diff --git a/apps/asterisk/deployment.yaml b/apps/asterisk/deployment.yaml
index 1545123..acdcb73 100644
--- a/apps/asterisk/deployment.yaml
+++ b/apps/asterisk/deployment.yaml
@@ -16,22 +16,39 @@ spec:
     metadata:
       labels:
         app: asterisk
-    spec:
-      nodeSelector:
-        kubernetes.io/hostname: rke2-agent1
-      hostNetwork: true
-      dnsPolicy: ClusterFirstWithHostNet
+    spec:
+      nodeSelector:
+        kubernetes.io/hostname: rke2-agent1
+      hostNetwork: true
+      dnsPolicy: ClusterFirstWithHostNet
       securityContext:
         fsGroup: 0
-      initContainers:
-        - name: install-sounds
-          image: busybox:latest
-          command:
-            - sh
-            - -c
-            - |
-              mkdir -p /sounds/en &&
-              echo "Leaving /var/lib/asterisk/sounds/en empty until the sound bootstrap lane is fixed."
+      initContainers:
+        - name: install-sounds
+          # Downloads Asterisk core sounds (en, ulaw) into the sounds emptyDir
+          # volume so the base Asterisk image (which ships no sounds) can play
+          # vm-advopts, vm-goodbye, digits/*, characters/*, beep, etc. Skips
+          # the download if the directory already contains sound files —
+          # re-running the pod after a hot image reload reuses the unpack.
+          image: alpine:3.20
+          command:
+            - sh
+            - -c
+            - |
+              set -eu
+              if [ -f /sounds/en/vm-goodbye.ulaw ] || [ -f /sounds/en/vm-goodbye.gsm ]; then
+                echo "Sounds already present — skipping download."
+                exit 0
+              fi
+              echo "Installing curl + tar..."
+              apk add --no-cache curl tar gzip >/dev/null
+              cd /tmp
+              echo "Downloading Asterisk core sounds (en, ulaw) 1.6.1..."
+              curl -fsSLO https://downloads.asterisk.org/pub/telephony/sounds/releases/asterisk-core-sounds-en-ulaw-1.6.1.tar.gz
+              echo "Extracting to /sounds/en ..."
+              mkdir -p /sounds/en
+              tar -xzf asterisk-core-sounds-en-ulaw-1.6.1.tar.gz -C /sounds/en
+              echo "Done — $(ls /sounds/en | wc -l) files installed."
           volumeMounts:
             - name: sounds
               mountPath: /sounds/en