diff --git a/backend/backend.proto b/backend/backend.proto
index 54255528e..9ec5f862f 100644
--- a/backend/backend.proto
+++ b/backend/backend.proto
@@ -647,6 +647,7 @@ message TranscriptWord {
   int64 start = 1;
   int64 end = 2;
   string text = 3;
+  string speaker = 4;   // backend speaker label when diarizing; empty otherwise
 }
 
 message TranscriptSegment {
diff --git a/core/backend/transcript.go b/core/backend/transcript.go
index 0ddee3add..27b13bc55 100644
--- a/core/backend/transcript.go
+++ b/core/backend/transcript.go
@@ -213,9 +213,10 @@ func transcriptResultFromProto(r *proto.TranscriptResult) *schema.TranscriptionR
 		var words []schema.TranscriptionWord
 		for _, w := range s.Words {
 			var word = schema.TranscriptionWord{
-				Start: time.Duration(w.Start),
-				End:   time.Duration(w.End),
-				Text:  w.Text,
+				Start:   time.Duration(w.Start),
+				End:     time.Duration(w.End),
+				Text:    w.Text,
+				Speaker: w.Speaker,
 			}
 			words = append(words, word)
 			tr.Words = append(tr.Words, word)
diff --git a/core/backend/transcript_live.go b/core/backend/transcript_live.go
index 0ad6d72e1..d0dc59d87 100644
--- a/core/backend/transcript_live.go
+++ b/core/backend/transcript_live.go
@@ -298,9 +298,10 @@ func liveEventFromProto(r *proto.TranscriptLiveResponse) LiveTranscriptionEvent
 	}
 	for _, w := range r.GetWords() {
 		ev.Words = append(ev.Words, schema.TranscriptionWord{
-			Start: time.Duration(w.Start),
-			End:   time.Duration(w.End),
-			Text:  w.Text,
+			Start:   time.Duration(w.Start),
+			End:     time.Duration(w.End),
+			Text:    w.Text,
+			Speaker: w.Speaker,
 		})
 	}
 	if r.GetFinalResult() != nil {
diff --git a/core/backend/transcript_live_internal_test.go b/core/backend/transcript_live_internal_test.go
index 6f6bed6a4..975ac844b 100644
--- a/core/backend/transcript_live_internal_test.go
+++ b/core/backend/transcript_live_internal_test.go
@@ -54,6 +54,20 @@ var _ = Describe("liveEventFromProto", func() {
 		Expect(ev.Final).To(BeNil())
 	})
 
