diff --git a/backend/go/crispasr/Makefile b/backend/go/crispasr/Makefile
index 42a7a7555..bbc84f1de 100644
--- a/backend/go/crispasr/Makefile
+++ b/backend/go/crispasr/Makefile
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ sources/CrispASR:
 	# it, so ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR} is THIS backend dir and the talk-llama sources
 	# aren't found. Rewrite to ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR} (the crispasr project root),
 	# which is correct both standalone and as a subproject. Idempotent.
-	sed -i 's#\$${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/examples/talk-llama#\$${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/examples/talk-llama#' sources/CrispASR/src/CMakeLists.txt
+	sed -i.bak 's#\$${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/examples/talk-llama#\$${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/examples/talk-llama#' sources/CrispASR/src/CMakeLists.txt && rm -f sources/CrispASR/src/CMakeLists.txt.bak
 
 # Detect OS
 UNAME_S := $(shell uname -s)
diff --git a/backend/go/crispasr/cpp/crispasr_shim.cpp b/backend/go/crispasr/cpp/crispasr_shim.cpp
index bf6151ae1..60dbfd86b 100644
--- a/backend/go/crispasr/cpp/crispasr_shim.cpp
+++ b/backend/go/crispasr/cpp/crispasr_shim.cpp
@@ -47,6 +47,74 @@ extern "C" void set_abort(int v) {
   g_abort.store(v, std::memory_order_relaxed);
 }
 
+// --- word-level timestamp accessors ---
+extern "C" {
+int crispasr_session_result_n_words(crispasr_session_result *r, int seg_i);
+const char *crispasr_session_result_word_text(crispasr_session_result *r,
+                                               int seg_i, int word_i);
+int64_t crispasr_session_result_word_t0(crispasr_session_result *r, int seg_i,
+                                         int word_i);
+int64_t crispasr_session_result_word_t1(crispasr_session_result *r, int seg_i,
+                                         int word_i);
+
+// Parakeet-specific word accessors
+int crispasr_parakeet_result_n_words(void *r);
+const char *crispasr_parakeet_result_word_text(void *r, int word_i);
+int64_t crispasr_parakeet_result_word_t0(void *r, int word_i);
+int64_t crispasr_parakeet_result_word_t1(void *r, int word_i);
+}
+
+void *get_result(void) { return g_result; }
+
+int get_word_count(int seg_i) {
+  if (!g_result)
+    return 0;
+  return crispasr_session_result_n_words(g_result, seg_i);
+}
+
+const char *get_word_text(int seg_i, int word_i) {
+  if (!g_result)
+    return "";
+  return crispasr_session_result_word_text(g_result, seg_i, word_i);
+}
+
+int64_t get_word_t0(int seg_i, int word_i) {
+  if (!g_result)
+    return 0;
+  return crispasr_session_result_word_t0(g_result, seg_i, word_i);
+}
+
+int64_t get_word_t1(int seg_i, int word_i) {
+  if (!g_result)
+    return 0;
+  return crispasr_session_result_word_t1(g_result, seg_i, word_i);
+}
+
+// Parakeet-specific word accessors
+int get_parakeet_word_count(void) {
+  if (!g_result)
+    return 0;
+  return crispasr_parakeet_result_n_words(g_result);
+}
+
+const char *get_parakeet_word_text(int word_i) {
+  if (!g_result)
+    return "";
+  return crispasr_parakeet_result_word_text(g_result, word_i);
+}
+
+int64_t get_parakeet_word_t0(int word_i) {
+  if (!g_result)
+    return 0;
+  return crispasr_parakeet_result_word_t0(g_result, word_i);
+}
+
+int64_t get_parakeet_word_t1(int word_i) {
+  if (!g_result)
+    return 0;
+  return crispasr_parakeet_result_word_t1(g_result, word_i);
+}
+
 static void ggml_log_cb(enum ggml_log_level level, const char *log,
                         void *data) {
   const char *level_str;
diff --git a/backend/go/crispasr/cpp/crispasr_shim.h b/backend/go/crispasr/cpp/crispasr_shim.h
index 7c593951a..c7baa41f4 100644
--- a/backend/go/crispasr/cpp/crispasr_shim.h
+++ b/backend/go/crispasr/cpp/crispasr_shim.h
@@ -20,4 +20,18 @@ float *tts_synthesize(const char *text, int *out_n_samples); // 24kHz mono float
 void tts_free(float *pcm);
 int tts_set_voice(const char *name); // best-effort speaker selection; 0 ok
 int tts_set_voice_file(const char *path, const char *ref_text); // load voice pack (.gguf) or zero-shot clone (.wav + ref_text)
+
+// --- word-level timestamp accessors ---
+// Session-based (works for whisper-like backends)
+void *get_result(void);
+int get_word_count(int seg_i);
+const char *get_word_text(int seg_i, int word_i);
+int64_t get_word_t0(int seg_i, int word_i);
+int64_t get_word_t1(int seg_i, int word_i);
+
+// Parakeet-specific (global word list, no segment index)
+int get_parakeet_word_count(void);
+const char *get_parakeet_word_text(int word_i);
+int64_t get_parakeet_word_t0(int word_i);
+int64_t get_parakeet_word_t1(int word_i);
 }
diff --git a/backend/go/crispasr/gocrispasr.go b/backend/go/crispasr/gocrispasr.go
index 5c3528d38..af1f1a95c 100644
--- a/backend/go/crispasr/gocrispasr.go
+++ b/backend/go/crispasr/gocrispasr.go
@@ -34,6 +34,18 @@ var (
 	CppTTSFree         func(ptr uintptr)
 	CppTTSSetVoice     func(name string) int
 	CppTTSSetVoiceFile func(path string, refText string) int
+
+	// Word-level timestamp accessors (session-based, per-segment)
+	CppGetWordCount func(segI int) int
+	CppGetWordText  func(segI int, wordI int) string
+	CppGetWordT0    func(segI int, wordI int) int64
+	CppGetWordT1    func(segI int, wordI int) int64
+
+	// Parakeet-specific word accessors (global, no segment index)
+	CppGetParakeetWordCount func() int
+	CppGetParakeetWordText  func(wordI int) string
+	CppGetParakeetWordT0    func(wordI int) int64
+	CppGetParakeetWordT1    func(wordI int) int64
 )
 
 type CrispASR struct {
@@ -290,10 +302,36 @@ func (w *CrispASR) AudioTranscription(ctx context.Context, opts *pb.TranscriptRe
 		// IDs, so Tokens is left empty.
 		txt := strings.ToValidUTF8(strings.Clone(CppGetSegmentText(i)), "�")
 
+		// Populate word-level timestamps. Try session-based functions first
+		// (per-segment); fall back to parakeet-specific functions (global word
+		// list with no segment index — only populated on the first segment to
+		// avoid duplication).
+		words := []*pb.TranscriptWord{}
+		wordCount := CppGetWordCount(i)
+		if wordCount == 0 && i == 0 {
+			wordCount = CppGetParakeetWordCount()
+			for j := 0; j < wordCount; j++ {
+				words = append(words, &pb.TranscriptWord{
+					Start: CppGetParakeetWordT0(j) * (10000000),
+					End:   CppGetParakeetWordT1(j) * (10000000),
+					Text:  strings.ToValidUTF8(strings.Clone(CppGetParakeetWordText(j)), "�"),
+				})
+			}
+		} else {
+			for j := 0; j < wordCount; j++ {
+				words = append(words, &pb.TranscriptWord{
+					Start: CppGetWordT0(i, j) * (10000000),
+					End:   CppGetWordT1(i, j) * (10000000),
+					Text:  strings.ToValidUTF8(strings.Clone(CppGetWordText(i, j)), "�"),
+				})
+			}
+		}
+
 		segment := &pb.TranscriptSegment{
 			Id:    int32(i),
 			Text:  txt,
 			Start: s, End: t,
+			Words: words,
 		}
 
 		segments = append(segments, segment)
diff --git a/backend/go/crispasr/main.go b/backend/go/crispasr/main.go
index c2069bd85..9f3ef14d0 100644
--- a/backend/go/crispasr/main.go
+++ b/backend/go/crispasr/main.go
@@ -44,6 +44,14 @@ func main() {
 		{&CppTTSFree, "tts_free"},
 		{&CppTTSSetVoice, "tts_set_voice"},
 		{&CppTTSSetVoiceFile, "tts_set_voice_file"},
+		{&CppGetWordCount, "get_word_count"},
+		{&CppGetWordText, "get_word_text"},
+		{&CppGetWordT0, "get_word_t0"},
+		{&CppGetWordT1, "get_word_t1"},
+		{&CppGetParakeetWordCount, "get_parakeet_word_count"},
+		{&CppGetParakeetWordText, "get_parakeet_word_text"},
+		{&CppGetParakeetWordT0, "get_parakeet_word_t0"},
+		{&CppGetParakeetWordT1, "get_parakeet_word_t1"},
 	}
 
 	for _, lf := range libFuncs {