diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-lite.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-lite.yml
index 870276ae6d..f807ef536c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-lite.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-lite.yml
@@ -354,8 +354,10 @@ jobs:
   # Feature-gate smoke: proves the core still compiles with a domain gate turned
   # OFF. The disabled build is the ONLY thing that catches stub-facade signature
   # drift (see AGENTS.md "Compile-time domain gates"), so it must run in CI, not
-  # just locally. Pathfinder lane for #4803 (voice); extend the --features list
-  # as sibling gates (#4797–#4802, #4804) land.
+  # just locally. Pathfinder lane for #4803 (voice); the explicit --features
+  # list (only tokenjuice-treesitter) turns every default gate OFF, so it also
+  # covers #4804 (media) and each sibling gate as it lands — no edit needed
+  # unless a new gate must stay ON here.
   rust-feature-gate-smoke:
     name: Rust Feature-Gate Smoke (gates off)
     needs: [changes]
@@ -382,7 +384,7 @@ jobs:
           cache-on-failure: true
           shared-key: pr-rust-feature-gate-smoke
 
-      - name: Check core builds with the voice gate disabled
+      - name: Check core builds with the voice + media gates disabled
         run: bash scripts/ci-cancel-aware.sh cargo check --manifest-path Cargo.toml --no-default-features --features tokenjuice-treesitter
 
   rust-core-coverage:
diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index e4d86eb785..69064d774e 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -231,11 +231,14 @@ GGML_NATIVE=OFF cargo check --manifest-path Cargo.toml \
 | Feature | Default | Gates | Drops deps |
 | ------- | ------- | ----- | ---------- |
 | `voice` | ON | `openhuman::voice` + `openhuman::audio_toolkit` domains — STT/TTS providers, dictation server, always-on listening, podcast audio + email | `hound`, `lettre` |
+| `media` | ON | `openhuman::media_generation` (the `media_generate_*` agent tools) + `openhuman::image` scaffold | none (surface-only) |
 
 **Facade pattern (pathfinder for the other gates).** `pub mod voice;` is **always compiled** as a facade: the real submodules are `#[cfg(feature = "voice")]`, and a `#[cfg(not(feature = "voice"))] mod stub;` (`src/openhuman/voice/stub.rs`) re-exposes the same public surface that always-on / other-gated callers use (`server`, `dictation_listener`, `streaming`, `reply_speech`, `cloud_transcribe`, `cli`, `create_stt_provider`, `effective_stt_provider`, `publish_ptt_transcript_committed`) with no-op / `None` / disabled-error bodies. Callers therefore do **not** need per-call `#[cfg]`. When voice is off: the voice/audio controllers are unregistered (unknown-method over `/rpc`, absent from `/schema`), the `audio_generate_podcast` agent tools are absent, and `openhuman voice` returns a "voice disabled" error. Stub signatures must match the real ones exactly — the disabled build (`--no-default-features --features tokenjuice-treesitter`) is the **only** thing that catches drift, so run it before pushing any change to the voice surface.
 
 **Scope note:** the `voice` gate does **not** drop `whisper-rs` / `llama` / `cpal`. Those live in the inference domain (`src/openhuman/inference/local/service/whisper_engine.rs`; `cpal` is shared with accessibility) and await a separate future `inference` gate. The issue-level DoD line claiming whisper is dropped is superseded by this scope correction.
 
+**Leaf-gate variant (`media`, #4804).** Unlike `voice`, the `media` gate needs **no** stub facade: `media_generation` has a single caller (the `build_media_tools` call in `src/openhuman/tools/ops.rs`, itself `#[cfg(feature = "media")]`) and `openhuman::image` is unwired scaffold (#2997), so both modules are simply `#[cfg(feature = "media")] pub mod …`. It is a **surface-only** gate: media generation is backend-proxied (`reqwest`, shared) and the `image` crate is shared with channel upload, so no exclusive deps are shed — the issue's "sheds media processing dependencies" / "controllers unregistered" DoD lines are superseded (Media is agent-tools-only; no controller/store/subscriber is tagged `Media`). When a gated domain is a true leaf, prefer this over the facade+stub.
+
 ### Event bus (`src/core/event_bus/`)
 
 Typed pub/sub + native request/response. Both singletons — use module-level functions.
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 4168dbe92d..ca000618eb 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ tokio = { version = "1", features = ["test-util"] }
 proptest = "1"
 
