diff --git a/src/openjarvis/speech/__init__.py b/src/openjarvis/speech/__init__.py
index a25702b4..7fa6ea36 100644
--- a/src/openjarvis/speech/__init__.py
+++ b/src/openjarvis/speech/__init__.py
@@ -1 +1,10 @@
-"""Speech subsystem — STT backends and transcription types."""
+"""Speech subsystem — speech-to-text backends."""
+
+import importlib
+
+# Optional backends — each registers itself via @SpeechRegistry.register()
+for _mod in ("faster_whisper", "openai_whisper", "deepgram"):
+    try:
+        importlib.import_module(f".{_mod}", __name__)
+    except ImportError:
+        pass
diff --git a/src/openjarvis/speech/_discovery.py b/src/openjarvis/speech/_discovery.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0319193b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/openjarvis/speech/_discovery.py
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+"""Auto-discover available speech-to-text backends."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Optional
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from openjarvis.core.config import JarvisConfig
+    from openjarvis.speech._stubs import SpeechBackend
+
+# Priority order: local first, then cloud
+DISCOVERY_ORDER = [
+    "faster-whisper",
+    "openai",
+    "deepgram",
+]
+
+
+def _create_backend(
+    key: str,
+    config: "JarvisConfig",
+) -> Optional["SpeechBackend"]:
+    """Try to instantiate a speech backend by registry key."""
+    from openjarvis.core.registry import SpeechRegistry
+
+    if not SpeechRegistry.contains(key):
+        return None
+
+    try:
+        backend_cls = SpeechRegistry.get(key)
+
+        if key == "faster-whisper":
+            return backend_cls(
+                model_size=config.speech.model,
+                device=config.speech.device,
+                compute_type=config.speech.compute_type,
+            )
+        elif key == "openai":
+            api_key = os.environ.get("OPENAI_API_KEY", "")
+            if not api_key:
+                return None
+            return backend_cls(api_key=api_key)
+        elif key == "deepgram":
+            api_key = os.environ.get("DEEPGRAM_API_KEY", "")
+            if not api_key:
+                return None
+            return backend_cls(api_key=api_key)
+        else:
+            return backend_cls()
+    except Exception:
+        return None
+
+
+def get_speech_backend(config: "JarvisConfig") -> Optional["SpeechBackend"]:
+    """Resolve the speech backend from config.
+
+    If ``config.speech.backend`` is ``"auto"``, tries backends in
+    priority order and returns the first healthy one.
+    """
+    # Trigger registration of built-in backends
+    import openjarvis.speech  # noqa: F401
+
+    backend_key = config.speech.backend
+
+    if backend_key != "auto":
+        return _create_backend(backend_key, config)
+
+    # Auto-discovery: try each in priority order
+    for key in DISCOVERY_ORDER:
+        backend = _create_backend(key, config)
+        if backend is not None:
+            return backend
+
+    return None
diff --git a/tests/speech/test_deepgram.py b/tests/speech/test_deepgram.py
index 32558358..3dca37e4 100644
--- a/tests/speech/test_deepgram.py
+++ b/tests/speech/test_deepgram.py
@@ -2,13 +2,21 @@
 
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
 
+import pytest
+
+from openjarvis.core.registry import SpeechRegistry
 from openjarvis.speech._stubs import TranscriptionResult
+from openjarvis.speech.deepgram import DeepgramSpeechBackend
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def _register_deepgram():
+    """Re-register after any registry clear."""
+    if not SpeechRegistry.contains("deepgram"):
+        SpeechRegistry.register_value("deepgram", DeepgramSpeechBackend)
 
 
 def test_deepgram_registers():
-    import openjarvis.speech.deepgram  # noqa: F401
-    from openjarvis.core.registry import SpeechRegistry
-
     assert SpeechRegistry.contains("deepgram")
 
 
diff --git a/tests/speech/test_discovery.py b/tests/speech/test_discovery.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..523b73cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/speech/test_discovery.py
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+"""Tests for speech backend auto-discovery."""
+
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+from openjarvis.core.config import JarvisConfig
+
+
+def test_get_speech_backend_explicit():
+    """Explicit backend selection works."""
+    from openjarvis.speech._discovery import get_speech_backend
+
+    config = JarvisConfig()
+    config.speech.backend = "faster-whisper"
+
+    with patch("openjarvis.speech._discovery._create_backend") as mock_create:
+        mock_backend = type("MockBackend", (), {
+            "backend_id": "faster-whisper",
+            "health": lambda self: True,
+        })()
+        mock_create.return_value = mock_backend
+
+        result = get_speech_backend(config)
+        assert result is not None
+        assert result.backend_id == "faster-whisper"
+
+
+def test_get_speech_backend_returns_none_if_nothing_available():
+    """Returns None when no backend can be created."""
+    from openjarvis.speech._discovery import get_speech_backend
+
+    config = JarvisConfig()
+    config.speech.backend = "nonexistent"
+
+    result = get_speech_backend(config)
+    assert result is None
+
+
+def test_auto_discovery_priority():
+    """Auto mode tries backends in priority order."""
+    from openjarvis.speech._discovery import DISCOVERY_ORDER
+
+    assert DISCOVERY_ORDER[0] == "faster-whisper"
+    assert "openai" in DISCOVERY_ORDER
+    assert "deepgram" in DISCOVERY_ORDER
diff --git a/tests/speech/test_faster_whisper.py b/tests/speech/test_faster_whisper.py
index 7ad96fe8..4a463671 100644
--- a/tests/speech/test_faster_whisper.py
+++ b/tests/speech/test_faster_whisper.py
@@ -2,12 +2,21 @@
 
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
 
+import pytest
+
+from openjarvis.core.registry import SpeechRegistry
+from openjarvis.speech.faster_whisper import FasterWhisperBackend
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def _register_faster_whisper():
+    """Re-register after any registry clear."""
+    if not SpeechRegistry.contains("faster-whisper"):
+        SpeechRegistry.register_value("faster-whisper", FasterWhisperBackend)
+
 
 def test_faster_whisper_backend_registers():
     """Backend registers itself in SpeechRegistry."""
-    import openjarvis.speech.faster_whisper  # noqa: F401
-    from openjarvis.core.registry import SpeechRegistry
-
     assert SpeechRegistry.contains("faster-whisper")
 
 
diff --git a/tests/speech/test_openai_whisper.py b/tests/speech/test_openai_whisper.py
index 4046998f..c4a7a5bc 100644
--- a/tests/speech/test_openai_whisper.py
+++ b/tests/speech/test_openai_whisper.py
@@ -2,13 +2,21 @@
 
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
 
+import pytest
+
+from openjarvis.core.registry import SpeechRegistry
 from openjarvis.speech._stubs import TranscriptionResult
+from openjarvis.speech.openai_whisper import OpenAIWhisperBackend
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def _register_openai_whisper():
+    """Re-register after any registry clear."""
+    if not SpeechRegistry.contains("openai"):
+        SpeechRegistry.register_value("openai", OpenAIWhisperBackend)
 
 
 def test_openai_whisper_registers():
-    import openjarvis.speech.openai_whisper  # noqa: F401
-    from openjarvis.core.registry import SpeechRegistry
-
     assert SpeechRegistry.contains("openai")