diff --git a/src/vocalinux/ui/settings_dialog.py b/src/vocalinux/ui/settings_dialog.py
index b1c4978..f2a9e68 100644
--- a/src/vocalinux/ui/settings_dialog.py
+++ b/src/vocalinux/ui/settings_dialog.py
@@ -2507,10 +2507,17 @@ class ModelDownloadDialog(Gtk.Dialog):
         self.show_all()
 
         self._pulse_timeout = None
+        # A destroyed dialog must not leave its pulse timer firing: the
+        # timeout retains the widget and keeps calling back into it.
+        self.connect("destroy", self._on_destroy)
         # For Whisper, we can't track progress, so pulse
         if engine == "whisper":
             self._start_pulsing()
 
+    def _on_destroy(self, *_args: object) -> None:
+        """Stop the pulse timer when the dialog goes away."""
+        self._stop_pulsing()
+
     def _start_pulsing(self) -> None:
         """Bounce the bar, for work that reports no measurable progress."""
         if self._pulse_timeout is None:
diff --git a/src/vocalinux/ui/tray_indicator.py b/src/vocalinux/ui/tray_indicator.py
index 56148aa..a373e84 100644
--- a/src/vocalinux/ui/tray_indicator.py
+++ b/src/vocalinux/ui/tray_indicator.py
@@ -1131,9 +1131,11 @@ class TrayIndicator:
                 self.speech_engine.set_download_progress_callback(None)
                 self.speech_engine.end_download()
 
-            GLib.idle_add(dialog.set_complete, True, "")
-            # The dialog shows its own completion; starting the transcription
-            # as soon as the model lands keeps the flow to a single click.
+            # The transcript dialog that opens next is the completion
+            # affordance here: the download dialog is modal, so leaving it
+            # open behind the transcript keeps its grab and makes the
+            # transcript's buttons unclickable until it is found and closed.
+            GLib.idle_add(dialog.destroy)
             _idle_once(self._start_file_transcription, path)
 
         threading.Thread(target=run, daemon=True, name="tdrz-download").start()
diff --git a/tests/test_tray_indicator.py b/tests/test_tray_indicator.py
index 5104364..866a437 100644
--- a/tests/test_tray_indicator.py
+++ b/tests/test_tray_indicator.py
@@ -1166,3 +1166,44 @@ class TestAppIndicatorImportFallback(unittest.TestCase):
         import vocalinux.ui.tray_indicator as tray
 
         self.assertIs(tray.AppIndicator3, sentinel)
+
+
+class TestTdrzDownloadDialog(TestTrayIndicator):
+    """The transcribe-path TinyDiarize download dialog must release its modal
+    grab once the model lands: the transcript dialog opening behind it would
+    otherwise be unclickable until the hidden dialog is found and closed."""
+
+    def _run_download(
+        self, download_side_effect: Exception | None = None
+    ) -> tuple[MagicMock, MagicMock]:
+        from vocalinux.ui.tray_indicator import Gtk
+
+        mock_prompt = MagicMock()
+        mock_prompt.run.return_value = Gtk.ResponseType.OK
+        mock_dialog = MagicMock()
+        mock_dialog.cancelled = False
+        self.mock_speech_engine.try_begin_download.return_value = True
+        self.mock_speech_engine.download_whispercpp_model.side_effect = download_side_effect
+
+        with (
+            patch("vocalinux.ui.tray_indicator.Gtk.MessageDialog", return_value=mock_prompt),
+            patch("vocalinux.ui.tray_indicator.ModelDownloadDialog", return_value=mock_dialog),
+            patch.object(self.tray_indicator, "_start_file_transcription") as mock_start,
+        ):
+            self.tray_indicator._offer_tdrz_download("/tmp/clip.wav")
+            run = self.mock_thread_class.call_args.kwargs["target"]
+            run()
+        return mock_dialog, mock_start
+
+    def test_success_destroys_modal_dialog(self) -> None:
+        mock_dialog, mock_start = self._run_download()
+        mock_dialog.destroy.assert_called_once()
+        mock_dialog.set_complete.assert_not_called()
+        mock_start.assert_called_once_with("/tmp/clip.wav")
+
+    def test_failure_keeps_dialog_for_the_error(self) -> None:
+        mock_dialog, mock_start = self._run_download(Exception("network down"))
+        mock_dialog.set_complete.assert_called_once()
+        self.assertFalse(mock_dialog.set_complete.call_args[0][0])
+        mock_dialog.destroy.assert_not_called()
+        mock_start.assert_not_called()