diff --git a/desktop/src-tauri/src/android_audio.rs b/desktop/src-tauri/src/android_audio.rs
index 8f9c001..d49d7f2 100644
--- a/desktop/src-tauri/src/android_audio.rs
+++ b/desktop/src-tauri/src/android_audio.rs
@@ -96,6 +96,35 @@ pub fn set_audio_mode_communication() -> Result<(), String> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
+/// Run `set_audio_mode_communication` on Tauri's main thread, where the
+/// Android context is initialized. Calling it from arbitrary Tokio blocking
+/// workers panics inside `ndk_context::android_context()`.
+pub async fn set_audio_mode_communication_on_main(
+    app: tauri::AppHandle,
+) -> Result<(), String> {
+    let (tx, rx) = tokio::sync::oneshot::channel();
+    app.run_on_main_thread(move || {
+        let result = std::panic::catch_unwind(set_audio_mode_communication)
+            .map_err(|panic| {
+                if let Some(s) = panic.downcast_ref::<&str>() {
+                    format!("panic: {s}")
+                } else if let Some(s) = panic.downcast_ref::<String>() {
+                    format!("panic: {s}")
+                } else {
+                    "panic: unknown".to_string()
+                }
+            })
+            .and_then(|r| r);
+        let _ = tx.send(result);
+    })
+    .map_err(|e| format!("run_on_main_thread: {e}"))?;
+
+    tokio::time::timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(2), rx)
+        .await
+        .map_err(|_| "set_audio_mode_communication timed out after 2s".to_string())?
+        .map_err(|_| "set_audio_mode_communication result channel closed".to_string())?
+}
+
 /// Restore `AudioManager.MODE_NORMAL`. Call when a VoIP call ends.
 pub fn set_audio_mode_normal() -> Result<(), String> {
     let (vm, activity) = jvm_and_activity()?;
diff --git a/desktop/src-tauri/src/engine.rs b/desktop/src-tauri/src/engine.rs
index 793a90c..489dca6 100644
--- a/desktop/src-tauri/src/engine.rs
+++ b/desktop/src-tauri/src/engine.rs
@@ -663,15 +663,13 @@ impl CallEngine {
                 "connect:audio_mode_start",
                 serde_json::json!({ "t_ms": call_t0.elapsed().as_millis() }),
             );
-            let audio_mode_task =
-                tokio::task::spawn_blocking(crate::android_audio::set_audio_mode_communication);
-            match tokio::time::timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(2), audio_mode_task).await {
-                Ok(Ok(Ok(()))) => crate::emit_call_debug(
+            match crate::android_audio::set_audio_mode_communication_on_main(app.clone()).await {
+                Ok(()) => crate::emit_call_debug(
                     &app,
                     "connect:audio_mode_done",
                     serde_json::json!({ "t_ms": call_t0.elapsed().as_millis() }),
                 ),
-                Ok(Ok(Err(e))) => {
+                Err(e) => {
                     tracing::warn!("set_audio_mode_communication failed: {e}");
                     crate::emit_call_debug(
                         &app,
@@ -682,26 +680,6 @@ impl CallEngine {
                         }),
                     );
                 }
-                Ok(Err(e)) => {
-                    crate::emit_call_debug(
-                        &app,
-                        "connect:audio_mode_panic",
-                        serde_json::json!({
-                            "t_ms": call_t0.elapsed().as_millis(),
-                            "error": e.to_string(),
-                        }),
-                    );
-                }
-                Err(_) => {
-                    crate::emit_call_debug(
-                        &app,
-                        "connect:audio_mode_timeout",
-                        serde_json::json!({
-                            "t_ms": call_t0.elapsed().as_millis(),
-                            "timeout_ms": 2000,
-                        }),
-                    );
-                }
             }
         }