diff --git a/src/helpers/sttConfigPolicy.js b/src/helpers/sttConfigPolicy.js
index 8eca2bacd..ae80713bc 100644
--- a/src/helpers/sttConfigPolicy.js
+++ b/src/helpers/sttConfigPolicy.js
@@ -5,8 +5,12 @@
 // awaited fetch stalls on auth resolution for seconds and then changes
 // nothing (#1673).
 export function needsSttConfigBeforeStart(settings) {
-  const s = settings || {};
+  const s = settings && typeof settings === "object" ? settings : {};
   if (s.useLocalWhisper) return false;
-  if (s.cloudTranscriptionMode !== "openwhispr") return false;
+  const cloudMode =
+    typeof s.cloudTranscriptionMode === "string"
+      ? s.cloudTranscriptionMode.trim().toLowerCase()
+      : "";
+  if (cloudMode !== "openwhispr") return false;
   return !!s.isSignedIn;
 }
diff --git a/test/helpers/sttConfigPolicy.test.js b/test/helpers/sttConfigPolicy.test.js
index aa538f2f7..76165e112 100644
--- a/test/helpers/sttConfigPolicy.test.js
+++ b/test/helpers/sttConfigPolicy.test.js
@@ -62,6 +62,21 @@ describe("needsSttConfigBeforeStart", () => {
   test("missing settings fail open to a non-blocking start", async () => {
     const { needsSttConfigBeforeStart } = await loadPolicy();
     assert.equal(needsSttConfigBeforeStart(null), false);
+    assert.equal(needsSttConfigBeforeStart(undefined), false);
+    assert.equal(needsSttConfigBeforeStart(123), false);
+    assert.equal(needsSttConfigBeforeStart(""), false);
     assert.equal(needsSttConfigBeforeStart({}), false);
   });
+
+  test("normalizes mixed-case and whitespace in cloudTranscriptionMode", async () => {
+    const { needsSttConfigBeforeStart } = await loadPolicy();
+    assert.equal(
+      needsSttConfigBeforeStart({
+        useLocalWhisper: false,
+        cloudTranscriptionMode: " OpenWhispr ",
+        isSignedIn: true,
+      }),
+      true
+    );
+  });
 });