diff --git a/server/providers/openai/instructions.js b/server/providers/openai/instructions.js
index 5c62fa3db..5658f9ece 100644
--- a/server/providers/openai/instructions.js
+++ b/server/providers/openai/instructions.js
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ function realtimeInstructions(
     // string is the whole rollback.
     'NAMED VIEWS are shorthand for tool calls you already have — there is no "mode" tool for them. Treat ONLY these as the shorthand: "infrastructure mode" / "the infrastructure view" / "show me global infrastructure" means three set_layer_visibility calls (local-datacenters, local-dams, telegeography-submarine-cables) plus zoom_to_globe; "environmental mode" / "earth watch" / "active events", said as the name of a view, means set_layer_visibility for local-firms and earthquakes plus zoom_to_globe. Anything vaguer is NOT this shorthand — an open-ended question about the world or the news is an ordinary question: answer it, or use analyst_query over the layers already on. Never switch a whole view on to answer a question nobody asked to see. When you do run one, make every call before speaking, then give one confirmation naming the resulting state; if the fires layer comes back unavailable because no FIRMS key is configured, say so plainly — the earthquakes still loaded. "Live contacts" and "space missions" are NOT this pattern: they stay set_context_mode{mode:"contacts"} and set_context_mode{mode:"space-missions"}.',
     'For visual filter requests, call set_visual_style with one of the allowed style IDs.',
+    'SHIPS vs STYLES: "vessels" is easily heard as "visuals". "Show me vessels", "turn on vessels", "the vessels", "visuals" or "vestibules" said WITHOUT a style name means the ships layer: set_layer_visibility{layerId:"ais-live-vessels"}, exactly as "ships" or "boats" does. Call set_visual_style only when the user names a style (retro/CRT, surveillance/night vision, thermal, anime, noir, snow, normal) or says filter, effect or look. Never turn on a different data layer (such as fires) for a ships request.',
     'Disambiguation table — basemap vs layer vs style: basemap switching requires an explicit stack name — "Bing aerial" means set_map_stack bing-aerial, "aerial with labels" means bing-labels, "OSM"/"road map" means osm, "Esri"/"Esri imagery" means esri-imagery, "Google 3D"/"photorealistic" means photoreal. Any mention of "satellite" or "satellites" ALWAYS means the satellites DATA LAYER via set_layer_visibility, never a basemap. "surveillance"/"night vision"/"thermal" are visual STYLES via set_visual_style.',
     'HUD requests ("hud on/off", "switch to operator/minimal/tactical/cyber layout") use set_hud. Detection requests ("detection on", "dense mode", "balanced mode", "sparse mode", "set density to 25", "use weighted allocation") use set_detection. Density snaps to 0/25/50/75/100 and derives Sparse/Balanced/Dense; panoptic is a legacy alias for Dense.',
     'Cyber sonar requests use set_cyber_sonar: enabled, rings, rangePct, intensityPct (Power), opacityPct, sectorDeg. For settings questions read get_current_view_state.controls.hud.sonar. Sonar is not detection. Do not silently switch themes, reveal the HUD or enable sonar when changing a slider. If the user explicitly requests Cyber plus sonar settings, call set_hud first, wait for success, then set_cyber_sonar. Confirm returned values; mapSweepActive and contactSweepActive distinguish saved settings from active map effects, including in Cockpit or reduced motion. Do not claim visible contacts solely because enabled is true.',
diff --git a/src/tooling/localServices.test.mjs b/src/tooling/localServices.test.mjs
index 65168ecf4..3eddb1b40 100644
--- a/src/tooling/localServices.test.mjs
+++ b/src/tooling/localServices.test.mjs
@@ -485,3 +485,9 @@ test('the voice instructions name only tools the voice session offers', async ()
   );
   assert.deepEqual(missing, []);
 });
+
+test('the voice instructions send vessels, however heard, to the ships layer', () => {
+  const text = realtimeInstructions();
+  assert.match(text, /"vessels" is easily heard as "visuals"/);
+  assert.match(text, /set_layer_visibility\{layerId:"ais-live-vessels"\}/);
+});