diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows-vulkan.yml b/.github/workflows/windows-vulkan.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a5f346d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows-vulkan.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+# Smoke-builds the whisper.cpp engine crate with the Vulkan GPU backend on Windows.
+#
+# Unlike the sherpa-onnx DirectML path (which compiles onnxruntime from source for hours and has no
+# upstream prebuilt), whisper.cpp + Vulkan builds in minutes and covers any Vulkan GPU — AMD, Intel,
+# or NVIDIA — with ggml's built-in CPU fallback. This validates that the from-source Vulkan build
+# links cleanly so we can wire it into the Windows app. Runs on demand.
+name: Windows Vulkan whisper smoke
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch: {}
+  # Validate on pushes to the feature branch (a brand-new workflow can't be dispatched from a
+  # non-default branch). Drop this trigger once the path is proven and the workflow lands on main.
+  push:
+    branches: [feat/windows-vulkan-whisper]
+
+env:
+  CARGO_TERM_COLOR: always
+  # Keep the build tree shallow: ggml-vulkan's vulkan-shaders-gen sub-build nests deeply, and from the
+  # default target dir its .pdb path runs past Windows' 260-char MAX_PATH ("cannot open program
+  # database"). A short target root keeps every nested path well under the limit.
+  CARGO_TARGET_DIR: 'D:\b'
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+    name: whisper.cpp + Vulkan (windows)
+    runs-on: windows-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 60
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          submodules: recursive # the vendored whisper.cpp is a submodule
+      - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: 20
+      # Put cl.exe + the MSVC include/lib env on PATH so the Ninja generator (and ggml-vulkan's
+      # vulkan-shaders-gen sub-build) can find the compiler. Ninja itself is preinstalled.
+      - name: Set up the MSVC build environment
+        uses: ilammy/msvc-dev-cmd@v1
+        with:
+          arch: x64
+      - name: Install the Vulkan SDK
+        uses: humbletim/install-vulkan-sdk@v1.2
+        with:
+          version: 1.4.309.0
+          cache: true
+      - name: Install the frontend deps
+        working-directory: app
+        run: npm ci
+      # `tauri build` runs the frontend build (beforeBuildCommand) + the cargo release build + the NSIS
+      # bundler in one step, producing the real Windows GPU installer: default features (sherpa on CPU)
+      # plus whisper-vulkan (whisper on the GPU, CPU fallback). This also proves the exact release
+      # recipe — that tauri's bundler honours CARGO_TARGET_DIR=D:\b — before wiring it into release.yml.
+      - name: Build the Windows GPU installer (whisper.cpp Vulkan)
+        working-directory: app
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: |
+          Write-Host "VULKAN_SDK = $env:VULKAN_SDK"
+          npm run tauri build -- --features whisper-vulkan
+      # Show where the NSIS bundler dropped the installer so the release.yml recipe can target the same
+      # path (confirms CARGO_TARGET_DIR is honoured by the bundler, not just the compiler).
+      - name: Locate the installer (diagnostic)
+        if: always()
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: |
+          Get-ChildItem -Recurse "D:\b","app\src-tauri\target" -Include *-setup.exe -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
+            Select-Object FullName, Length | Format-Table -Auto
+      # Upload the installer so it can be downloaded and tested on real Windows hardware (GPU + non-GPU).
+      - name: Upload the Windows GPU installer
+        if: always()
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: wisp-windows-gpu-installer
+          if-no-files-found: error
+          # tauri honours CARGO_TARGET_DIR, so the NSIS bundle lands under D:\b (confirmed by the
+          # locate step). A single absolute path keeps upload-artifact's root unambiguous.
+          path: D:\b\release\bundle\nsis\*-setup.exe
+      # Always list what the CMake build actually produced, so a link-path/lib-name mismatch in
+      # build.rs is visible from the log even when the build fails at the link step.
+      - name: List the produced whisper/ggml libs (diagnostic)
+        if: always()
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: |
+          Get-ChildItem -Recurse "$env:CARGO_TARGET_DIR" -Include *.lib,*.dll -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
+            Where-Object { $_.Name -match '(?i)whisper|ggml|vulkan' } |
+            Select-Object FullName, Length | Sort-Object FullName | Format-Table -Auto
diff --git a/app/src-tauri/Cargo.toml b/app/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
index 32dea9b..395f850 100644
--- a/app/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
+++ b/app/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ sherpa-cpu = ["wisp-engine-sherpa/download-binaries"]
 # weekly smoke workflow (cargo build --no-default-features --features sherpa-gpu) — a ~2h compile,
 # too slow to gate every PR. Mutually exclusive with sherpa-cpu (sherpa-rs-sys enforces this).
 sherpa-gpu = ["wisp-engine-sherpa/directml"]
+# whisper.cpp with the Vulkan GPU backend on Windows (generic GPU — AMD/Intel/NVIDIA — with a CPU
+# fallback). Off by default; the Windows GPU release turns it on. No effect on macOS (always Metal).
+whisper-vulkan = ["wisp-engine-whisper-cpp/vulkan", "wisp-models/whisper-vulkan"]
 
