diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 88f701e..9adb26d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,6 +9,17 @@ Follows [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/) · versioned wi
 
 ---
 
+## [1.12.3] — 2026-06-27
+
+### Added
+- **Casting activity indicator**: pulsing blue dot on the Read Aloud nav item while audiobook casting is in progress, so users can see it's working from any section.
+- **Restore cast view on return**: navigating away during casting and then back to Read Aloud automatically restores the casting panel instead of showing the blank PDF view.
+
+### Fixed
+- **Character count out of sync on reassignment**: reassigning a segment's speaker now decrements the old speaker's count in the Characters Found panel, so totals stay accurate when corrections are made. Speakers that drop to 0 lines are removed from the panel automatically.
+
+---
+
 ## [1.12.2] — 2026-06-27
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/static/index.html b/static/index.html
index f4a987e..be4f637 100644
--- a/static/index.html
+++ b/static/index.html
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 
   <!-- ── Core styles (local — no CDN dependency for first paint) ────────── -->
   <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/vendor/mdi/materialdesignicons.min.css">
-  <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/style.css?v=1.12.2">
+  <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/style.css?v=1.12.3">
 
 
   <!-- ── Flag icons — non-blocking (loaded async, icons appear after JS) ── -->
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@
 <script src="/static/vendor/wavesurfer-regions.min.js"></script>
 
 <!-- loader.js: fetches sections → loads JS modules → removes skeleton -->
-<script src="/static/loader.js?v=1.12.2"></script>
+<script src="/static/loader.js?v=1.12.3"></script>
 
 </body>
 </html>
diff --git a/static/js/audiobook.js b/static/js/audiobook.js
index 956c477..396666e 100644
--- a/static/js/audiobook.js
+++ b/static/js/audiobook.js
@@ -290,6 +290,7 @@ STRIKTE FORMAT- UND TEXTREGELN:
   const closePanel = () => {
     panel.hidden = true;
     panel.innerHTML = '';
+    if (typeof window.setNavCastingBadge === 'function') window.setNavCastingBadge(false);
     if (typeof window.navReaderView === 'function') window.navReaderView('main');
     else if (typeof window.showReaderView === 'function') window.showReaderView('main');
     else {
@@ -497,7 +498,7 @@ STRIKTE FORMAT- UND TEXTREGELN:
     return html;
   };
   const renderRoster = () => {
-    const items = [...roster.entries()].sort((a, b) => b[1].count - a[1].count);
+    const items = [...roster.entries()].filter(([, info]) => info.count > 0).sort((a, b) => b[1].count - a[1].count);
     chars.innerHTML = items.length
       ? items.map(([n, info]) => `<span class="ab-chip" style="--c:${info.color}"><span class="ab-chip-dot"></span>${escHtml(n)}<b>${info.count}</b></span>`).join('')
       : '<span class="ab-cv-empty">reading…</span>';
@@ -618,6 +619,12 @@ STRIKTE FORMAT- UND TEXTREGELN:
   function assignName(name) {
     if (!assignModeSeg) return;
     const isNarrator = name.toLowerCase() === 'narrator';
+    // Decrement old speaker's count before reassigning
+    const _oldSpk = assignModeSeg.speaker;
+    if (_oldSpk && roster.has(_oldSpk)) {
+      const _old = roster.get(_oldSpk);
+      if (_old.count > 0) _old.count--;
+    }
     assignModeSeg.speaker = isNarrator ? 'Narrator' : name;
     assignModeSeg.type = isNarrator ? 'narration' : 'dialogue';
     if (isNarrator) assignModeSeg.emotion = '';
@@ -965,6 +972,7 @@ ABSOLUTE REGELN:
       foot.querySelector('#ab-cv-recast').addEventListener('click', () => applyPromptAndRun(audiobookCast));
       foot.querySelector('#ab-cv-recast-unk').addEventListener('click', () => applyPromptAndRun(audiobookRecastUnknown));
       panel.classList.add('ab-castpanel-done');
+      if (typeof window.setNavCastingBadge === 'function') window.setNavCastingBadge(false);
     },
     done() { closePanel(); },
   };
@@ -988,12 +996,13 @@ async function audiobookRecastUnknown(overrideUrl, overrideModel) {
   }
 
