diff --git a/app/build.gradle.kts b/app/build.gradle.kts
index aedd00a..efcaf35 100644
--- a/app/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/app/build.gradle.kts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ android {
         applicationId = "net.mmanningau.speechtokeyboard"
         minSdk = 28
         targetSdk = 36
-        versionCode = 8
+        versionCode = 9
         versionName = "1.0"
 
         testInstrumentationRunner = "androidx.test.runner.AndroidJUnitRunner"
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/net/mmanningau/speechtokeyboard/TestModelActivity.kt b/app/src/main/java/net/mmanningau/speechtokeyboard/TestModelActivity.kt
index bb1f78f..a7ef7a3 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/net/mmanningau/speechtokeyboard/TestModelActivity.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/net/mmanningau/speechtokeyboard/TestModelActivity.kt
@@ -156,26 +156,28 @@ class TestModelActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
 
     private fun stopRecording() {
         isRecording = false
-        recordingThread?.join() // Wait for loop to finish
+        recordingThread?.join()
         micButton.clearColorFilter()
-        outputText.text = "$committedText [Stopped]"
+
+        // Just show what we have, don't overwrite with "[Stopped]"
+        // to prevent visual jarring.
+        outputText.append("\n[Stopped]")
     }
 
     private fun processAudioLoop() {
         val sampleRate = 16000
         val bufferSize = AudioRecord.getMinBufferSize(sampleRate, AudioFormat.CHANNEL_IN_MONO, AudioFormat.ENCODING_PCM_16BIT)
 
+        // 1. GUARD CLAUSE: Unpack nullables safely
+        // If recognizer or stream are null, we stop immediately.
+        // This creates 'localRec' and 'localStream' which are GUARANTEED non-null.
+        val localRec = recognizer ?: return
+        val localStream = stream ?: return
+
         if (ActivityCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, Manifest.permission.RECORD_AUDIO) != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
             return
         }
 
-        // --- FIX START ---
-        // Capture global variables into local non-null variables.
-        // If either is null, we just exit the loop safely.
-        val activeStream = stream ?: return
-        val activeRecognizer = recognizer ?: return
-        // --- FIX END ---
-
         val record = AudioRecord(MediaRecorder.AudioSource.MIC, sampleRate, AudioFormat.CHANNEL_IN_MONO, AudioFormat.ENCODING_PCM_16BIT, bufferSize)
         record.startRecording()
 
@@ -186,28 +188,27 @@ class TestModelActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
             if (ret > 0) {
                 val samples = FloatArray(ret) { buffer[it] / 32768.0f }
 
-                // Use 'activeStream' and 'activeRecognizer' (No ? needed anymore)
-                activeStream.acceptWaveform(samples, sampleRate)
+                // 2. Use the LOCAL (non-null) variables
+                localStream.acceptWaveform(samples, sampleRate)
 
-                while (activeRecognizer.isReady(activeStream)) {
-                    activeRecognizer.decode(activeStream)
+                while (localRec.isReady(localStream)) {
+                    localRec.decode(localStream)
                 }
 
-                val text = activeRecognizer.getResult(activeStream).text
+                val text = localRec.getResult(localStream).text
+                val isEndpoint = localRec.isEndpoint(localStream)
 
                 if (text.isNotEmpty()) {
                     val cleanText = text.lowercase()
+
                     runOnUiThread {
-                        outputText.text = "$committedText $cleanText"
-                    }
-
-                    if (activeRecognizer.isEndpoint(activeStream)) {
-                        if (cleanText.isNotBlank()) {
+                        if (isEndpoint) {
                             committedText += "$cleanText "
+                            outputText.text = committedText
                             sendToPico("$cleanText ")
-
-                            // Reset the stream
-                            activeRecognizer.reset(activeStream)
+                            localRec.reset(localStream)
+                        } else {
+                            outputText.text = "$committedText $cleanText"
                         }
                     }
                 }