, 0.55);
   const petals = [8, 80, 151, 223, 295].map(
     (a) => `<ellipse cx="50" cy="28" rx="13" ry="20" fill="${base}" transform="rotate(${a} 50 50)"/>`,
   ).join("");
   const svg =
     `<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 100 100">` +
-    `<rect width="100" height="100" rx="22" fill="${dark}"/>${petals}` +
+    `<rect width="100" height="100" rx="22" fill="${tile}" stroke="${ring}" stroke-width="3"/>${petals}` +
     `<ellipse cx="50" cy="28" rx="13" ry="20" fill="${light}" opacity="0.45" transform="rotate(8 50 50)"/>` +
     `<circle cx="50" cy="50" r="10" fill="#fbbf24"/></svg>`;
   const url = `data:image/svg+xml,${encodeURIComponent(svg)}`;
@@ -153,6 +155,24 @@ export function paintFavicon(baseHex: string): void {
   }
 }
 
+/** Last accent base, so theme flips can repaint without knowing the color. */
+let lastBase = "#10b981";
+
+function repaint(): void {
+  paintFavicon(lastBase);
+}
+
+if (typeof document !== "undefined" && typeof MutationObserver !== "undefined") {
+  new MutationObserver((muts) => {
+    for (const m of muts) {
+      if (m.attributeName === "class") {
+        repaint();
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+  }).observe(document.documentElement, { attributes: true, attributeFilter: ["class"] });
+}
+
 // Restore the saved accent on load.
 if (typeof document !== "undefined") {
   applyAccent(currentAccent());
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/api.ts b/frontend/src/lib/api.ts
index 58069e0..5ebb7d9 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/api.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/api.ts
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ export const api = {
   tools: () => req<{ tools: { name: string; description: string; available: boolean; reason: string | null }[]; reportsEnabled: boolean; usernameChangeEnabled: boolean; voicePreviews: VoicePreview[] }>("/api/tools"),
 
   /** Neural TTS provider status (null = browser speech fallback). */
-  ttsInfo: () => req<{ provider: "elevenlabs" | "openai" | "piper" | null; voices: string[]; available: boolean; reason: string | null }>("/api/tools/tts/info"),
+  ttsInfo: () => req<{ provider: "elevenlabs" | "openai" | "piper" | null; voices: { id: string; name: string }[]; available: boolean; reason: string | null }>("/api/tools/tts/info"),
 
   /** Synthesize text server-side (neural voice). Returns audio bytes. */
   ttsSpeak: async (text: string, voice?: string): Promise<Blob> => {
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 92f53ab..70f1c44 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -287,6 +287,28 @@ function sanitizeVoicePreviews(v: unknown): VoicePreview[] | null {
   return clean.length > 0 ? clean.slice(0, 6) : null;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Generate every preview line's audio ONCE (background, best-effort) so
+ * serving users always hits the disk cache — no synthesis latency on
+ * playback, no repeated provider cost. Runs at boot and after each
+ * preview save; failures are swallowed (first playback synthesizes).
+ */
+async function pregenerateVoicePreviews(): Promise<void> {
+  try {
+    const tts = tools.tts;
+    if (!await tts.isAvailable()) return;
+    for (const line of await getVoicePreviews()) {
+      try {
+        await tts.synthesize(line.text, line.voice || undefined);
+      } catch {
+        // one line must not block the others
+      }
+    }
+  } catch {
+    // pregen must never break boot or saves
+  }
+}
+
 function clientIp(req: Request, server: { requestIP?: (r: Request) => { address: string } | null }): string {
   try {
     const info = server.requestIP?.(req);
@@ -1104,6 +1126,8 @@ const server = Bun.serve<{ ticketId: string | null; isAdmin: boolean }>({
             if (!clean) return json({ error: "voicePreviews must be 1-6 lines {text, lang?, rate?, pitch?, timbre?, voice?}, or [] to reset" }, 400);
             await setSetting("voice_previews", JSON.stringify(clean));
           }
+          // New/changed lines get their audio generated once, right away.
+          void pregenerateVoicePreviews();
         }
         if (body.ttsEnabled !== undefined) {
           if (typeof body.ttsEnabled !== "boolean") return json({ error: "ttsEnabled must be boolean" }, 400);
@@ -1846,10 +1870,10 @@ const server = Bun.serve<{ ticketId: string | null; isAdmin: boolean }>({
         }
         recordTtsJob(user.id);
         try {
-          const { audio, contentType } = await tts.synthesize(text, typeof body.voice === "string" ? body.voice : undefined);
+          const { audio, contentType, fromCache } = await tts.synthesize(text, typeof body.voice === "string" ? body.voice : undefined);
           const bytes = audio.buffer.slice(audio.byteOffset, audio.byteOffset + audio.byteLength) as ArrayBuffer;
           return new Response(bytes, {
-            headers: { "Content-Type": contentType, "Cache-Control": "private, max-age=86400" },
+            headers: { "Content-Type": contentType, "Cache-Control": "private, max-age=86400", "X-TTS-Cache": fromCache ? "HIT" : "MISS" },
           });
         } catch (e) {
           const msg = (e as Error).message;
@@ -2010,3 +2034,7 @@ const server = Bun.serve<{ ticketId: string | null; isAdmin: boolean }>({
 console.log(`KisAssistant listening on http://${config.host}:${config.port}`);
 console.log(`Drivers (priority order): ${registry.ordered().map((d) => `${d.name}${d.enabled ? "" : " [disabled]"}`).join(" -> ")}`);
 void server;
+
+// Preview voice lines get their audio generated once at boot so playback
+// always serves the disk cache (background, best-effort).
+void pregenerateVoicePreviews();
diff --git a/src/tools/tts.ts b/src/tools/tts.ts
index d475774..57453f2 100644
--- a/src/tools/tts.ts
+++ b/src/tools/tts.ts
@@ -65,6 +65,11 @@ function piperBin(): string {
   return process.env["PIPER_BIN"] || "piper";
 }
 
