diff --git a/artifacts/tx-os/src/hooks/use-notifications-socket.ts b/artifacts/tx-os/src/hooks/use-notifications-socket.ts
index 08337bb8..d7d5b409 100644
--- a/artifacts/tx-os/src/hooks/use-notifications-socket.ts
+++ b/artifacts/tx-os/src/hooks/use-notifications-socket.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useEffect } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useRef } from "react";
 import { io } from "socket.io-client";
 import { useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import {
@@ -19,17 +19,31 @@ import { notificationPlayer } from "@/lib/notification-sounds";
 
 const BASE = import.meta.env.BASE_URL.replace(/\/$/, "");
 
+const SOCKET_WARMUP_MS = 3000;
+const nowMs = () =>
+  typeof performance !== "undefined" ? performance.now() : Date.now();
+
 export function useNotificationsSocket() {
   const { user } = useAuth();
   const queryClient = useQueryClient();
+  const connectedAtRef = useRef<number>(0);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!user) return;
 
+    // Suppress chimes for the first few seconds after the socket
+    // connects so any pending notifications that flush in on page
+    // load don't all play sounds back-to-back.
+    connectedAtRef.current = nowMs();
+
     const socket = io(window.location.origin, {
       path: `${BASE}/api/socket.io`,
     });
 
+    socket.on("connect", () => {
+      connectedAtRef.current = nowMs();
+    });
+
     socket.on("notification_created", (payload?: { type?: string }) => {
       queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: getListNotificationsQueryKey() });
       queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: getGetHomeStatsQueryKey() });
@@ -52,6 +66,10 @@ export function useNotificationsSocket() {
       if (isOrder && !user.notifyOrdersEnabled) return;
       if (isMeeting && !user.notifyMeetingsEnabled) return;
       if (!isOrder && !isMeeting) return;
+      // Skip audio/vibration during the warmup window — UI/badge
+      // counts (above) still update, but we stay silent so a
+      // page-load flush doesn't sound like an alarm.
+      if (nowMs() - connectedAtRef.current < SOCKET_WARMUP_MS) return;
       const soundId = isOrder
         ? user.notificationSoundOrder
         : user.notificationSoundMeeting;
diff --git a/artifacts/tx-os/src/lib/notification-sounds.ts b/artifacts/tx-os/src/lib/notification-sounds.ts
index f78029d6..996f86f8 100644
--- a/artifacts/tx-os/src/lib/notification-sounds.ts
+++ b/artifacts/tx-os/src/lib/notification-sounds.ts
@@ -73,11 +73,12 @@ class NotificationPlayer {
     soundId: NotificationSoundId,
     opts: { vibrate?: boolean } = {},
   ): void {
-    // Throttle: at most one sound every 600ms to avoid cacophony when
-    // many events arrive at once.
+    // Throttle: at most one sound every 3s to coalesce bursts of
+    // notifications (e.g. several orders arriving in quick succession)
+    // into a single chime instead of a string of overlapping beeps.
     const now =
       typeof performance !== "undefined" ? performance.now() : Date.now();
-    if (now - this.lastPlayAt < 600) return;
+    if (now - this.lastPlayAt < 3000) return;
     this.lastPlayAt = now;
 
     const entry = SOUND_BY_ID.get(soundId) ?? SOUND_BY_ID.get("ding");