diff --git a/cmd/mavwaked/wakeword_test.go b/cmd/mavwaked/wakeword_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ffe0b47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/mavwaked/wakeword_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,174 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// fakeGate fires on demand instead of running three ONNX models. The gate's
+// own arithmetic is measured on real audio in docs/evals; what these tests
+// cover is the thing that decides whether an utterance is shipped.
+type fakeGate struct {
+	fireOn int // fire when this many frames have been fed, 0 never fires
+	fed    int
+	resets int
+}
+
+func (g *fakeGate) Feed(_ []int16) bool {
+	g.fed++
+	return g.fireOn > 0 && g.fed == g.fireOn
+}
+func (g *fakeGate) Reset()         { g.resets++ }
+func (g *fakeGate) Score() float64 { return 1 }
+
+// wakingSession wires a session whose gate fires on the first frame it sees.
+func wakingSession(fireOn int, window time.Duration) (*session, *fakePlayer, *fakeSender, *fakeGate) {
+	sess, p, snd := newTestSession(bargeInConfig{})
+	g := &fakeGate{fireOn: fireOn}
+	sess.UseWakeWord(g, window)
+	return sess, p, snd, g
+}
+
+func TestKeywordlessSpeechNeverReachesSTT(t *testing.T) {
+	sess, p, snd, g := wakingSession(0, 8*time.Second)
+	speakThenPause(t, sess)
+
+	if len(snd.sent) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("sent %d utterances, want 0 — this is the whole point of V-487", len(snd.sent))
+	}
+	if sess.ignored != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("ignored = %d, want 1", sess.ignored)
+	}
+	if p.plays != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("plays = %d, want 0", p.plays)
+	}
+	if g.fed == 0 {
+		t.Error("the gate was never fed a frame")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestKeywordOpensTheGate(t *testing.T) {
+	sess, p, snd, _ := wakingSession(1, 8*time.Second)
+	speakThenPause(t, sess)
+
+	if len(snd.sent) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("sent %d utterances, want 1", len(snd.sent))
+	}
+	if sess.wakes != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("wakes = %d, want 1", sess.wakes)
+	}
+	if sess.ignored != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("ignored = %d, want 0", sess.ignored)
+	}
+	if p.plays != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("plays = %d, want 1", p.plays)
+	}
+}
+
+// One keyword buys one turn. Without this the microphone stays open for as
+// long as he keeps talking, which is the state the gate exists to end.
+func TestOneKeywordBuysOneTurn(t *testing.T) {
+	sess, p, snd, _ := wakingSession(1, 8*time.Second)
+	speakThenPause(t, sess)
+	p.Stop()         // she finished her reply
+	sess.discard = 0 // the backlog drain is not what this measures
+	speakThenPause(t, sess)
+
+	if len(snd.sent) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("sent %d utterances, want 1: the second had no keyword", len(snd.sent))
+	}
+	if sess.ignored != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("ignored = %d, want 1", sess.ignored)
+	}
+}
+
+// The keyword is heard, then he says nothing for longer than the window. What
+// he says after that is not addressed to her.
+func TestTheKeywordExpires(t *testing.T) {
+	sess, _, snd, _ := wakingSession(1, 500*time.Millisecond)
+	now := time.Unix(1750000000, 0)
+	sess.now = func() time.Time { return now }
+
+	if err := sess.feed(context.Background(), silentBytes()); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("feed: %v", err)
+	}
+	if sess.wakes != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("wakes = %d, want 1", sess.wakes)
+	}
+	now = now.Add(2 * time.Second)
+	speakThenPause(t, sess)
+
+	if len(snd.sent) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("sent %d utterances, want 0 — the keyword had expired", len(snd.sent))
+	}
+}
+
+// Barge-in cuts her off whether or not the keyword was heard. What he says
+// after cutting her off still has to carry it.
+func TestBargeInStillInterruptsHer(t *testing.T) {
+	sess, p, _, g := wakingSession(0, 8*time.Second)
+	sess.barge = bargeInConfig{RMS: 0.2, Frames: 3}
+	p.playing = true
+	loud := frameAt(0.35)
+	for i := 0; i < 4; i++ {
+		if err := sess.feed(context.Background(), loud); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("feed %d: %v", i, err)
+		}
+	}
+	if sess.bargeIns != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("bargeIns = %d, want 1", sess.bargeIns)
+	}
+	if p.stops != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("stops = %d, want 1", p.stops)
+	}
+	if g.resets == 0 {
+		t.Error("barge-in left pre-playback audio in the gate")
+	}
+}
+
+// Her own reply must not wake her. Frames captured while the player runs never
+// reach the gate, and the gate is cleared when playback ends.
+func TestHerOwnVoiceNeverReachesTheGate(t *testing.T) {
+	sess, p, _, g := wakingSession(1, 8*time.Second)
+	p.playing = true
+	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
+		if err := sess.feed(context.Background(), frameAt(0.35)); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("feed: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+	if g.fed != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("gate was fed %d frames while she was speaking, want 0", g.fed)
+	}
+	if sess.wakes != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("wakes = %d, want 0", sess.wakes)
+	}
+}
+
+// No model, no gate: the daemon behaves exactly as it did before V-487 stage
+// two. An operator with a missing file gets yesterday's mavwaked, not one that
+// refuses to hear anything.
+func TestNoGateShipsEveryUtterance(t *testing.T) {
+	sess, _, snd := newTestSession(bargeInConfig{})
+	speakThenPause(t, sess)
+
+	if len(snd.sent) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("sent %d utterances, want 1", len(snd.sent))
+	}
+	if sess.ignored != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("ignored = %d, want 0", sess.ignored)
+	}
+}
+
+// A nil *wakeWord is the closed gate, not a crash and not an open one.
+func TestNilWakeWordHearsNothing(t *testing.T) {
+	var w *wakeWord
+	if w.Feed([]int16{0, 0, 0}) {
+		t.Error("a nil wake word reported the keyword")
+	}
+	if w.Score() != 0 {
+		t.Error("a nil wake word reported a score")
+	}
+	w.Reset()
+	w.Close()
+}