diff --git a/docker/entrypoint.sh b/docker/entrypoint.sh
index 84e3e53..22bab02 100755
--- a/docker/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/docker/entrypoint.sh
@@ -51,12 +51,18 @@ export JARVIS_CONFIG_PATH=/app/config/jarvis.json
 # the env-rendered config, so changes survive container recreate.
 if [ -f /data/jarvis-settings.json ]; then
   python3 - <<'PY' || true
-import json
+import json, os
 try:
     base = json.load(open("/app/config/jarvis.json"))
     ov = json.load(open("/data/jarvis-settings.json"))
     if isinstance(base, dict) and isinstance(ov, dict):
         base.update(ov)
+        # A stale persisted tts_engine from an earlier voice (melo/xtts, no
+        # longer built into the image) would override the configured engine and
+        # leave the bot silent. Reset those to the env-configured engine.
+        if base.get("tts_engine") in ("melo", "xtts"):
+            base["tts_engine"] = os.environ.get("TTS_ENGINE", "edge")
+            print(f"[entrypoint] reset stale tts_engine -> {base['tts_engine']}")
         json.dump(base, open("/app/config/jarvis.json", "w"), ensure_ascii=False, indent=2)
         print("[entrypoint] merged persistent settings overrides")
 except Exception as e:
diff --git a/src/jarvis/config.py b/src/jarvis/config.py
index cbc61f1..854861f 100644
--- a/src/jarvis/config.py
+++ b/src/jarvis/config.py
@@ -608,7 +608,11 @@ def load_settings() -> Settings:
     active_profiles = _ensure_list(merged.get("active_profiles"))
     tts_enabled = bool(merged.get("tts_enabled", True))
     tts_engine = str(merged.get("tts_engine", "piper")).lower()
-    if tts_engine not in ("piper", "chatterbox"):
+    # "edge" (Microsoft Edge TTS) is the containerized bridge's Korean voice;
+    # "melo" is the legacy warm-worker voice. Both are multilingual, so they must
+    # be preserved here — coercing them to "piper" would mislabel the engine as
+    # English-only in reply_language_directive().
+    if tts_engine not in ("piper", "chatterbox", "edge", "melo"):
         tts_engine = "piper"  # Default to piper if invalid value
     tts_voice_val = merged.get("tts_voice")
     tts_voice = None if tts_voice_val in (None, "", "null") else str(tts_voice_val)
diff --git a/tests/test_system_prompt.py b/tests/test_system_prompt.py
index 3134989..0b497c4 100644
--- a/tests/test_system_prompt.py
+++ b/tests/test_system_prompt.py
@@ -110,6 +110,14 @@ class TestReplyLanguageDirective:
         directive = reply_language_directive("Korean", "melo")
         assert directive is not None and "Korean" in directive
 
+    def test_edge_is_multilingual(self):
+        # Edge TTS (the default Korean voice) is not English-only: no lock → the
+        # user's own language, and a lock is honoured (not forced to English).
+        assert reply_language_directive(None, "edge") is None
+        directive = reply_language_directive("Korean", "edge")
+        assert directive is not None and "Korean" in directive
+        assert directive != ENGLISH_ONLY_DIRECTIVE
+
 
 class TestLoadAgentInstructions:
     """Operator can extend the reply LLM's system prompt by dropping *.md files