diff --git a/packages/kilo-vscode/src/services/input-tools.ts b/packages/kilo-vscode/src/services/input-tools.ts
index 23479bbf208..76157c11ff2 100644
--- a/packages/kilo-vscode/src/services/input-tools.ts
+++ b/packages/kilo-vscode/src/services/input-tools.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export async function routeInputToolMessage(message: Msg, ctx: Ctx): Promise<boo
   if (await routeAutocompleteMessage(message, ctx.post)) return true
 
   if (message.type === "speechToTextPrewarm") {
-    void prewarmSpeechCapture().catch((err) => console.warn("[Kilo New] Speech capture prewarm failed:", err))
+    void prewarmSpeechCapture().catch((err: unknown) => console.warn("[Kilo New] Speech capture prewarm failed:", err))
     return true
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/kilo-vscode/src/speech-to-text/capture.ts b/packages/kilo-vscode/src/speech-to-text/capture.ts
index a2d61885bc7..6250c0822c1 100644
--- a/packages/kilo-vscode/src/speech-to-text/capture.ts
+++ b/packages/kilo-vscode/src/speech-to-text/capture.ts
@@ -235,10 +235,10 @@ function requireActive(requestId: string): Recording {
 }
 
 async function resolveFFmpeg(): Promise<string> {
-  if (ffmpeg) {
-    const bin = await ffmpeg
+  const cached = ffmpeg
+  if (cached) {
+    const bin = await cached
     if (!path.isAbsolute(bin) || existsSync(bin)) return bin
-    ffmpeg = undefined
   }
 
   const task = findFFmpeg()
diff --git a/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/components/speech-to-text/SpeechToTextButton.tsx b/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/components/speech-to-text/SpeechToTextButton.tsx
index ade6048443c..5a6d4f056a8 100644
--- a/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/components/speech-to-text/SpeechToTextButton.tsx
+++ b/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/components/speech-to-text/SpeechToTextButton.tsx
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ type Props = {
 
 export const SpeechToTextButton: Component<Props> = (props) => {
   const unavailable = () => !!props.disabled && props.speech.state() === "idle"
+  const locked = () => unavailable() || props.speech.state() === "starting"
   const busy = () => props.speech.state() === "starting" || props.speech.state() === "transcribing"
   const label = () => {
     if (props.speech.state() === "starting") return props.label("speechToText.tooltip.starting")
@@ -50,9 +51,9 @@ export const SpeechToTextButton: Component<Props> = (props) => {
         variant="ghost"
         size="small"
         onClick={click}
-        disabled={unavailable()}
+        disabled={locked()}
         aria-label={label()}
-        aria-disabled={unavailable() || props.speech.state() === "starting"}
+        aria-disabled={locked()}
         aria-busy={busy()}
         aria-pressed={props.speech.state() === "recording"}
         class={`prompt-speech-button prompt-speech-button--${props.speech.state()}`}
diff --git a/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/styles/prompt-input.css b/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/styles/prompt-input.css
index 77209132756..3188bf86c99 100644
--- a/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/styles/prompt-input.css
+++ b/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/styles/prompt-input.css
@@ -654,6 +654,11 @@
   }
 }
 
+.prompt-speech-button--starting {
+  cursor: progress;
+  opacity: 0.7;
+}
+
 .prompt-speech-button--recording::after {
   content: "";
   position: absolute;