diff --git a/src/gateway/protocol/index.test.ts b/src/gateway/protocol/index.test.ts
index 3554f326278..ad452effd1f 100644
--- a/src/gateway/protocol/index.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/protocol/index.test.ts
@@ -99,4 +99,21 @@ describe("validateTalkConfigResult", () => {
       }),
     ).toBe(true);
   });
+
+  it("rejects normalized talk payloads without talk.resolved", () => {
+    expect(
+      validateTalkConfigResult({
+        config: {
+          talk: {
+            provider: "elevenlabs",
+            providers: {
+              elevenlabs: {
+                voiceId: "voice-normalized",
+              },
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/gateway/protocol/schema/channels.ts b/src/gateway/protocol/schema/channels.ts
index f53c1f5302b..ee4d6d1ea1f 100644
--- a/src/gateway/protocol/schema/channels.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/protocol/schema/channels.ts
@@ -35,27 +35,40 @@ const ResolvedTalkConfigSchema = Type.Object(
   { additionalProperties: false },
 );
 
+const LegacyTalkConfigSchema = Type.Object(
+  {
+    voiceId: Type.Optional(Type.String()),
+    voiceAliases: Type.Optional(Type.Record(Type.String(), Type.String())),
+    modelId: Type.Optional(Type.String()),
+    outputFormat: Type.Optional(Type.String()),
+    apiKey: Type.Optional(SecretInputSchema),
+    interruptOnSpeech: Type.Optional(Type.Boolean()),
+    silenceTimeoutMs: Type.Optional(Type.Integer({ minimum: 1 })),
+  },
+  { additionalProperties: false },
+);
+
+const NormalizedTalkConfigSchema = Type.Object(
+  {
+    provider: Type.Optional(Type.String()),
+    providers: Type.Optional(Type.Record(Type.String(), TalkProviderConfigSchema)),
+    resolved: ResolvedTalkConfigSchema,
+    voiceId: Type.Optional(Type.String()),
+    voiceAliases: Type.Optional(Type.Record(Type.String(), Type.String())),
+    modelId: Type.Optional(Type.String()),
+    outputFormat: Type.Optional(Type.String()),
+    apiKey: Type.Optional(SecretInputSchema),
+    interruptOnSpeech: Type.Optional(Type.Boolean()),
+    silenceTimeoutMs: Type.Optional(Type.Integer({ minimum: 1 })),
+  },
+  { additionalProperties: false },
+);
+
 export const TalkConfigResultSchema = Type.Object(
   {
     config: Type.Object(
       {
-        talk: Type.Optional(
-          Type.Object(
-            {
-              provider: Type.Optional(Type.String()),
-              providers: Type.Optional(Type.Record(Type.String(), TalkProviderConfigSchema)),
-              resolved: Type.Optional(ResolvedTalkConfigSchema),
-              voiceId: Type.Optional(Type.String()),
-              voiceAliases: Type.Optional(Type.Record(Type.String(), Type.String())),
-              modelId: Type.Optional(Type.String()),
-              outputFormat: Type.Optional(Type.String()),
-              apiKey: Type.Optional(SecretInputSchema),
-              interruptOnSpeech: Type.Optional(Type.Boolean()),
-              silenceTimeoutMs: Type.Optional(Type.Integer({ minimum: 1 })),
-            },
-            { additionalProperties: false },
-          ),
-        ),
+        talk: Type.Optional(Type.Union([LegacyTalkConfigSchema, NormalizedTalkConfigSchema])),
         session: Type.Optional(
           Type.Object(
             {
diff --git a/src/gateway/protocol/talk-config.contract.test.ts b/src/gateway/protocol/talk-config.contract.test.ts
index 59cac413a90..7d77dbc37ca 100644
--- a/src/gateway/protocol/talk-config.contract.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/protocol/talk-config.contract.test.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ describe("talk.config contract fixtures", () => {
       if (fixture.payloadValid) {
         expect(validateTalkConfigResult(payload)).toBe(true);
       } else {
-        expect((payload.config.talk as { resolved?: unknown }).resolved).toBeUndefined();
+        expect(validateTalkConfigResult(payload)).toBe(false);
       }
 
       if (!fixture.expectedSelection) {