diff --git a/app/api/beat-audio/route.ts b/app/api/beat-audio/route.ts
index b3f3fdd..6c89270 100644
--- a/app/api/beat-audio/route.ts
+++ b/app/api/beat-audio/route.ts
@@ -23,11 +23,18 @@ export async function POST(req: Request) {
   // engine's resolveVoice re-provisions on a provider mismatch. We only
   // require the beat text + SOMETHING to synthesize from.
   const VALID_TTS_PROVIDERS = ["xiaomi", "stepfun"];
+  const hasInvalidVoiceProvider =
+    !!body.voice?.provider && !VALID_TTS_PROVIDERS.includes(body.voice.provider);
   const hasVoice =
     !!body.voice?.provider && VALID_TTS_PROVIDERS.includes(body.voice.provider);
   const hasFallback =
     !!body.stepfunVoiceId || !!body.voiceDescription;
-  if (!body.beat?.id || !body.beat?.line || (!hasVoice && !hasFallback)) {
+  if (
+    !body.beat?.id ||
+    !body.beat?.line ||
+    hasInvalidVoiceProvider ||
+    (!hasVoice && !hasFallback)
+  ) {
     return NextResponse.json(
       { error: "beat.id and beat.line are required, plus either voice.provider (xiaomi|stepfun) or stepfunVoiceId/voiceDescription" },
       { status: 400 },
diff --git a/lib/engine/orchestrator.ts b/lib/engine/orchestrator.ts
index fd5dddb..916a344 100644
--- a/lib/engine/orchestrator.ts
+++ b/lib/engine/orchestrator.ts
@@ -258,10 +258,13 @@ async function resolveVoice(
 ): Promise<CharacterVoice | undefined> {
   const serverStepfun = !!config.tts && isStepfun(config.tts);
   const voiceProvider = req.voice?.provider;
+  const voiceMatchesServer =
+    (voiceProvider === "stepfun" && serverStepfun) ||
+    (voiceProvider === "xiaomi" && !serverStepfun);
 
   // Fast path: the client sent a matching voice. (Also covers the legacy
   // xiaomi card + xiaomi server case where the 220KB was unavoidable anyway.)
-  if (req.voice && (voiceProvider === "stepfun") === serverStepfun) {
+  if (req.voice && voiceMatchesServer) {
     return req.voice;
   }