diff --git a/src/vocalinux/dbus_service.py b/src/vocalinux/dbus_service.py
index faa3e80..0ca66fe 100644
--- a/src/vocalinux/dbus_service.py
+++ b/src/vocalinux/dbus_service.py
@@ -15,9 +15,34 @@ from typing import Callable, Optional
 from gi.repository import Gio, GLib
 
 from .app_identity import BUS_NAME, INTERFACE_NAME, OBJECT_PATH
+from .common_types import RecognitionState
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
+#: Dictation states exposed on the bus. ``ERROR`` is not dictation activity:
+#: the engine is idle again once it has failed, so it maps to ``idle``.
+DICTATION_STATE_IDLE = "idle"
+DICTATION_STATE_LISTENING = "listening"
+DICTATION_STATE_PROCESSING = "processing"
+DICTATION_STATES: tuple[str, ...] = (
+    DICTATION_STATE_IDLE,
+    DICTATION_STATE_LISTENING,
+    DICTATION_STATE_PROCESSING,
+)
+STATE_CHANGED_SIGNAL = "StateChanged"
+STATE_PROPERTY = "State"
+PROPERTIES_INTERFACE = "org.freedesktop.DBus.Properties"
+
+
+def state_from_recognition(state: RecognitionState) -> str:
+    """Map an engine state to the bus-visible dictation state."""
+    if state == RecognitionState.LISTENING:
+        return DICTATION_STATE_LISTENING
+    if state == RecognitionState.PROCESSING:
+        return DICTATION_STATE_PROCESSING
+    return DICTATION_STATE_IDLE
+
+
 # Maps CLI trigger names to the D-Bus method names exposed below.
 COMMAND_METHODS = {
     "toggle": "Toggle",
@@ -31,6 +56,10 @@ _INTROSPECTION_XML = f"""
     <method name="Toggle"/>
     <method name="Start"/>
     <method name="Stop"/>
+    <signal name="{STATE_CHANGED_SIGNAL}">
+      <arg name="state" type="s" direction="out"/>
+    </signal>
+    <property name="{STATE_PROPERTY}" type="s" access="read"/>
   </interface>
 </node>
 """
@@ -70,9 +99,37 @@ class VocalinuxDBusService:
         self._owner_id = 0
         self._registration_id = 0
         self._connection: Optional[Gio.DBusConnection] = None
+        self._dictation_state = DICTATION_STATE_IDLE
         self._node_info = Gio.DBusNodeInfo.new_for_xml(_INTROSPECTION_XML)
         self._register()
 
+    def get_state(self) -> str:
+        """Return the current bus-visible dictation state (``idle`` at start)."""
+        return self._dictation_state
+
+    def set_state(self, state: str) -> bool:
+        """Publish a dictation state, emitting the signal only on change.
+
+        Unknown values are ignored. Returns True when subscribers were
+        notified, False when the state was unchanged (or unknown), which is
+        what keeps double start/stop from emitting duplicate transitions.
+        """
+        if state not in DICTATION_STATES or state == self._dictation_state:
+            return False
+        self._dictation_state = state
+        if self._connection is not None:
+            try:
+                self._connection.emit_signal(
+                    None,
+                    OBJECT_PATH,
+                    INTERFACE_NAME,
+                    STATE_CHANGED_SIGNAL,
+                    GLib.Variant("(s)", (state,)),
+                )
+            except GLib.Error:
+                logger.debug("Failed to emit dictation state signal", exc_info=True)
+        return True
+
     def _register(self) -> None:
         """Request ownership of the bus name on the session bus."""
         try:
@@ -131,6 +188,9 @@ class VocalinuxDBusService:
         invocation: Gio.DBusMethodInvocation,
     ) -> None:
         """Dispatch an incoming method call to the matching callback."""
+        if interface_name == PROPERTIES_INTERFACE:
+            self._handle_properties_call(method_name, parameters, invocation)
+            return
         callback = self._callbacks.get(method_name)
         if callback is None:
             invocation.return_error_literal(
@@ -145,6 +205,33 @@ class VocalinuxDBusService:
         GLib.idle_add(self._invoke, callback)
         invocation.return_value(None)
 
+    def _handle_properties_call(
+        self,
+        method_name: str,
+        parameters: GLib.Variant,
+        invocation: Gio.DBusMethodInvocation,
+    ) -> None:
+        """Serve reads of the ``State`` property."""
+        if method_name == "Get":
+            interface, name = parameters.unpack()
+            if interface == INTERFACE_NAME and name == STATE_PROPERTY:
+                invocation.return_value(
+                    GLib.Variant("(v)", (GLib.Variant("s", self._dictation_state),))
+                )
+                return
+        elif method_name == "GetAll":
+            (interface,) = parameters.unpack()
+            if interface == INTERFACE_NAME:
+                invocation.return_value(
+                    GLib.Variant("(a{sv})", ({"State": GLib.Variant("s", self._dictation_state)},))
+                )
+                return
+        invocation.return_error_literal(
+            Gio.dbus_error_quark(),
+            Gio.DBusError.UNKNOWN_PROPERTY,
+            f"Unknown property call: {method_name}",
+        )
+
     @staticmethod
     def _invoke(callback: Callable[[], None]) -> bool:
         try:
diff --git a/src/vocalinux/ui/tray_indicator.py b/src/vocalinux/ui/tray_indicator.py
index 134acda..eb76cbb 100644
--- a/src/vocalinux/ui/tray_indicator.py
+++ b/src/vocalinux/ui/tray_indicator.py
@@ -921,6 +921,18 @@ class TrayIndicator:
             else:
                 keepalive.cancel()
 