 [build-dependencies]
 tauri-build = { version = "2", features = [] }
@@ -82,6 +85,9 @@ wisp-applespeech = { path = "../../crates/wisp-applespeech" }
 # ScreenCaptureKit, so Windows gets the same one-click "capture the meeting" Live experience.
 [target.'cfg(target_os = "windows")'.dependencies]
 wisp-loopback = { path = "../../crates/wisp-loopback" }
+# whisper.cpp ASR engine — built with the Vulkan GPU backend only under the `whisper-vulkan` feature
+# (generic GPU + CPU fallback); an empty shell in the default CPU build.
+wisp-engine-whisper-cpp = { path = "../../crates/wisp-engine-whisper-cpp" }
 # Total physical memory (GlobalMemoryStatusEx) to recommend a machine-appropriate model. Same
 # `windows` major as wisp-loopback, so no extra version in the tree.
 windows = { version = "0.61", features = ["Win32_System_SystemInformation"] }
diff --git a/app/src-tauri/src/lib.rs b/app/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
index 266dcb4..21d68e7 100644
--- a/app/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
+++ b/app/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
@@ -475,9 +475,9 @@ fn coerce_param(raw: &serde_json::Value, kind: &ParamKind) -> Option<ParamValue>
     }
 }
 
-/// Builds the GPU (Metal) whisper.cpp engine from a downloaded GGUF model. macOS only; elsewhere
-/// this family isn't offered, so the stub just reports it.
-#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+/// Builds the GPU whisper.cpp engine from a downloaded GGUF model — Metal on macOS, Vulkan on Windows
+/// (under the `whisper-vulkan` feature). Where the engine isn't built, the stub below reports it.
+#[cfg(any(target_os = "macos", all(target_os = "windows", feature = "whisper-vulkan")))]
 fn build_whisper_cpp_engine(
     descriptor: &ModelDescriptor,
     dir: &Path,
@@ -493,14 +493,14 @@ fn build_whisper_cpp_engine(
     Ok(Box::new(engine))
 }
 
-#[cfg(not(target_os = "macos"))]
+#[cfg(not(any(target_os = "macos", all(target_os = "windows", feature = "whisper-vulkan"))))]
 fn build_whisper_cpp_engine(
     _descriptor: &ModelDescriptor,
     _dir: &Path,
     _language: &str,
 ) -> WispResult<Box<dyn AsrEngine>> {
     Err(WispError::Engine(
-        "the whisper.cpp GPU engine is only available on macOS".to_owned(),
+        "the whisper.cpp GPU engine is only available on macOS, and on Windows GPU builds".to_owned(),
     ))
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/wisp-engine-whisper-cpp/Cargo.toml b/crates/wisp-engine-whisper-cpp/Cargo.toml
index a4be81b..1926d6a 100644
--- a/crates/wisp-engine-whisper-cpp/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/wisp-engine-whisper-cpp/Cargo.toml
@@ -10,6 +10,12 @@ wisp-core = { path = "../wisp-core" }
 # Physical-core detection for the decode thread count (pure Rust; no native lib linked).
 num_cpus = "1"
 
+[features]
+# Build whisper.cpp with the Vulkan backend on Windows (generic GPU — AMD/Intel/NVIDIA — with a CPU
+# fallback). Off by default so the standard Windows build stays a no-op shell and needs no Vulkan SDK.
+# No effect on macOS, which always builds the Metal + Core ML backend.
+vulkan = []
+
 [build-dependencies]
 cmake = "0.1"
 bindgen = "0.70"
diff --git a/crates/wisp-engine-whisper-cpp/build.rs b/crates/wisp-engine-whisper-cpp/build.rs
index 670a6ac..1f3c38b 100644
--- a/crates/wisp-engine-whisper-cpp/build.rs
+++ b/crates/wisp-engine-whisper-cpp/build.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,19 @@
-//! Builds the vendored whisper.cpp (with the Metal backend) and generates Rust bindings for its
-//! C API. macOS-only for now; on other targets this is a no-op so the crate is an empty shell.
+//! Builds the vendored whisper.cpp and generates Rust bindings for its C API.
+//!
+//! - **macOS**: Metal + Core ML backend (always).
+//! - **Windows**: Vulkan backend — generic GPU across AMD/Intel/NVIDIA, with ggml's built-in CPU
+//!   fallback — but only when the `vulkan` feature is on, so the default Windows build stays a no-op
+//!   shell and needs no Vulkan SDK.
+//! - **Other targets**: a no-op, so the crate is an empty shell.
 