 [features]
-default = ["tokenjuice-treesitter", "voice"]
+default = ["tokenjuice-treesitter", "voice", "media"]
 # AST-aware code compression (tree-sitter Rust/TS/Python grammars; C build).
 # On by default; disable to fall back to the brace-depth heuristic.
 tokenjuice-treesitter = [
@@ -351,6 +351,18 @@ tokenjuice-treesitter = [
 # inference domain (shared with accessibility for cpal) and await a separate
 # `inference` gate.
 voice = ["dep:hound", "dep:lettre"]
+# Media-generation + image domains: the `media_generate_*` agent tools
+# (image/video via GMI through the backend) and the `openhuman::image` tool
+# contracts scaffold. Default-ON. Slim builds opt out via
+# `--no-default-features --features "<explicit list without media>"`.
+# Composes with the runtime `DomainSet::media` flag (#4796).
+# NOTE: this gate sheds NO exclusive dependencies — media generation is
+# backend-proxied (reqwest, shared) and the `image` crate is shared with
+# channel media upload. It is a surface-only gate (drops the tool code +
+# module from the compile), not a dependency-shedding one. There are no
+# controllers / stores / subscribers tagged `Media` (agent tools only), and
+# `openhuman::image` is currently unwired scaffold (added #2997).
+media = []
 sandbox-landlock = ["dep:landlock"]
 sandbox-bubblewrap = []
 peripheral-rpi = ["dep:rppal"]
diff --git a/app/src-tauri/Cargo.toml b/app/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
index 90d0b34bc5..4fd8845edd 100644
--- a/app/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
+++ b/app/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
@@ -132,7 +132,17 @@ cef = { version = "=146.4.1", default-features = false }
 # by tying the core's lifetime to the GUI process. The existing port-7788
 # probe in `core_process::ensure_running` still attaches to a running
 # `openhuman-core run` harness when one is already listening.
-openhuman_core = { path = "../..", package = "openhuman", default-features = false }
+#
+# `default-features = false` (set in #1061, before the compile-time domain
+# gates existed) means the embedded core does NOT inherit the root crate's
+# default gate set, so each default-ON gate must be forwarded explicitly to
+# keep the shipped desktop build byte-identical (AGENTS.md "Compile-time
+# domain gates"). `media` re-registers the `media_generate_*` agent tools
+# that #4804 moved behind `#[cfg(feature = "media")]`; it sheds no deps, so
+# this only restores the pre-gate desktop tool surface.
+openhuman_core = { path = "../..", package = "openhuman", default-features = false, features = [
+    "media",
+] }
 tinyjuice = { version = "0.2.1", default-features = false }
 
 [target.'cfg(unix)'.dependencies]
diff --git a/src/openhuman/mod.rs b/src/openhuman/mod.rs
index 74f8442046..601a569cfc 100644
--- a/src/openhuman/mod.rs
+++ b/src/openhuman/mod.rs
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ pub mod harness_init;
 pub mod health;
 pub mod heartbeat;
 pub mod http_host;
+#[cfg(feature = "media")]
 pub mod image;
 pub mod inference;
 pub mod integrations;
@@ -68,6 +69,7 @@ pub mod mcp_audit;
 pub mod mcp_client;
 pub mod mcp_registry;
 pub mod mcp_server;
+#[cfg(feature = "media")]
 pub mod media_generation;
 pub mod meet;
 pub mod meet_agent;
diff --git a/src/openhuman/tools/ops.rs b/src/openhuman/tools/ops.rs
index d96dac8688..b78c821097 100644
--- a/src/openhuman/tools/ops.rs
+++ b/src/openhuman/tools/ops.rs
@@ -844,6 +844,9 @@ pub fn all_tools_with_runtime(
 
     // Media generation (image/video via GMI through the backend). Skipped when
     // no integration client is configured; artifacts land under `action_dir`.
+    // Gated by the `media` compile-time feature (#4804); absent from slim
+    // builds. Runtime `DomainSet::media` (#4796) still gates it when compiled.
+    #[cfg(feature = "media")]
     tools.extend(crate::openhuman::media_generation::build_media_tools(
         root_config,
         action_dir,
diff --git a/src/openhuman/tools/ops_tests.rs b/src/openhuman/tools/ops_tests.rs
index 1d762f46f3..96c63320e7 100644
--- a/src/openhuman/tools/ops_tests.rs
+++ b/src/openhuman/tools/ops_tests.rs
@@ -260,6 +260,40 @@ fn all_tools_always_registers_curl() {
     );
 }
 