+        # Publish dictation state on D-Bus for status bars and scripts
+        # (ticket #21). The service may not exist yet when the first state
+        # callback fires during __init__, hence the guarded lookup.
+        from ..dbus_service import state_from_recognition
+
+        dbus_service = getattr(self, "_dbus_service", None)
+        if dbus_service is not None:
+            try:
+                dbus_service.set_state(state_from_recognition(state))
+            except Exception:
+                logger.debug("Failed to publish dictation state", exc_info=True)
+
         # Update the UI in the GTK main thread
         GLib.idle_add(self._update_ui, state)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_dbus_activation.py b/tests/test_dbus_activation.py
index 59b0f65..3f333fa 100644
--- a/tests/test_dbus_activation.py
+++ b/tests/test_dbus_activation.py
@@ -314,3 +314,145 @@ def test_shutdown_swallows_unregister_and_unown_errors():
 
     assert service._registration_id == 0
     assert service._owner_id == 0
+
+
+# -- Dictation state signal & property (ticket #21) -------------------------
+
+
+def _connected_service():
+    """A service with a mocked bus connection for emission assertions."""
+    from vocalinux import dbus_service
+
+    service = _make_service()
+    service._connection = MagicMock()
+    return dbus_service, service
+
+
+def test_state_starts_idle():
+    """Reading the state property right after start returns idle."""
+    _dbus_service, service = _connected_service()
+    assert service.get_state() == "idle"
+
+
+def test_full_dictation_cycle_emits_each_transition():
+    """idle -> listening -> processing -> idle emits one signal per change."""
+    dbus_service, service = _connected_service()
+
+    assert service.set_state("listening") is True
+    assert service.set_state("processing") is True
+    assert service.set_state("idle") is True
+
+    emitted = [call.args[3] for call in service._connection.emit_signal.call_args_list]
+    assert emitted == ["StateChanged", "StateChanged", "StateChanged"]
+    assert service.get_state() == "idle"
+
+
+def test_repeat_state_does_not_emit_duplicate():
+    """Starting twice or stopping while idle emits nothing further."""
+    _dbus_service, service = _connected_service()
+
+    assert service.set_state("listening") is True
+    assert service.set_state("listening") is False
+    assert service.set_state("idle") is True
+    assert service.set_state("idle") is False
+
+    assert service._connection.emit_signal.call_count == 2
+    assert service.get_state() == "idle"
+
+
+def test_unknown_state_is_ignored():
+    """An unknown state never changes the property nor emits."""
+    _dbus_service, service = _connected_service()
+
+    assert service.set_state("bogus") is False
+
+    assert service.get_state() == "idle"
+    service._connection.emit_signal.assert_not_called()
+
+
+def test_state_from_recognition_maps_all_states():
+    """Engine states map to bus states; error reads back as idle."""
+    from vocalinux import dbus_service
+    from vocalinux.common_types import RecognitionState
+
+    assert dbus_service.state_from_recognition(RecognitionState.IDLE) == "idle"
+    assert dbus_service.state_from_recognition(RecognitionState.LISTENING) == "listening"
+    assert dbus_service.state_from_recognition(RecognitionState.PROCESSING) == "processing"
+    assert dbus_service.state_from_recognition(RecognitionState.ERROR) == "idle"
+
+
+def test_properties_get_returns_current_state():
+    """A Properties.Get call for State returns the live value."""
+    dbus_service, service = _connected_service()
+    service.set_state("listening")
+
+    invocation = MagicMock()
+    parameters = MagicMock()
+    parameters.unpack.return_value = (dbus_service.INTERFACE_NAME, "State")
+    service._handle_method_call(
+        MagicMock(),
+        "sender",
+        dbus_service.OBJECT_PATH,
+        dbus_service.PROPERTIES_INTERFACE,
+        "Get",
+        parameters,
+        invocation,
+    )
+
+    invocation.return_value.assert_called_once()
+    assert service.get_state() == "listening"
+
+
+def test_properties_get_unknown_returns_error():
+    """A Properties.Get call for another interface errors without emitting."""
+    dbus_service, service = _connected_service()
+
+    invocation = MagicMock()
+    parameters = MagicMock()
+    parameters.unpack.return_value = ("org.example.Other", "State")
+    service._handle_method_call(
+        MagicMock(),
+        "sender",
+        dbus_service.OBJECT_PATH,
+        dbus_service.PROPERTIES_INTERFACE,
+        "Get",
+        parameters,
+        invocation,
+    )
+
+    invocation.return_error_literal.assert_called_once()
+    service._connection.emit_signal.assert_not_called()
+
+
+def test_control_methods_still_dispatch_after_state_changes():
+    """Toggle/Start/Stop keep working exactly as before (ticket #21)."""
+    from vocalinux import dbus_service
+
+    callbacks = {
+        "on_toggle": MagicMock(),
+        "on_start": MagicMock(),
+        "on_stop": MagicMock(),
+    }
+    service = dbus_service.VocalinuxDBusService(
+        on_toggle=callbacks["on_toggle"],
+        on_start=callbacks["on_start"],
+        on_stop=callbacks["on_stop"],
+    )
+    service._connection = MagicMock()
+    service.set_state("processing")
+
+    invocation = MagicMock()
+    with patch.object(dbus_service.GLib, "idle_add", side_effect=lambda fn, *a: fn(*a)):
+        service._handle_method_call(
+            MagicMock(),
+            "sender",
+            dbus_service.OBJECT_PATH,
+            dbus_service.INTERFACE_NAME,
+            "Stop",
+            None,
+            invocation,
+        )
+
+    callbacks["on_stop"].assert_called_once_with()
+    invocation.return_value.assert_called_once()
+    assert service.get_state() == "processing"