 use std::env;
-use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
 fn main() {
-    if env::var("CARGO_CFG_TARGET_OS").as_deref() != Ok("macos") {
+    let target_os = env::var("CARGO_CFG_TARGET_OS").unwrap_or_default();
+    let windows_vulkan = target_os == "windows" && env::var("CARGO_FEATURE_VULKAN").is_ok();
+
+    if target_os != "macos" && !windows_vulkan {
         return;
     }
 
@@ -16,9 +24,19 @@ fn main() {
         "whisper.cpp submodule missing — run `git submodule update --init --recursive`"
     );
 
-    // Build whisper.cpp + ggml as static libs with the Metal backend, embedding the Metal shader
-    // library into the binary so nothing extra has to ship at runtime.
-    let dst = cmake::Config::new(&src)
+    if target_os == "macos" {
+        build_macos(&src);
+    } else {
+        build_windows_vulkan(&src);
+    }
+
+    generate_bindings(&src);
+}
+
+/// Builds whisper.cpp + ggml as static libs with the Metal backend, embedding the Metal shader
+/// library into the binary so nothing extra has to ship at runtime, plus the Core ML encoder path.
+fn build_macos(src: &Path) {
+    let dst = cmake::Config::new(src)
         .profile("Release")
         // ggml uses std::filesystem (introduced in macOS 10.15). Pin a modern deployment target so
         // the C++ build doesn't inherit a lower one from the embedding app's build environment
@@ -79,7 +97,72 @@ fn main() {
     ] {
         println!("cargo:rustc-link-lib=framework={framework}");
     }
+}
+
+/// Builds whisper.cpp + ggml as static libs with the Vulkan backend (generic GPU; ggml falls back to
+/// CPU when no Vulkan device is present). The Vulkan headers + loader import lib come from the Vulkan
+/// SDK at build time (CI installs it; `VULKAN_SDK` points at it); at runtime `vulkan-1.dll` ships with
+/// the GPU driver, so nothing extra has to be bundled.
+fn build_windows_vulkan(src: &Path) {
+    let mut config = cmake::Config::new(src);
+    config
+        // Ninja, not the Visual Studio generator: ggml-vulkan builds its `vulkan-shaders-gen` host
+        // tool via ExternalProject, and the VS generator fails to initialize the compiler in that
+        // sub-build ("No CMAKE_C_COMPILER could be found"). Ninja + the MSVC dev environment (set up
+        // in CI) lets every sub-build find cl.exe. Requires Ninja + the MSVC env on PATH.
+        .generator("Ninja")
+        .profile("Release")
+        .define("BUILD_SHARED_LIBS", "OFF")
+        .define("WHISPER_BUILD_EXAMPLES", "OFF")
+        .define("WHISPER_BUILD_TESTS", "OFF")
+        .define("WHISPER_BUILD_SERVER", "OFF")
+        .define("GGML_VULKAN", "ON")
+        .define("GGML_OPENMP", "OFF");
+
+    // Help CMake find the Vulkan SDK. ggml-vulkan only appends the SDK to CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH when
+    // VULKAN_SDK is set in the *cmake* environment — which cmake-rs does not forward by default — so
+    // pass it through explicitly. With that plus an explicit prefix path and the loader paths,
+    // find_package locates Vulkan, SPIRV-Headers, and SPIRV-Tools without relying on auto-detection.
+    if let Ok(sdk) = env::var("VULKAN_SDK") {
+        config.env("VULKAN_SDK", &sdk);
+        // The SDK drops its package configs flat in Lib/cmake (e.g. SPIRV-HeadersConfig.cmake) rather
+        // than in per-package subdirs, so add that dir itself to the prefix path for find_package.
+        config.define("CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH", format!("{sdk};{sdk}/Lib/cmake"));
+        config.define("Vulkan_INCLUDE_DIR", format!("{sdk}/Include"));
+        config.define("Vulkan_LIBRARY", format!("{sdk}/Lib/vulkan-1.lib"));
+    }
+
+    let dst = config.build();
+
+    // MSVC is multi-config, so the libs land under per-config (`Release`) subdirs of the build tree
+    // and/or the install prefix — search the likely spots so linking is robust to either layout.
+    let build = dst.join("build");
+    for dir in [
+        dst.join("lib"),
+        build.join("src"),
+        build.join("src/Release"),
+        build.join("ggml/src"),
+        build.join("ggml/src/Release"),
+        build.join("ggml/src/ggml-vulkan"),
+        build.join("ggml/src/ggml-vulkan/Release"),
+    ] {
+        println!("cargo:rustc-link-search=native={}", dir.display());
+    }
+
+    for lib in ["whisper", "ggml", "ggml-cpu", "ggml-vulkan", "ggml-base"] {
+        println!("cargo:rustc-link-lib=static={lib}");
+    }
+
+    // The Vulkan loader import library, from the Vulkan SDK.
+    if let Ok(sdk) = env::var("VULKAN_SDK") {
+        println!("cargo:rustc-link-search=native={}\\Lib", sdk);
+    }
+    println!("cargo:rustc-link-lib=vulkan-1");
+}
 