+// Compile-time `media` feature gate (#4804). The media-generation agent tools
+// (`media_generate_*`) are present only when the `media` feature is compiled
+// in AND an integration client is configured. The disabled build proves the
+// module + its single call site drop out entirely (leaf gate, no stub facade).
+#[cfg(feature = "media")]
+#[test]
+fn media_tools_registered_when_feature_on() {
+    let tmp = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let cfg = integration_test_config(&tmp, "http://127.0.0.1:1");
+    store_test_session_token(&cfg);
+    let tools = integration_tools_for_config(&tmp, &cfg);
+    let names: Vec<&str> = tools.iter().map(|t| t.name()).collect();
+    assert!(
+        names.contains(&"media_generate_image"),
+        "media tools must register with the `media` feature on + an integration \
+         client; got: {names:?}"
+    );
+}
+
+#[cfg(not(feature = "media"))]
+#[test]
+fn media_tools_absent_when_feature_off() {
+    let tmp = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let cfg = integration_test_config(&tmp, "http://127.0.0.1:1");
+    store_test_session_token(&cfg);
+    let tools = integration_tools_for_config(&tmp, &cfg);
+    let names: Vec<&str> = tools.iter().map(|t| t.name()).collect();
+    assert!(
+        !names.iter().any(|n| n.starts_with("media_")),
+        "no `media_*` tools may be registered when the `media` feature is off; \
+         got: {names:?}"
+    );
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn all_tools_registers_gitbooks_when_enabled() {
     let tmp = TempDir::new().unwrap();
diff --git a/tests/raw_coverage/agent_session_round24_raw_coverage_e2e.rs b/tests/raw_coverage/agent_session_round24_raw_coverage_e2e.rs
index 6865e8da0c..0e0d455b69 100644
--- a/tests/raw_coverage/agent_session_round24_raw_coverage_e2e.rs
+++ b/tests/raw_coverage/agent_session_round24_raw_coverage_e2e.rs
@@ -411,17 +411,13 @@ async fn max_iteration_checkpoint_uses_deterministic_fallback_and_hooks() {
     let calls = Arc::new(AtomicUsize::new(0));
     let hook_calls = Arc::new(AtomicUsize::new(0));
     let hook_contexts = Arc::new(Mutex::new(Vec::new()));
+    // The wrap-up model call yields nothing (empty text + no streamed deltas), so
+    // `summarize_turn_wrapup` returns an empty summary and the cap path falls back
+    // to `build_deterministic_checkpoint` — the exact path this test covers. (A
+    // non-empty wrap-up would instead be surfaced verbatim as the answer.)
     let provider = ScriptedProvider::with_stream(
-        vec![
-            xml_tool_response("alpha"),
-            text_response(
-                "<tool_call>{\"name\":\"round24_echo\",\"arguments\":{\"value\":\"again\"}}</tool_call>",
-                None,
-            ),
-        ],
-        vec![ProviderDelta::TextDelta {
-            delta: "checkpoint delta".to_string(),
-        }],
+        vec![xml_tool_response("alpha"), text_response("", None)],
+        vec![],
     );
 
     let mut agent = Agent::builder()
@@ -454,7 +450,7 @@ async fn max_iteration_checkpoint_uses_deterministic_fallback_and_hooks() {
     let answer = agent.turn("hit the cap").await.unwrap();
 
     assert!(answer.contains("I reached the tool-call limit for this turn (1 steps)"));
-    // The unified TurnEngine digest uses `- round24_echo [ok]: ...` format (no backticks).
+    // The deterministic checkpoint lists each executed tool, e.g. ``- `round24_echo` — ok``.
     assert!(answer.contains("round24_echo"));
     assert_eq!(calls.load(Ordering::SeqCst), 1);
     wait_for_hook_calls(&hook_calls, 1).await;
@@ -480,12 +476,11 @@ async fn max_iteration_checkpoint_uses_deterministic_fallback_and_hooks() {
     while let Ok(event) = progress_rx.try_recv() {
         streamed.push(event);
     }
-    assert!(streamed.iter().any(|event| matches!(
+    // The wrap-up produced no text, so no iteration-2 wrap-up delta is streamed;
+    // the deterministic fallback (asserted above) becomes the answer instead.
+    assert!(!streamed.iter().any(|event| matches!(
         event,
-        openhuman_core::openhuman::agent::progress::AgentProgress::TextDelta {
-            delta,
-            iteration: 2
-        } if delta == "checkpoint delta"
+        openhuman_core::openhuman::agent::progress::AgentProgress::TextDelta { iteration: 2, .. }
     )));
 }