+	It("carries word speakers and final segment speakers from a diarizing backend", func() {
+		ev := liveEventFromProto(&proto.TranscriptLiveResponse{
+			Words: []*proto.TranscriptWord{{Text: "hi", Speaker: "1"}},
+		})
+		Expect(ev.Words[0].Speaker).To(Equal("1"))
+		ev = liveEventFromProto(&proto.TranscriptLiveResponse{
+			FinalResult: &proto.TranscriptResult{
+				Text:     "hi there",
+				Segments: []*proto.TranscriptSegment{{Text: "hi", Speaker: "0"}, {Text: "there", Speaker: "1"}},
+			},
+		})
+		Expect(ev.Final.Segments[1].Speaker).To(Equal("1"))
+	})
+
 	It("maps the eob backchannel flag separately from eou", func() {
 		ev := liveEventFromProto(&proto.TranscriptLiveResponse{Delta: "uh-huh", Eob: true})
 		Expect(ev.Eob).To(BeTrue())
diff --git a/core/cli/transcript.go b/core/cli/transcript.go
index 06764f4dd..e187453a6 100644
--- a/core/cli/transcript.go
+++ b/core/cli/transcript.go
@@ -93,18 +93,20 @@ func (t *TranscriptCMD) Run(ctx *cliContext.Context) error {
 		}
 		for _, word := range(tr.Words) {
 			trs.Words = append(trs.Words, schema.TranscriptionWordSeconds{
-				Start: word.Start.Seconds(),
-				End:   word.End.Seconds(),
-				Text:  word.Text,
+				Start:   word.Start.Seconds(),
+				End:     word.End.Seconds(),
+				Text:    word.Text,
+				Speaker: word.Speaker,
 			})
 		}
 		for _, seg := range(tr.Segments) {
 			segWords := []schema.TranscriptionWordSeconds{}
 			for _, word := range(seg.Words) {
 				segWords = append(segWords, schema.TranscriptionWordSeconds{
-					Start: word.Start.Seconds(),
-					End:   word.End.Seconds(),
-					Text:  word.Text,
+					Start:   word.Start.Seconds(),
+					End:     word.End.Seconds(),
+					Text:    word.Text,
+					Speaker: word.Speaker,
 				})
 			}
 			trs.Segments = append(trs.Segments, schema.TranscriptionSegmentSeconds{
diff --git a/core/http/endpoints/openai/transcription.go b/core/http/endpoints/openai/transcription.go
index 920094f84..a7e01ba95 100644
--- a/core/http/endpoints/openai/transcription.go
+++ b/core/http/endpoints/openai/transcription.go
@@ -191,18 +191,20 @@ func TranscriptEndpoint(cl *config.ModelConfigLoader, ml *model.ModelLoader, app
 			}
 			for _, word := range tr.Words {
 				trs.Words = append(trs.Words, schema.TranscriptionWordSeconds{
-					Start: word.Start.Seconds(),
-					End:   word.End.Seconds(),
-					Text:  word.Text,
+					Start:   word.Start.Seconds(),
+					End:     word.End.Seconds(),
+					Text:    word.Text,
+					Speaker: word.Speaker,
 				})
 			}
 			for _, seg := range tr.Segments {
 				segWords := []schema.TranscriptionWordSeconds{}
 				for _, word := range seg.Words {
 					segWords = append(segWords, schema.TranscriptionWordSeconds{
-						Start: word.Start.Seconds(),
-						End:   word.End.Seconds(),
-						Text:  word.Text,
+						Start:   word.Start.Seconds(),
+						End:     word.End.Seconds(),
+						Text:    word.Text,
+						Speaker: word.Speaker,
 					})
 				}
 				trs.Segments = append(trs.Segments, schema.TranscriptionSegmentSeconds{
@@ -309,12 +311,16 @@ func streamTranscription(c echo.Context, req backend.TranscriptionRequest, ml *m
 	if len(finalResult.Segments) > 0 {
 		segs := make([]map[string]any, 0, len(finalResult.Segments))
 		for _, seg := range finalResult.Segments {
-			segs = append(segs, map[string]any{
+			entry := map[string]any{
 				"id":    seg.Id,
 				"start": seg.Start.Seconds(),
 				"end":   seg.End.Seconds(),
 				"text":  seg.Text,
-			})
+			}
+			if seg.Speaker != "" {
+				entry["speaker"] = seg.Speaker
+			}
+			segs = append(segs, entry)
 		}
 		doneEvent["segments"] = segs
 	}
diff --git a/core/schema/transcription.go b/core/schema/transcription.go
index 8414fd0ba..aab914f70 100644
--- a/core/schema/transcription.go
+++ b/core/schema/transcription.go
@@ -13,9 +13,10 @@ type TranscriptionSegment struct {
 }
 
 type TranscriptionWord struct {
-	Start time.Duration `json:"start"`
-	End   time.Duration `json:"end"`
-	Text  string        `json:"text"`
+	Start   time.Duration `json:"start"`
+	End     time.Duration `json:"end"`
+	Text    string        `json:"text"`
+	Speaker string        `json:"speaker,omitempty"`
 }
 
 type TranscriptionResult struct {
@@ -42,9 +43,10 @@ type TranscriptionSegmentSeconds struct {
 }
 
 type TranscriptionWordSeconds struct {
-	Start float64 `json:"start"`
-	End   float64 `json:"end"`
-	Text  string  `json:"text"`
+	Start   float64 `json:"start"`
+	End     float64 `json:"end"`
+	Text    string  `json:"text"`
+	Speaker string  `json:"speaker,omitempty"`
 }
 
 type TranscriptionResultSeconds struct {