+/// Generates the Rust FFI bindings for whisper.cpp's C API. Platform-independent — it only parses the
+/// public headers, so the same bindings serve every backend.
+fn generate_bindings(src: &Path) {
     let whisper_h = src.join("include/whisper.h");
     let bindings = bindgen::Builder::default()
         .header(whisper_h.to_string_lossy())
diff --git a/crates/wisp-engine-whisper-cpp/src/lib.rs b/crates/wisp-engine-whisper-cpp/src/lib.rs
index 45205c3..9e8f00e 100644
--- a/crates/wisp-engine-whisper-cpp/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/wisp-engine-whisper-cpp/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
-//! whisper.cpp ASR engine with Metal (GPU) acceleration.
+//! whisper.cpp ASR engine with GPU acceleration — Metal on macOS, Vulkan on Windows.
 //!
 //! Wraps the vendored whisper.cpp behind [`wisp_core::AsrEngine`] so it drops into the pipeline
-//! like the sherpa engines — but runs on the Apple GPU via Metal instead of CPU-only ONNX, which
-//! makes large models (e.g. large-v3-turbo) usable in real time. macOS-only for now.
+//! like the sherpa engines — but runs on the GPU (Apple Metal, or Vulkan across AMD/Intel/NVIDIA)
+//! instead of CPU-only ONNX, which makes large models (e.g. large-v3-turbo) usable in real time.
 
-#![cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+// macOS always builds the Metal + Core ML backend; Windows builds the Vulkan backend only under the
+// `vulkan` feature (see build.rs). Elsewhere this crate is an empty shell.
+#![cfg(any(target_os = "macos", all(target_os = "windows", feature = "vulkan")))]
 
 mod sys {
     #![allow(
diff --git a/crates/wisp-models/Cargo.toml b/crates/wisp-models/Cargo.toml
index 4e0858e..46d4c2f 100644
--- a/crates/wisp-models/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/wisp-models/Cargo.toml
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ repository.workspace = true
 default = ["http"]
 # Provides HttpDownloader (network model downloads via ureq).
 http = ["dep:ureq"]
+# Set when the app is built with the whisper.cpp Vulkan GPU backend, so the catalog offers Whisper
+# models on Windows (they run on the GPU, or on CPU via the backend's fallback). Off, Whisper stays
+# macOS/Metal-only. The app's `whisper-vulkan` feature turns this on.
+whisper-vulkan = []
 
 [dependencies]
 wisp-core = { path = "../wisp-core" }
diff --git a/crates/wisp-models/src/machine.rs b/crates/wisp-models/src/machine.rs
index 424fdf9..a41bbd7 100644
--- a/crates/wisp-models/src/machine.rs
+++ b/crates/wisp-models/src/machine.rs
@@ -169,7 +169,14 @@ fn resolve(ideal: &str, catalog: &[ModelDescriptor]) -> ModelId {
 /// scattered `cfg` checks.
 pub fn family_runnable(family: ModelFamily, accelerator: Accelerator) -> bool {
     match family {
-        ModelFamily::WhisperCpp | ModelFamily::AppleSpeech => accelerator == Accelerator::Metal,
+        // whisper.cpp runs on the Apple GPU (Metal), or — in a Windows GPU build — on Vulkan with a
+        // built-in CPU fallback, so it's offered on Windows too (no GPU required to run, just to
+        // accelerate). Apple on-device speech stays macOS/Metal-only.
+        ModelFamily::WhisperCpp => {
+            accelerator == Accelerator::Metal
+                || (cfg!(target_os = "windows") && cfg!(feature = "whisper-vulkan"))
+        }
+        ModelFamily::AppleSpeech => accelerator == Accelerator::Metal,
         _ => true,
     }
 }