diff --git a/dockerfiles/hermes-webui-atlas-voice.css b/dockerfiles/hermes-webui-atlas-voice.css
index 0612733f..8e1d1ec3 100644
--- a/dockerfiles/hermes-webui-atlas-voice.css
+++ b/dockerfiles/hermes-webui-atlas-voice.css
@@ -809,38 +809,21 @@
   filter: saturate(0.35) brightness(0.8);
 }
 
-/* FIX 4: "working…" affordance. Armed by atlas-voice.js (.is-awaiting) only
+/* FIX 4: "working" affordance. Armed by atlas-voice.js (.is-awaiting) only
    after the model has been Thinking a beat with no reply text yet, so dead time
-   reads as alive. A slow orb shimmer plus animated dots trailing the state
-   caption — cheap, CSS-only, and fully suppressed under reduced motion by the
-   blanket rule below. */
+   reads as alive. A slow orb shimmer only — the state caption keeps its single
+   static ellipsis (e.g. "Thinking…") and is never trailed by animated dots, so
+   the ellipsis stays consistent instead of doubling up. Cheap, CSS-only, and
+   fully suppressed under reduced motion by the blanket rule below. */
 .voice-conversation.is-awaiting .voice-conversation-orb-halo {
   animation: voice-conversation-await-shimmer 2.6s ease-in-out infinite;
 }
 
-.voice-conversation.is-awaiting .voice-conversation-state::after {
-  content: "";
-  display: inline-block;
-  width: 1.4em;
-  margin-left: 0.15em;
-  text-align: left;
-  vertical-align: bottom;
-  animation: voice-conversation-await-dots 1.4s steps(4, end) infinite;
-}
-
 @keyframes voice-conversation-await-shimmer {
   0%, 100% { opacity: 0.6; filter: blur(10px); }
   50% { opacity: 0.92; filter: blur(13px); }
 }
 
-@keyframes voice-conversation-await-dots {
-  0% { content: ""; }
-  25% { content: "·"; }
-  50% { content: "··"; }
-  75% { content: "···"; }
-  100% { content: ""; }
-}
-
 @keyframes voice-conversation-breathe {
   0%, 100% { opacity: 0.55; transform: scale(calc(0.96 + (var(--conversation-level) * 0.3))); }
   50% { opacity: 0.85; transform: scale(calc(1.05 + (var(--conversation-level) * 0.3))); }
diff --git a/testing/tests/test_hermes_voice_capture_continuity.py b/testing/tests/test_hermes_voice_capture_continuity.py
index 283bb66d..6300c553 100644
--- a/testing/tests/test_hermes_voice_capture_continuity.py
+++ b/testing/tests/test_hermes_voice_capture_continuity.py
@@ -629,6 +629,13 @@ def test_conversation_thinking_working_affordance_contract():
     # The affordance disarms the instant any reply text arrives.
     assert "if(text&&String(text).trim()) clearAwaitingAffordance();" in source
     assert ".voice-conversation.is-awaiting" in css
+    # The affordance is an orb shimmer only: the state caption keeps its single
+    # static ellipsis and is never trailed by animated dots, so "Thinking…" can
+    # never render as "Thinking……". (Consistency fix.)
+    assert "voice-conversation-await-shimmer" in css
+    assert "voice-conversation-await-dots" not in css
+    assert ".voice-conversation-state::after" not in css
+    assert "thinking:'Thinking…'" in source and "transcribing:'Transcribing…'" in source
     # Reduced motion suppresses every overlay animation, including this one.
     rm_block = css.split("@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)", 1)[1]
     assert "animation: none !important" in rm_block