diff --git a/firmware/main/desklock_main.c b/firmware/main/desklock_main.c
index 006bd84..750f5bf 100644
--- a/firmware/main/desklock_main.c
+++ b/firmware/main/desklock_main.c
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
  */
 
 #include "esp_log.h"
+#include "esp_system.h"
 #include "bsp/esp-bsp.h"
 
 #include "desklock.h"
@@ -57,7 +58,9 @@ void app_main(void)
     face_init();
 
     audio_init();
-    audio_play_gong();
+    if (esp_reset_reason() == ESP_RST_POWERON) {
+        audio_play_gong(); /* cold boot only — recovery reboots stay silent */
+    }
 
 #if WIFI_DIAG_MODE
     wifi_diag_start();
diff --git a/firmware/sdkconfig.defaults b/firmware/sdkconfig.defaults
index 5ff2cc5..91f9d33 100644
--- a/firmware/sdkconfig.defaults
+++ b/firmware/sdkconfig.defaults
@@ -55,3 +55,7 @@ CONFIG_ESP_HOSTED_SDIO_CLOCK_FREQ_KHZ=20000
 
 # headroom for diag event handlers that touch LVGL
 CONFIG_ESP_SYSTEM_EVENT_TASK_STACK_SIZE=4096
+
+# 1-bit SDIO: fixes the "Unrecoverable host sdio state" wedge family
+# (esp-hosted-mcu #167/#148); 2.5MB/s is ~80x what voice needs
+CONFIG_ESP_HOSTED_SDIO_1_BIT_BUS=y