   _audiobook.running = true; _audiobook.cancel = false;
+  if (typeof window.setNavCastingBadge === 'function') window.setNavCastingBadge(true);
   const ac = new AbortController(); _audiobook.abort = () => ac.abort();
-  
+
   if (overrideUrl && typeof overrideUrl !== 'string') overrideUrl = null;
   const llm_url = overrideUrl || audiobookLlmUrl(), language = audiobookLang();
   let model = overrideModel || audiobookLlmModel();
-  
+
   const view = audiobookCastView(unknownIdxs.length, llm_url, model);
   
   view.processing('Waking up LLM model (this may take a few minutes if cold-booting)…');
@@ -1118,9 +1127,10 @@ async function audiobookCast(overrideUrl, overrideModel) {
     : [text];
 
   _audiobook.running = true; _audiobook.cancel = false;
+  if (typeof window.setNavCastingBadge === 'function') window.setNavCastingBadge(true);
   const ac = new AbortController();
   _audiobook.abort = () => ac.abort();
-  
+
   if (overrideUrl && typeof overrideUrl !== 'string') overrideUrl = null;
   const llm_url = overrideUrl || audiobookLlmUrl(), language = audiobookLang();
   let model = overrideModel || audiobookLlmModel();
diff --git a/static/nav.js b/static/nav.js
index d47158b..2eed2e0 100644
--- a/static/nav.js
+++ b/static/nav.js
@@ -124,6 +124,15 @@
     // Leaving the Read Aloud reader: stop playback so audio doesn't keep running
     if (sectionId !== 's-reader' && typeof window.readerStop === 'function') window.readerStop();
     if (sectionId === 's-reader' && typeof window.readerOnShow === 'function') window.readerOnShow();
+    // If a cast session panel is active, restore it instead of showing the main PDF view
+    if (sectionId === 's-reader') {
+      var _castPnl = document.getElementById('reader-audiobook-panel');
+      if (_castPnl && _castPnl.querySelector('#ab-cv-feed')) {
+        setTimeout(function () {
+          if (typeof window.showReaderView === 'function') window.showReaderView('cast');
+        }, 0);
+      }
+    }
     if (sectionId === 's-library' && typeof window.libraryRender === 'function') window.libraryRender(window._libraryView || 'books');
     if (typeof window.initCollapsibleCards === 'function') window.initCollapsibleCards();
     setStoredSection(sectionId);
@@ -163,6 +172,20 @@
     if (tabName) runSideEffects(tabName);
   };
 
+  // Pulsing dot on the Read Aloud nav item while casting is in progress
+  window.setNavCastingBadge = function (active) {
+    var el = document.querySelector('[data-nav-section="s-reader"]');
+    if (!el) return;
+    var existing = el.querySelector('.nav-casting-dot');
+    if (active && !existing) {
+      var dot = document.createElement('span');
+      dot.className = 'nav-casting-dot';
+      el.appendChild(dot);
+    } else if (!active && existing) {
+      existing.remove();
+    }
+  };
+
   window.switchTab = function (name) {
     var sectionId = TAB_SECTION_MAP[name];
     if (sectionId) showSection(sectionId);
diff --git a/static/style.css b/static/style.css
index d84446d..c64dd43 100644
--- a/static/style.css
+++ b/static/style.css
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ body {
   border-radius: 10px; padding: 1px 6px; min-width: 18px; text-align: center;
 }
 .nav-chevron { font-size: 14px; color: var(--subtext); transition: transform .2s; margin-left: 2px; }
+.nav-casting-dot { width: 7px; height: 7px; border-radius: 50%; background: var(--accent); flex-shrink: 0; margin-left: auto; animation: pulse 1s infinite; }
 .nav-chevron.open { transform: rotate(180deg); }
 .nav-tree { display: none; flex-direction: column; padding: 2px 0 6px; }
 .nav-tree.open { display: flex; }