diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 95ea3c9..9e4b6ee 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -156,3 +156,6 @@ FIX_PLAN.md
 # opentree - local AI worktree orchestration tool (per-developer, not shared)
 .opentree/
 opentree.toml
+
+# Sisyphus - local AI agent loop state (per-developer, not shared)
+.sisyphus/
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index ddf2785..2f11221 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -4,9 +4,10 @@ This file makes sure that the 'src' module can be imported in tests.
 """
 
 import os
+import subprocess
 import sys
 import threading
-from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
 
 import pytest
 
@@ -80,6 +81,16 @@ mock_audio_feedback.play_error_sound = MagicMock()
 sys.modules["vocalinux.ui.audio_feedback"] = mock_audio_feedback
 
 
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def _suppress_desktop_notifications(request):
+    """Patch _show_notification for all tests except those testing it directly."""
+    if "show_notification" in request.node.nodeid:
+        yield
+        return
+    with patch("vocalinux.speech_recognition.recognition_manager._show_notification"):
+        yield
+
+
 @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
 def _clear_hardware_detection_cache():
     """Clear lru_cache on hardware-detection helpers between tests.
diff --git a/tests/test_recognition_manager_device_config.py b/tests/test_recognition_manager_device_config.py
index 93bfacc..9471c22 100644
--- a/tests/test_recognition_manager_device_config.py
+++ b/tests/test_recognition_manager_device_config.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import struct
 import sys
 import tempfile
 import threading
+import time
 import unittest
 from unittest import mock
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock, Mock, patch
@@ -699,5 +700,107 @@ class TestReconfiguration(unittest.TestCase):
                 assert manager.engine == "whisper"
 
 
+class TestEnqueueAudioSegment(unittest.TestCase):
+    """Direct tests for _enqueue_audio_segment (not mocked)."""
+
+    def test_enqueue_empty_buffer_returns_early(self):
+        """Empty buffer should return without enqueuing anything."""
+        manager = _make_manager()
+        manager._segment_queue = queue.Queue()
+        manager._enqueue_audio_segment([])
+        assert manager._segment_queue.empty()
+
+    def test_enqueue_puts_segment(self):
+        """Non-empty buffer should be copied and enqueued."""
+        manager = _make_manager()
+        manager._segment_queue = queue.Queue()
+        buf = [b"\x00\x01", b"\x02\x03"]
+        manager._enqueue_audio_segment(buf)
+        assert not manager._segment_queue.empty()
+        assert manager._segment_queue.get_nowait() == buf
+
+    def test_enqueue_drops_oldest_when_queue_full(self):
+        """When queue is full, oldest item is dropped and new one inserted."""
+        manager = _make_manager()
+        manager._segment_queue = queue.Queue(maxsize=1)
+        manager._segment_queue.put_nowait([b"old"])
+        manager._enqueue_audio_segment([b"new"])
+        assert manager._segment_queue.get_nowait() == [b"new"]
+
+
+class TestPerformRecognition(unittest.TestCase):
+    """Direct tests for _perform_recognition (not mocked)."""
+
+    def _run_recognition(self, manager, pre_hook=None):
+        """Start _perform_recognition in a thread and return the thread."""
+        t = threading.Thread(target=manager._perform_recognition)
+        t.start()
+        if pre_hook:
+            pre_hook(manager)
+        return t
+
+    def test_processes_segment_and_exits_on_none_signal(self):
+        """Feed a segment, then a None signal; thread processes and exits."""
+        manager = _make_manager()
+        manager._segment_queue = queue.Queue()
+        manager.should_record = True
+
+        with patch.object(manager, "_process_audio_buffer") as mock_proc:
+            with patch.object(manager, "_update_state"):
+                t = self._run_recognition(manager)
+                manager._segment_queue.put([b"\x00\x01"])
+                manager.should_record = False
+                manager._segment_queue.put(None)
+                t.join(timeout=2)
+                assert not t.is_alive()
+                assert mock_proc.called
+
+    def test_drains_remaining_items_on_none_signal(self):
+        """None signal drains any remaining queued segments before exit."""
+        manager = _make_manager()
+        manager._segment_queue = queue.Queue()
+        manager.should_record = True
+
+        with patch.object(manager, "_process_audio_buffer") as mock_proc:
+            with patch.object(manager, "_update_state"):
+                t = self._run_recognition(manager)
+                manager._segment_queue.put([b"first"])
+                manager._segment_queue.put([b"second"])
+                manager.should_record = False
+                manager._segment_queue.put(None)
+                t.join(timeout=2)
+                assert not t.is_alive()
+                assert mock_proc.call_count == 2
+
+    def test_exits_when_idle_and_queue_empty(self):
+        """When not recording and queue empty, thread exits after brief wait."""
+        manager = _make_manager()
+        manager._segment_queue = queue.Queue()
+        manager.should_record = False
+
+        with patch.object(manager, "_process_audio_buffer") as mock_proc:
+            with patch.object(manager, "_update_state"):
+                t = self._run_recognition(manager)
+                t.join(timeout=2)
+                assert not t.is_alive()
+                assert not mock_proc.called
+
+    def test_queue_timeout_while_recording(self):
+        """While recording, an empty-queue timeout causes the loop to continue."""
+        manager = _make_manager()
+        manager._segment_queue = queue.Queue()
+        manager.should_record = True
+
+        with patch.object(manager, "_process_audio_buffer") as mock_proc:
+            with patch.object(manager, "_update_state"):
+                t = self._run_recognition(manager)
+                # Allow at least one 0.1 s timeout to fire
+                time.sleep(0.25)
+                manager.should_record = False
+                manager._segment_queue.put(None)
+                t.join(timeout=2)
+                assert not t.is_alive()
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     pytest.main([__file__, "-v"])