diff --git a/internal/backend-dev-plugin.mjs b/internal/backend-dev-plugin.mjs
index 80f4e9a4c..0f15dfb76 100644
--- a/internal/backend-dev-plugin.mjs
+++ b/internal/backend-dev-plugin.mjs
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ export const DEV_BACKENDS = [
     // This server is SUPPOSED to run the engine (a server deployment with the engine switched on): while it
     // is down, the plugin says "not running yet" instead of "runs on your own computer".
     expected: () => process.env.RUDDER_ENGINE === '1' || process.env.RUDDER_AUDIO === 'browser',
+    // RUDDER_ENGINE=0 (a server where Rudder is laptop-only, the Driver 2026-09-27): never start it, even if a
+    // binary built by an earlier engine-on deploy is still there — it would offer to record a server's mic.
+    disabled: () => process.env.RUDDER_ENGINE === '0',
   },
 ]
 
@@ -117,6 +120,10 @@ export function backendDevPlugin(root) {
           logger.info(`[${b.name}] still running → ${b.route} (kept across the dev-server restart)`)
           continue
         }
+        if (b.disabled && b.disabled()) {
+          logger.info(`[backend] ${b.name} switched off here (${b.name === 'rudder-engine' ? 'RUDDER_ENGINE=0' : 'disabled'})`)
+          continue
+        }
         if (!existsSync(resolve(root, b.bin))) {
           logger.warn(`[backend] ${b.name} not built — its plugin will show "engine offline". Build: ${b.build}`)
           continue
diff --git a/plugin-designs/rudder-voice/rudder-voice.vue b/plugin-designs/rudder-voice/rudder-voice.vue
index 1d477ab99..69cb5735c 100644
--- a/plugin-designs/rudder-voice/rudder-voice.vue
+++ b/plugin-designs/rudder-voice/rudder-voice.vue
@@ -382,6 +382,9 @@ const audioMode = ref('local')
 // The server is set up to run the engine (it reports expected=true while the engine is down): an absent
 // engine there means "starting or failed to set up", not "this only runs on your computer".
 const engineExpected = ref(false)
+// An engine that records ITS OWN machine's microphone, reached from another machine: it would record the
+// server, not this reader, so the page treats it as laptop-only.
+const remoteLocalMic = computed(() => audioMode.value === 'local' && !onOwnComputer.value && engine.value === 'ready')
 let sock = null, media = null, actx = null
 
 async function startBrowser() {
@@ -586,7 +589,7 @@ watch([draft, recording], queueActivity)
 const statusText = computed(() => ({
   connecting: 'Connecting…',
   starting: 'Loading speech model… (about 20 s the first time)',
-  ready: recording.value ? 'Listening' : 'Ready',
+  ready: remoteLocalMic.value ? 'Runs on your computer' : recording.value ? 'Listening' : 'Ready',
   error: 'Engine error',
   offline: onOwnComputer.value ? 'Engine offline' : engineExpected.value ? 'Not running yet' : 'Runs on your computer',
 }[engine.value] || engine.value))
@@ -647,7 +650,7 @@ const statusText = computed(() => ({
       <button
         class="mic"
         :class="{ on: recording }"
-        :disabled="busy || engine !== 'ready'"
+        :disabled="busy || engine !== 'ready' || remoteLocalMic"
         :aria-pressed="recording"
         :aria-label="recording ? 'Stop recording' : 'Start recording'"
         @click="toggle"
@@ -689,7 +692,7 @@ const statusText = computed(() => ({
     <p v-else-if="engine === 'offline' && !onOwnComputer && engineExpected" class="notice" data-kind="warn">
       The voice engine on this server isn't running yet (it is starting, or it failed to set up). Try again in a minute.
     </p>
-    <p v-else-if="engine === 'offline' && !onOwnComputer" class="notice" data-kind="warn">
+    <p v-else-if="(engine === 'offline' || remoteLocalMic) && !onOwnComputer" class="notice" data-kind="warn">
       Voice to text runs on your own computer, not on this server: it listens to the microphone of the machine
       the engine runs on. Open the Plugin Studio on your computer (<code>bun run dev</code>) or use the Rudder desktop app.
     </p>
@@ -719,7 +722,7 @@ const statusText = computed(() => ({
         v-if="compact"
         class="mic sm"
         :class="{ on: recording }"
-        :disabled="busy || engine !== 'ready'"
+        :disabled="busy || engine !== 'ready' || remoteLocalMic"
         :aria-pressed="recording"
         :aria-label="recording ? 'Stop recording' : 'Start recording'"
         @click="toggle"