diff --git a/engine/core/duplex_pipeline.py b/engine/core/duplex_pipeline.py
index 1a10d9e..93ca614 100644
--- a/engine/core/duplex_pipeline.py
+++ b/engine/core/duplex_pipeline.py
@@ -230,6 +230,7 @@ class DuplexPipeline:
         self._last_llm_delta_emit_ms: float = 0.0
 
         self._runtime_tool_executor = self._resolved_tool_executor_map()
+        self._initial_greeting_emitted = False
 
         if self._server_tool_executor is None:
             if self._tool_resource_resolver:
@@ -727,34 +728,52 @@ class DuplexPipeline:
             if not self._outbound_task or self._outbound_task.done():
                 self._outbound_task = asyncio.create_task(self._outbound_loop())
 
-            # Resolve greeting once per session start.
-            # Always emit text opener event so text-only sessions can display it.
-            if self._bot_starts_first():
-                greeting_to_speak = self.conversation.greeting
-                if self._generated_opener_enabled():
-                    generated_greeting = await self._generate_runtime_greeting()
-                    if generated_greeting:
-                        greeting_to_speak = generated_greeting
-                        self.conversation.greeting = generated_greeting
-                if greeting_to_speak:
-                    self._start_turn()
-                    self._start_response()
-                    await self._send_event(
-                        ev(
-                            "assistant.response.final",
-                            text=greeting_to_speak,
-                            trackId=self.track_audio_out,
-                        ),
-                        priority=20,
-                    )
-                    await self.conversation.add_assistant_turn(greeting_to_speak)
-                    if tts_output_enabled:
-                        await self._speak(greeting_to_speak)
-
         except Exception as e:
             logger.error(f"Failed to start pipeline: {e}")
             raise
 
+    async def emit_initial_greeting(self) -> None:
+        """
+        Emit opener after session activation.
+
+        Ordering target:
+        1) frontend receives `session.started` (shows connected/ready)
+        2) frontend receives opener text event
+        3) frontend receives opener audio events/chunks
+        """
+        if self._initial_greeting_emitted:
+            return
+
+        self._initial_greeting_emitted = True
+        if not self._bot_starts_first():
+            return
+
+        greeting_to_speak = self.conversation.greeting
+        if self._generated_opener_enabled():
+            generated_greeting = await self._generate_runtime_greeting()
+            if generated_greeting:
+                greeting_to_speak = generated_greeting
+                self.conversation.greeting = generated_greeting
+
+        if not greeting_to_speak:
+            return
+
+        self._start_turn()
+        self._start_response()
+        await self._send_event(
+            ev(
+                "assistant.response.final",
+                text=greeting_to_speak,
+                trackId=self.track_audio_out,
+            ),
+            priority=20,
+        )
+        await self.conversation.add_assistant_turn(greeting_to_speak)
+
+        if self._tts_output_enabled():
+            # Keep opener text ahead of opener voice start.
+            await self._speak(greeting_to_speak, audio_event_priority=30)
+
     async def _enqueue_outbound(self, kind: str, payload: Any, priority: int) -> None:
         """Queue outbound message with priority ordering."""
         self._outbound_seq += 1
@@ -1538,7 +1557,7 @@ class DuplexPipeline:
                                                 trackId=self.track_audio_out,
                                             )
                                         },
-                                        priority=10,
+                                        priority=30,
                                     )
                                     first_audio_sent = True
 
@@ -1568,7 +1587,7 @@ class DuplexPipeline:
                                     trackId=self.track_audio_out,
                                 )
                             },
-                            priority=10,
+                            priority=30,
                         )
                         first_audio_sent = True
                     await self._speak_sentence(
@@ -1762,12 +1781,13 @@ class DuplexPipeline:
             # Fallback: never block audio delivery on smoothing failure.
             return pcm_bytes
 
-    async def _speak(self, text: str) -> None:
+    async def _speak(self, text: str, audio_event_priority: int = 10) -> None:
         """
         Synthesize and send speech.
 
         Args:
             text: Text to speak
+            audio_event_priority: Priority for output.audio.start/end events
         """
         if not self._tts_output_enabled():
             return
@@ -1788,7 +1808,7 @@ class DuplexPipeline:
                     "output.audio.start",
                     trackId=self.track_audio_out,
                 )
-            }, priority=10)
+            }, priority=audio_event_priority)
 
             self._is_bot_speaking = True
 
@@ -1826,7 +1846,7 @@ class DuplexPipeline:
                     "output.audio.end",
                     trackId=self.track_audio_out,
                 )
-            }, priority=10)
+            }, priority=audio_event_priority)
 
         except asyncio.CancelledError:
             logger.info("TTS cancelled")
diff --git a/engine/core/session.py b/engine/core/session.py
index 4f78545..3b51c48 100644
--- a/engine/core/session.py
+++ b/engine/core/session.py
@@ -405,6 +405,9 @@ class Session:
                 )
             )
 
+        # Emit opener only after frontend has received session.started/config events.
+        await self.pipeline.emit_initial_greeting()
+
     async def _handle_session_stop(self, reason: Optional[str]) -> None:
         """Handle session stop."""
         if self.ws_state == WsSessionState.STOPPED: