diff --git a/scripts/smoke-api.mjs b/scripts/smoke-api.mjs
index 175f4f9..4e73feb 100644
--- a/scripts/smoke-api.mjs
+++ b/scripts/smoke-api.mjs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ const context = {
   getVoiceChannel: (id) => ({ id, name: "General" }),
   listVoiceChannels: () => [{ id: "vc1", name: "General" }],
   findUserVoiceChannel: () => ({ id: "vc1", name: "General" }),
+  hasVoicePresence: () => true,
   listServersForUser: async () => [{ id: "srv1", name: "Test Server", iconUrl: null }],
   isMember: async (s, u) => s === "srv1" && u === "user1",
   canControl: async () => true,
diff --git a/src/api/server.ts b/src/api/server.ts
index c120a2a..f182ee3 100644
--- a/src/api/server.ts
+++ b/src/api/server.ts
@@ -203,6 +203,7 @@ export async function startApiServer({ manager, context }: ApiServerOptions) {
       state: manager.snapshot(id),
       voiceChannels: context.listVoiceChannels(id),
       yourVoiceChannel: context.findUserVoiceChannel(id, session.userId),
+      voicePresenceKnown: context.hasVoicePresence(id),
       canControl: await context.canControl(id, session.userId),
     });
   });
@@ -358,10 +359,13 @@ export async function startApiServer({ manager, context }: ApiServerOptions) {
       const sendPresence = () => {
         const yourVoiceChannel = context.findUserVoiceChannel(serverId, session.userId);
         const voiceChannels = context.listVoiceChannels(serverId);
-        const fingerprint = JSON.stringify([yourVoiceChannel, voiceChannels]);
+        const voicePresenceKnown = context.hasVoicePresence(serverId);
+        const fingerprint = JSON.stringify([yourVoiceChannel, voiceChannels, voicePresenceKnown]);
         if (fingerprint === lastPresence) return;
         lastPresence = fingerprint;
-        socket.send(JSON.stringify({ type: "presence", yourVoiceChannel, voiceChannels }));
+        socket.send(
+          JSON.stringify({ type: "presence", yourVoiceChannel, voiceChannels, voicePresenceKnown }),
+        );
       };
       sendPresence();
       const presenceTimer = setInterval(sendPresence, 3000);
diff --git a/src/bot/context.ts b/src/bot/context.ts
index b2d7c51..b497025 100644
--- a/src/bot/context.ts
+++ b/src/bot/context.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,18 @@ export class BotStoatContext implements StoatContext {
       .map((channel) => ({ id: channel.id, name: channel.name }));
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Whether we have any idea who is sitting in voice right now. The SDK learns
+   * participants from gateway events only, so a bot that restarted (or missed an
+   * event) sees every channel as empty — which is indistinguishable from an
+   * actually empty server unless we ask this question separately.
+   */
+  hasVoicePresence(serverId: string): boolean {
+    const server = this.client.servers.get(serverId);
+    if (!server) return false;
+    return server.channels.some((channel) => channel.isVoice && channel.voiceParticipants.size > 0);
+  }
+
   findUserVoiceChannel(serverId: string, userId: string): VoiceChannelRef | null {
     const server = this.client.servers.get(serverId);
     if (!server) return null;
diff --git a/src/core/manager.ts b/src/core/manager.ts
index c75dac3..4cee567 100644
--- a/src/core/manager.ts
+++ b/src/core/manager.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ export interface ServerRef {
  */
 export interface StoatContext {
   findUserVoiceChannel(serverId: string, userId: string): VoiceChannelRef | null;
+  hasVoicePresence(serverId: string): boolean;
   getVoiceChannel(channelId: string): VoiceChannelRef | null;
   listVoiceChannels(serverId: string): VoiceChannelRef[];
   getServerName(serverId: string): string | null;
@@ -143,16 +144,28 @@ export class MusicManager extends EventEmitter<ManagerEvents> {
 
     const listening = this.chat.findUserVoiceChannel(serverId, userId);
 
-    if (config.REQUIRE_LISTENER) {
+    if (config.REQUIRE_LISTENER && listening) {
       // Music follows the listener: you cannot push the bot into a channel you
-      // are not sitting in, and you cannot start playback from nowhere.
-      if (!listening) throw new UserFacingError("Сначала зайдите в голосовой канал");
+      // are not sitting in.
       if (options.voiceChannelId && options.voiceChannelId !== listening.id) {
         throw new UserFacingError("Бота можно позвать только в тот канал, где вы находитесь");
       }
+    } else if (config.REQUIRE_LISTENER) {
+      // Refuse only when we can actually see who is in voice. With no presence
+      // data at all our view is stale rather than empty, and blocking would
+      // strand everyone until the next restart.
+      if (this.chat.hasVoicePresence(serverId)) {
+        throw new UserFacingError("Сначала зайдите в голосовой канал");
+      }
+      if (!options.voiceChannelId) {
+        throw new UserFacingError(
+          "Не вижу, кто в голосовых каналах — выберите канал явно (в панели он появится в списке)",
+        );
+      }
+      log.warn({ serverId, userId }, "voice presence unknown, trusting the requested channel");
     }
 
-    const target = config.REQUIRE_LISTENER
+    const target = config.REQUIRE_LISTENER && listening
       ? listening
       : (options.voiceChannelId
           ? this.chat.getVoiceChannel(options.voiceChannelId)
diff --git a/web/src/App.tsx b/web/src/App.tsx
index 2252488..8dc0d42 100644
--- a/web/src/App.tsx
+++ b/web/src/App.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ export function App() {
   const [voiceChannels, setVoiceChannels] = useState<VoiceChannel[]>([]);
   const [yourVoiceChannel, setYourVoiceChannel] = useState<VoiceChannel | null>(null);
   const [canControl, setCanControl] = useState(false);
+  const [presenceKnown, setPresenceKnown] = useState(true);
   const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const socketRef = useRef<WebSocket | null>(null);
 
@@ -65,6 +66,7 @@ export function App() {
     setPosition(payload.state.position);
     setVoiceChannels(payload.voiceChannels);
     setYourVoiceChannel(payload.yourVoiceChannel);
+    setPresenceKnown(payload.voicePresenceKnown);
     setCanControl(payload.canControl);
   }, []);
 
@@ -93,13 +95,19 @@ export function App() {
       const payload = JSON.parse(event.data as string) as
         | { type: "state"; state: PlayerState }
         | { type: "position"; position: number }
-        | { type: "presence"; yourVoiceChannel: VoiceChannel | null; voiceChannels: VoiceChannel[] };
+        | {
+            type: "presence";
+            yourVoiceChannel: VoiceChannel | null;
+            voiceChannels: VoiceChannel[];
+            voicePresenceKnown: boolean;
+          };
       if (payload.type === "state") {
         setState(payload.state);
         setPosition(payload.state.position);
       } else if (payload.type === "presence") {
         setYourVoiceChannel(payload.yourVoiceChannel);
         setVoiceChannels(payload.voiceChannels);
+        setPresenceKnown(payload.voicePresenceKnown);
       } else {
         setPosition(payload.position);
       }
@@ -182,7 +190,7 @@ export function App() {
               canControl={canControl}
               voiceChannels={voiceChannels}
               yourVoiceChannel={yourVoiceChannel}
-              requireListener={me.features.requireListener}
+              requireListener={me.features.requireListener && presenceKnown}
               videoAvailable={me.features.video}
               onAction={(action, payload) => void runAction(action, payload)}
               onSeek={(seconds) => void runAction("seek", { position: seconds })}
diff --git a/web/src/types.ts b/web/src/types.ts
index c6ca1e8..8eb9a2c 100644
--- a/web/src/types.ts
+++ b/web/src/types.ts
@@ -51,5 +51,7 @@ export interface ServerStateResponse {
   state: PlayerState;
   voiceChannels: VoiceChannel[];
   yourVoiceChannel: VoiceChannel | null;
+  /** False when the bot cannot see who is in voice at all — see the picker fallback. */
+  voicePresenceKnown: boolean;
   canControl: boolean;
 }