diff --git a/cmd/cyrene/wire.go b/cmd/cyrene/wire.go
index 202369e..6878d3c 100644
--- a/cmd/cyrene/wire.go
+++ b/cmd/cyrene/wire.go
@@ -648,6 +648,7 @@ func (a *app) wireFrontend() error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("gateway: %w", err)
 	}
 	gw.SetVoice(a.voice)
+	a.gw = gw // assign BEFORE wiring hooks below, which capture a.gw / gw (nil-receiver panic otherwise)
 	if a.channelBridge != nil {
 		// Route the channel bridge's owner-private persisted messages into the same
 		// `message_persisted` broadcast the orchestrator uses, so the Web client mirrors
@@ -660,9 +661,9 @@ func (a *app) wireFrontend() error {
 			a.gw.AuditEvent("bridge:"+msg.Platform, "channel.reject", reason)
 		})
 	}
-	a.gw = gw
 	a.capacitySink = gw
 
+
 	// Wire the backthink proactive sinks now that the gateway hub (active-client
 	// route) and the channel bridge (IM fallback) both exist. They were absent when
 	// backthink.New ran (the hub needs the loop and the bridge needs the loop and the