diff --git a/web/zebra-spaces.html b/web/zebra-spaces.html
index 70df133..bbfa87b 100644
--- a/web/zebra-spaces.html
+++ b/web/zebra-spaces.html
@@ -1631,7 +1631,12 @@ function reorderTiles(){
   for (const el of els) c.appendChild(el);
 }
 function broadcastSpotlight(){
-  /* fire-and-forget to the signal server; no-op if not connected yet */
+  /* fire-and-forget to the signal server; no-op if not connected yet.
+   * Suppressed during role transitions — otherwise removeScreenTile +
+   * removeCameraTile triggered by sfuUnpublishScreen/Camera during a
+   * demotion fire pickNextSpotlight → broadcasts an empty spotlight,
+   * which every other peer logs as 'X looked away'. False signal. */
+  if (typeof inRoleTransition !== 'undefined' && inRoleTransition) return;
   try { send({ type: 'spotlight', key: spotlightKey() }); } catch(_){}
 }
 function logSpotlightChange(uuid, key){
@@ -2797,12 +2802,13 @@ async function handleSignal(raw){
             onRoleChanged(prev, m.role);
           } else {
             logLine('', mm.handle+' is now '+m.role);
-            /* mesh adjustments */
-            if (canSpeak(myRole)){
-              if (canSpeak(m.role) && !peers.has(m.uuid)) connectToPeer(m.uuid, myUUID < m.uuid);
-              if (!canSpeak(m.role) && peers.has(m.uuid)) tearPeer(m.uuid);
-            } else if (peers.has(m.uuid)){
-              tearPeer(m.uuid);
+            /* mesh adjustments — fox: 'never drop people out of the mesh
+             * automatically'. Promote: connect if we can speak + they
+             * can speak + we don't already have them. Demote: do NOT
+             * tear existing mesh peer connections; let them ride as a
+             * back-channel until one side actually leaves the room. */
+            if (canSpeak(myRole) && canSpeak(m.role) && !peers.has(m.uuid)){
+              connectToPeer(m.uuid, myUUID < m.uuid);
             }
           }
           renderRoom();
@@ -2894,23 +2900,39 @@ async function onRoleEntered(){
     sfuPublish().catch(e => logLine('err','sfu publish: '+e.message));
   }
 }
+let inRoleTransition = false;
 async function onRoleChanged(prev, next){
-  if (!canSpeak(prev) && canSpeak(next)){
-    await ensureMicAndUI();
-    for (const [uuid, mm] of members){
-      if (uuid === myUUID) continue;
-      if (canSpeak(mm.role)) connectToPeer(uuid, myUUID < uuid);
+  /* suppress spotlight broadcasts triggered by tile cleanup during the
+   * role transition — otherwise removeScreenTile / removeCameraTile
+   * fires pickNextSpotlight which broadcasts an empty spotlight key,
+   * which every other peer logs as 'X looked away'. */
+  inRoleTransition = true;
+  try {
+    if (!canSpeak(prev) && canSpeak(next)){
+      await ensureMicAndUI();
+      for (const [uuid, mm] of members){
+        if (uuid === myUUID) continue;
+        if (canSpeak(mm.role)) connectToPeer(uuid, myUUID < uuid);
+      }
+      /* keep sfuSub alive — screen + camera tracks still ride it. The
+       * ontrack handler suppresses SFU mic when mesh is also up. */
+      sfuPublish().catch(e => logLine('err','sfu publish: '+e.message));
+    } else if (canSpeak(prev) && !canSpeak(next)){
+      /* demote to listener: drop everything we PUBLISH (mic + screen +
+       * camera + game) but DON'T tear mesh peers. fox: 'never drop
+       * people out of the mesh automatically'. The mesh connections
+       * stay up as a bonus low-latency audio path; they get GC'd
+       * naturally when the other end leaves or also demotes. */
+      dropMic(); muted = false;
+      await sfuUnpublish();
+      await sfuUnpublishScreen();
+      await sfuUnpublishCamera();
+      await sfuUnpublishGame();
     }
-    /* keep sfuSub alive — screen + camera tracks still ride it. The
-     * ontrack handler suppresses SFU mic when mesh is also up. */
-    sfuPublish().catch(e => logLine('err','sfu publish: '+e.message));
-  } else if (canSpeak(prev) && !canSpeak(next)){
-    for (const u of [...peers.keys()]) tearPeer(u);
-    dropMic(); muted = false;
-    await sfuUnpublish();
-    /* still subscribed — listener role needs the same incoming streams */
+    updateRoleUI();
+  } finally {
+    inRoleTransition = false;
   }
-  updateRoleUI();
 }
 async function ensureMicAndUI(){
   /* mic input + music-mode rows are always visible; here we just grant the
@@ -3525,8 +3547,8 @@ logLine('', 'ready — pick a handle, type a rendezvous code, enter the space');
 
 <footer style="margin:2.2rem auto 0;font-size:0.65rem;color:#999;line-height:1.7;word-break:break-all;font-family:monospace">
   <span id="pi-seal" style="color:#777;cursor:default;user-select:none" title="">page integrity</span> &nbsp;·&nbsp; built <span class="stamp-date">2026-06-02</span><br>
-  md5 <span class="stamp-md5">933f3fed73b0a824ed75b1cea22bba9a</span><br>
-  sha256 <span class="stamp-sha">836f1145f451e86c871813a9a1ff1dd2adbd4c61ddceb2e59a8a58fe24b14f08</span><br>
+  md5 <span class="stamp-md5">f908c19e47433151020f76df10fe81d0</span><br>
+  sha256 <span class="stamp-sha">f751785bdcb457d172dee013fbe0a445ee01b0aacdb20c2c1fe11352ef98111c</span><br>
   <span style="color:#bbb">hashes are of this page with these two fields zeroed — to verify, blank them and re-hash</span><br>
   <span style="color:#bbb">one self-contained file — <strong>save a copy</strong> and verify against these hashes; point at your own servers with ?signal= and ?turncred=, or <a href="host-your-own.html" style="color:#999">host your own community</a></span>
 </footer>