+export interface TtsVoice {
+  id: string;
+  name: string;
+}
+
 async function piperAvailable(): Promise<boolean> {
   if (!config.piperModel) return false;
   try {
@@ -140,8 +145,33 @@ function pruneCache(): void {
   }
 }
 
-async function synthElevenlabs(text: string, voiceId: string): Promise<{ audio: Uint8Array; contentType: string }> {
-  const res = await fetch(`${elevenlabsBase()}/v1/text-to-speech/${encodeURIComponent(voiceId)}`, {
+// ElevenLabs voice catalog (cached 5 min, best-effort — drives the admin
+// voice select menus; never blocks synthesis when unreachable).
+let elVoicesCache: { at: number; voices: TtsVoice[] } | null = null;
+
+export async function elevenlabsVoices(): Promise<TtsVoice[]> {
+  const now = Date.now();
+  if (elVoicesCache && now - elVoicesCache.at < 300_000) return elVoicesCache.voices;
+  const fallback = config.elevenlabsVoice ? [{ id: config.elevenlabsVoice, name: config.elevenlabsVoice }] : [];
+  try {
+    const res = await fetch(`${elevenlabsBase()}/v1/voices`, {
+      headers: { "xi-api-key": config.elevenlabsApiKey },
+      signal: AbortSignal.timeout(15_000),
+    });
+    if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`status ${res.status}`);
+    const data = (await res.json()) as { voices?: { voice_id?: unknown; name?: unknown }[] };
+    const voices = (data.voices ?? [])
+      .filter((v) => typeof v.voice_id === "string" && typeof v.name === "string")
+      .map((v) => ({ id: v.voice_id as string, name: v.name as string }));
+    if (voices.length === 0) return fallback;
+    elVoicesCache = { at: now, voices };
+    return [...voices, ...fallback.filter((f) => !voices.some((v) => v.id === f.id))];
+  } catch {
+    return fallback;
+  }
+}
+
+async function synthElevenlabs(text: string, voiceId: string): Promise<{ audio: Uint8Array; contentType: string }> {  const res = await fetch(`${elevenlabsBase()}/v1/text-to-speech/${encodeURIComponent(voiceId)}`, {
     method: "POST",
     headers: {
       "Content-Type": "application/json",
@@ -228,11 +258,11 @@ export class TtsTool implements PlatformTool {
     return null;
   }
 
-  async providerInfo(): Promise<{ provider: TtsProvider | null; voices: string[] }> {
+  async providerInfo(): Promise<{ provider: TtsProvider | null; voices: TtsVoice[] }> {
     const p = await activeTtsProvider();
     if (!p) return { provider: null, voices: [] };
-    if (p === "openai") return { provider: p, voices: [...OPENAI_VOICES] };
-    if (p === "elevenlabs") return { provider: p, voices: config.elevenlabsVoice ? [config.elevenlabsVoice] : [] };
+    if (p === "openai") return { provider: p, voices: OPENAI_VOICES.map((v) => ({ id: v, name: v })) };
+    if (p === "elevenlabs") return { provider: p, voices: await elevenlabsVoices() };
     return { provider: p, voices: [] };
   }