diff --git a/zebra-report/zebra-spaces.html b/zebra-report/zebra-spaces.html
index 62db2e4..3ccdc65 100644
--- a/zebra-report/zebra-spaces.html
+++ b/zebra-report/zebra-spaces.html
@@ -4106,8 +4106,13 @@ $('btn-leave').addEventListener('click', async () => {
$('btn-enter').disabled = false;
$('btn-leave').disabled = true;
$('btn-mute').disabled = true;
- $('btn-mute').textContent = 'mute'; $('btn-mute').className=''; muted = false;
- try { sessionStorage.removeItem(MUTE_STATE_KEY); } catch(_){}
+ $('btn-mute').textContent = 'mute'; $('btn-mute').className='';
+ /* Preserve the user's last mute choice across leave+rejoin —
+ * fox: 'when I leave and rejoin the mic state is unmuted'. Don't
+ * touch MUTE_STATE_KEY here; the next promotion / bless-reclaim
+ * reads it back via applyMuteState. The local `muted` variable
+ * still resets so the in-page UI is clean while disconnected. */
+ muted = (function(){ try { return sessionStorage.getItem(MUTE_STATE_KEY) === '1'; } catch(_){ return false; } })();
logLine('', 'left the space');
});
@@ -4117,8 +4122,8 @@ logLine('', 'ready — pick a handle, type a rendezvous code, enter the space');