diff --git a/plip_voice/main/audio.c b/plip_voice/main/audio.c
index 92e72a1..4abd3c1 100644
--- a/plip_voice/main/audio.c
+++ b/plip_voice/main/audio.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include "board_config.h"
 #include "es8388.h"
 #include "phone.h"
+#include "slic.h"
 
 #include <inttypes.h>
 #include <math.h>
@@ -376,8 +377,13 @@ static void audio_worker_task(void *arg)
             xTaskCreate(ring_task, "ring", 4096, NULL, 4, NULL);
             break;
         case CMD_PLAY: {
-            /* Gate playback on hook state: no sound if handset is on-hook. */
-            if (!phone_is_offhook()) {
+            /* Gate playback on the REAL hook line (raw SLIC SHK), not phone.c's
+             * debounced flag. The debounced flag lags or misses the pickup while
+             * the bell is ringing, so an incoming-call greeting enqueued right
+             * after pickup would be dropped here ("on-hook") even though the
+             * handset is physically up. The raw SHK reads the pickup cleanly, and
+             * is the single source of truth for hook state. */
+            if (!slic_is_offhook()) {
                 ESP_LOGI(TAG, "play ignored: on-hook (handset down)");
                 break;
             }
diff --git a/plip_voice/main/net.c b/plip_voice/main/net.c
index 2333820..517525b 100644
--- a/plip_voice/main/net.c
+++ b/plip_voice/main/net.c
@@ -140,9 +140,9 @@ static esp_err_t handle_status(httpd_req_t *req)
     if (sta) esp_netif_get_ip_info(sta, &ip_info);
 
     /* Report REAL state (this used to hardcode playing/off_hook to false, which
-     * was badly misleading during bring-up). off_hook = firmware view
-     * (phone_is_offhook, incl. debug override); shk = raw SLIC line (the actual
-     * analog hook — audio only routes to the handset when this is off-hook). */
+     * was badly misleading during bring-up). off_hook = firmware debounced view
+     * (phone_is_offhook); shk = raw SLIC line, the single source of truth that
+     * gates audio playback — sound routes to the handset only when shk is true. */
     snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf),
              "{\"board\":\"plip\",\"ip\":\"" IPSTR "\",\"playing\":%s,"
              "\"off_hook\":%s,\"shk\":%s}",
@@ -600,22 +600,6 @@ static esp_err_t handle_debug_dacvol(httpd_req_t *req)
     return send_json(req, "200 OK", resp);
 }
 
-/* ── GET /debug/offhook?on=1  (force hook state, bypass flaky contact) ───────── */
-
-static esp_err_t handle_debug_offhook(httpd_req_t *req)
-{
-    char query[24] = {0};
-    httpd_req_get_url_query_str(req, query, sizeof(query));
-    char on[4] = {0};
-    int v = 1;  /* default: force off-hook */
-    if (httpd_query_key_value(query, "on", on, sizeof(on)) == ESP_OK) v = atoi(on);
-    phone_force_offhook(v != 0);
-    char resp[64];
-    snprintf(resp, sizeof(resp), "{\"ok\":true,\"forced_offhook\":%s}", v ? "true" : "false");
-    ESP_LOGI(TAG, "debug/offhook: forced %s", v ? "off-hook" : "on-hook");
-    return send_json(req, "200 OK", resp);
-}
-
 /* ── GET /debug/getfile?path=/x.wav  (read a SPIFFS file back for diagnosis) ── */
 
 static esp_err_t handle_debug_getfile(httpd_req_t *req)
@@ -772,7 +756,7 @@ esp_err_t net_init(void)
     /* Start HTTP server. */
     httpd_config_t hcfg = HTTPD_DEFAULT_CONFIG();
     hcfg.server_port      = 80;
-    hcfg.max_uri_handlers = 17;
+    hcfg.max_uri_handlers = 16;
     hcfg.stack_size       = 8192;
 
