diff --git a/firmware/esp32-csi-node/main/edge_processing.c b/firmware/esp32-csi-node/main/edge_processing.c
index da67c147b5..e6f6bd9101 100644
--- a/firmware/esp32-csi-node/main/edge_processing.c
+++ b/firmware/esp32-csi-node/main/edge_processing.c
@@ -937,6 +937,37 @@ static void send_vitals_packet(void)
     s_latest_pkt = pkt;
     s_pkt_valid = true;
 
+    /* Per-slot vitals, sent alongside (never instead of) the aggregate packet
+     * above. update_multi_person_vitals() already computed these; before this
+     * they were discarded at the wire, leaving the sink unable to tell what the
+     * slot count was actually counting. See EDGE_VITALS_SLOTS_MAGIC's comment. */
+    {
+        edge_vitals_slots_pkt_t spkt;
+        memset(&spkt, 0, sizeof(spkt));
+        spkt.magic = EDGE_VITALS_SLOTS_MAGIC;
+        spkt.node_id = pkt.node_id;
+        spkt.n_active = n_active;
+        spkt.max_slots = EDGE_MAX_PERSONS;
+        spkt.timestamp_ms = pkt.timestamp_ms;
+        for (uint8_t p = 0; p < EDGE_MAX_PERSONS; p++) {
+            if (s_persons[p].active) {
+                spkt.active_mask |= (uint8_t)(1u << p);
+            }
+            /* Fixed-point BPM*100 in a uint16 tops out at 655 BPM, far above
+             * any plausible rate; clamp rather than wrap on a bad estimate. */
+            float br = s_persons[p].breathing_bpm;
+            float hr = s_persons[p].heartrate_bpm;
+            if (br < 0.0f) br = 0.0f;
+            if (br > 650.0f) br = 650.0f;
+            if (hr < 0.0f) hr = 0.0f;
+            if (hr > 650.0f) hr = 650.0f;
+            spkt.breathing_bpm[p] = (uint16_t)(br * 100.0f);
+            spkt.heartrate_bpm[p] = (uint16_t)(hr * 100.0f);
+            spkt.subcarrier_idx[p] = s_persons[p].subcarrier_idx;
+        }
+        stream_sender_send((const uint8_t *)&spkt, sizeof(spkt));
+    }
+
     /* ADR-063: If mmWave is active, send fused 48-byte packet instead. */
     mmwave_state_t mw;
     if (mmwave_sensor_get_state(&mw) && mw.detected) {
diff --git a/firmware/esp32-csi-node/main/edge_processing.h b/firmware/esp32-csi-node/main/edge_processing.h
index 0fe280b0a6..90de337e7a 100644
--- a/firmware/esp32-csi-node/main/edge_processing.h
+++ b/firmware/esp32-csi-node/main/edge_processing.h
@@ -343,4 +343,39 @@ void edge_get_phase_history(const float **out_buf, uint16_t *out_len,
  */
 void edge_get_variances(float *out_variances, uint16_t n_subcarriers);
 
+/* ---- Per-slot vitals packet (wire format) ----
+ *
+ * update_multi_person_vitals() already computes an independent breathing and
+ * heart rate for every detected slot — its own phase history, filters and
+ * autocorrelation. The 32-byte edge_vitals_pkt_t above then transmits only the
+ * aggregate plus a bare n_persons count, so all per-slot detail is computed
+ * and thrown away.
+ *
+ * That discarded detail is the only thing that can distinguish WHAT is being
+ * counted. The slot count is a subcarrier-energy-cluster heuristic with no
+ * size or species awareness, so a room containing pets reports them as
+ * "persons". Per-slot breathing rates are species-plausible evidence: a
+ * resting human sits near 12-20 BPM, a rabbit near 30-60, a chinchilla higher
+ * still. Sending them lets the sink label honestly instead of overclaiming.
+ *
+ * Sent IN ADDITION to edge_vitals_pkt_t, never instead of it, so an older sink
+ * keeps working unchanged and simply ignores this magic. */
+#define EDGE_VITALS_SLOTS_MAGIC 0xC5110009
+
+typedef struct __attribute__((packed)) {
+    uint32_t magic;          /**< EDGE_VITALS_SLOTS_MAGIC = 0xC5110009. */
+    uint8_t  node_id;        /**< ESP32 node identifier. */
+    uint8_t  n_active;       /**< Slots currently marked active. */
+    uint8_t  max_slots;      /**< EDGE_MAX_PERSONS, so the sink can validate. */
+    uint8_t  active_mask;    /**< Bit p set when slot p is active. */
+    uint32_t timestamp_ms;   /**< Milliseconds since boot. */
+    uint16_t breathing_bpm[EDGE_MAX_PERSONS];  /**< BPM * 100 per slot. */
+    uint16_t heartrate_bpm[EDGE_MAX_PERSONS];  /**< BPM * 100 per slot. */
+    uint8_t  subcarrier_idx[EDGE_MAX_PERSONS]; /**< Subcarrier group per slot. */
+} edge_vitals_slots_pkt_t;
+
+_Static_assert(sizeof(edge_vitals_slots_pkt_t) == 32,
+               "per-slot vitals packet must be 32 bytes");
+
+
 #endif /* EDGE_PROCESSING_H */