diff --git a/packages/services/voice-agent/src/plugins/speechmatics_stt.py b/packages/services/voice-agent/src/plugins/speechmatics_stt.py
index c50d32b..bd5cff3 100644
--- a/packages/services/voice-agent/src/plugins/speechmatics_stt.py
+++ b/packages/services/voice-agent/src/plugins/speechmatics_stt.py
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ by the livekit-plugins-speechmatics package.
 """
 import asyncio
 import logging
-import time
 
 from livekit.agents import stt, utils
 from livekit.plugins.speechmatics import STT, TurnDetectionMode
@@ -23,20 +22,25 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 # In EXTERNAL turn-detection mode, the Speechmatics server never emits
 # AddSegment (FINAL_TRANSCRIPT) on its own.  The LiveKit agents framework
 # does NOT call stream.flush() — it only pushes silence audio and waits
-# for FINAL_TRANSCRIPT events.  So no FlushSentinel ever reaches the
-# stream's _process_audio loop.
+# for FINAL_TRANSCRIPT events.
 #
 # Fix: each partial transcript restarts a debounce timer.  When partials
 # stop arriving (user stops speaking), the timer fires and promotes the
-# last partial to FINAL_TRANSCRIPT.  A cooldown prevents duplicate finals.
+# last partial to FINAL_TRANSCRIPT.  Text-based deduplication prevents
+# the same transcript from being finalized multiple times (Speechmatics
+# re-sends identical partials during silence).
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 _FINALIZE_DELAY = 0.4  # seconds after last partial before emitting FINAL
-_COOLDOWN = 1.5  # seconds after a FINAL before allowing another
 
 _original_handle_partial_segment = SpeechStream._handle_partial_segment
 
 
+def _segments_text(segments: list) -> str:
+    """Extract combined text from segment dicts."""
+    return " | ".join(s.get("text", "") for s in segments)
+
+
 async def _auto_finalize(stream: SpeechStream) -> None:
     """Wait, then promote stored partials to FINAL_TRANSCRIPT."""
     try:
@@ -44,15 +48,15 @@ async def _auto_finalize(stream: SpeechStream) -> None:
         stored = getattr(stream, "_sm_last_partial_segments", [])
         if not stored:
             return
-        # Cooldown: skip if we recently emitted a FINAL
-        last_final_ts = getattr(stream, "_sm_last_final_ts", 0.0)
-        if time.monotonic() - last_final_ts < _COOLDOWN:
+        # Text dedup: skip if this exact text was already finalized
+        text = _segments_text(stored)
+        last_final_text = getattr(stream, "_sm_last_final_text", "")
+        if text == last_final_text:
             return
-        text = " | ".join(s.get("text", "") for s in stored)
-        logger.info("[SM] auto-finalize: promoting %d segment(s) to FINAL: %s", len(stored), text[:120])
+        logger.info("[SM] auto-finalize → FINAL: %s", text[:120])
         stream._send_frames(stored, is_final=True)
         stream._sm_last_partial_segments = []  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
-        stream._sm_last_final_ts = time.monotonic()  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+        stream._sm_last_final_text = text  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
     except asyncio.CancelledError:
         pass
 
@@ -63,11 +67,14 @@ def _patched_handle_partial_segment(self: SpeechStream, message: dict) -> None:
     if segments:
         self._sm_last_partial_segments = segments  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
 
-        # Cancel previous timer and start a new one
-        timer = getattr(self, "_sm_finalize_timer", None)
-        if timer and not timer.done():
-            timer.cancel()
-        self._sm_finalize_timer = asyncio.create_task(_auto_finalize(self))  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+        # Only start a timer if text actually changed from last finalized
+        text = _segments_text(segments)
+        last_final_text = getattr(self, "_sm_last_final_text", "")
+        if text != last_final_text:
+            timer = getattr(self, "_sm_finalize_timer", None)
+            if timer and not timer.done():
+                timer.cancel()
+            self._sm_finalize_timer = asyncio.create_task(_auto_finalize(self))  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
 
     _original_handle_partial_segment(self, message)