     esp_err_t ret = httpd_start(&s_httpd, &hcfg);
@@ -821,10 +805,6 @@ esp_err_t net_init(void)
         .uri = "/debug/dacvol", .method = HTTP_GET,
         .handler = handle_debug_dacvol, .user_ctx = NULL,
     };
-    static const httpd_uri_t uri_debug_offhook = {
-        .uri = "/debug/offhook", .method = HTTP_GET,
-        .handler = handle_debug_offhook, .user_ctx = NULL,
-    };
     static const httpd_uri_t uri_debug_ring = {
         .uri = "/debug/ring", .method = HTTP_GET,
         .handler = handle_debug_ring, .user_ctx = NULL,
@@ -855,7 +835,6 @@ esp_err_t net_init(void)
     httpd_register_uri_handler(s_httpd, &uri_debug_vol);
     httpd_register_uri_handler(s_httpd, &uri_debug_getfile);
     httpd_register_uri_handler(s_httpd, &uri_debug_dacvol);
-    httpd_register_uri_handler(s_httpd, &uri_debug_offhook);
     httpd_register_uri_handler(s_httpd, &uri_debug_ring);
     httpd_register_uri_handler(s_httpd, &uri_debug_ringstop);
     httpd_register_uri_handler(s_httpd, &uri_debug_slic);
diff --git a/plip_voice/main/phone.c b/plip_voice/main/phone.c
index 9adde18..31a28a3 100644
--- a/plip_voice/main/phone.c
+++ b/plip_voice/main/phone.c
@@ -60,9 +60,6 @@
 static volatile bool s_edge_pending = false;
 static volatile bool s_ringing      = false;
 static volatile bool s_offhook      = false;  /* true = handset picked up */
-static volatile bool s_hook_override = false; /* when true, ignore the physical hook
-                                               * and hold s_offhook at the forced value
-                                               * (debug: decouple from a flaky contact) */
 
 /* IRAM_ATTR: ISR must live in IRAM on original ESP32. */
 static void IRAM_ATTR on_hook_isr(void *arg)
@@ -163,15 +160,6 @@ static void phone_task(void *arg)
 #endif
 
     for (;;) {
-        /* Debug override: hold s_offhook at the forced value, ignore the
-         * physical hook entirely (decouples the voice loop from a flaky
-         * cradle contact). Set via phone_force_offhook() / GET /debug/offhook. */
-        if (s_hook_override) {
-            s_edge_pending = false;
-            resync_ms = 0;
-            vTaskDelay(pdMS_TO_TICKS(20));
-            continue;
-        }
         if (s_edge_pending) {
             s_edge_pending = false;
 
@@ -358,22 +346,3 @@ bool phone_is_offhook(void)
 {
     return s_offhook;
 }
-
-void phone_force_offhook(bool off)
-{
-    /* Debug: override the physical hook. off=true → simulate pickup (DIALTONE),
-     * off=false → simulate hangup (IDLE). Stays in effect until reboot. */
-    s_hook_override = true;
-    if (off == s_offhook) {
-        ESP_LOGI(TAG, "force_offhook: already %s (override on)", off ? "off-hook" : "on-hook");
-        return;
-    }
-    s_offhook = off;
-    ESP_LOGI(TAG, "force_offhook: %s (override)", off ? "off-hook" : "on-hook");
-    audio_pa_set(off);
-    if (!off) {
-        audio_stop();
-        phone_ring_stop();
-    }
-    report_offhook(off);
-}
diff --git a/plip_voice/main/phone.h b/plip_voice/main/phone.h
index 7d49bbf..a9b1795 100644
--- a/plip_voice/main/phone.h
+++ b/plip_voice/main/phone.h
@@ -31,11 +31,6 @@ void phone_ring_stop(void);
  * Safe to call from any task; backed by a volatile flag updated in phone_task. */
 bool phone_is_offhook(void);
 
-/* Debug: force the hook state, overriding the physical contact until reboot.
- * off=true simulates pickup (→ DIALTONE), off=false simulates hangup (→ IDLE).
- * Lets the voice loop be validated independently of a flaky cradle contact. */
-void phone_force_offhook(bool off);
-
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif