diff --git a/lib/tasks/gather.js b/lib/tasks/gather.js
index 60783972..4a531831 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/gather.js
+++ b/lib/tasks/gather.js
@@ -11,6 +11,19 @@ const makeTask = require('./make_task');
 const assert = require('assert');
 //const GATHER_STABILITY_THRESHOLD =  Number(process.env.JAMBONZ_GATHER_STABILITY_THRESHOLD || 0.7);
 
+const compileTranscripts = (logger, evt, arr) => {
+  //logger.debug({arr, evt}, 'compile transcripts');
+  if (!Array.isArray(arr) || arr.length === 0) return;
+  let t = '';
+  for (const a of arr) {
+    //logger.debug(`adding ${a.alternatives[0].transcript}`);
+    t += ` ${a.alternatives[0].transcript}`;
+  }
+  t += ` ${evt.alternatives[0].transcript}`;
+  evt.alternatives[0].transcript = t.trim();
+  //logger.debug(`compiled transcript: ${evt.alternatives[0].transcript}`);
+};
+
 class TaskGather extends Task {
   constructor(logger, opts, parentTask) {
     super(logger, opts);
@@ -86,7 +99,7 @@ class TaskGather extends Task {
     }
     if (!this.sayTask && !this.playTask) this.listenDuringPrompt = false;
 
-    /* buffer speech for continueous asr */
+    /* buffer speech for continuous asr */
     this._bufferedTranscripts = [];
 
     this.parentTask = parentTask;
@@ -487,6 +500,13 @@ class TaskGather extends Task {
         };
       }
     }
+
+    /* count words for bargein feature */
+    const words = evt.alternatives[0].transcript.split(' ').length;
+    const bufferedWords = this._bufferedTranscripts.reduce((count, e) => {
+      return count + e.alternatives[0].transcript.split(' ').length;
+    }, 0);
+
     if (evt.is_final) {
       if (evt.alternatives[0].transcript === '' && !this.callSession.callGone && !this.killed) {
         this.logger.info({evt}, 'TaskGather:_onTranscription - got empty transcript, listen again');
@@ -513,7 +533,18 @@ class TaskGather extends Task {
         this._startAsrTimer();
         return this._startTranscribing(ep);
       }
-      else this._resolve('speech', evt);
+      else {
+        if (this.bargein && (words + bufferedWords) < this.minBargeinWordCount) {
+          this.logger.debug({evt, words, bufferedWords},
+            'TaskGather:_onTranscription - final transcript but < min barge words');
+          this._bufferedTranscripts.push(evt);
+          this._startTranscribing(ep);
+          return;
+        }
+        else {
+          this._resolve('speech', evt);
+        }
+      }
     }
     else {
       /* google has a measure of stability:
@@ -521,9 +552,7 @@ class TaskGather extends Task {
         others do not.
       */
       //const isStableEnough = typeof evt.stability === 'undefined' || evt.stability > GATHER_STABILITY_THRESHOLD;
-
-      if (this.bargein && /* isStableEnough && */
-        evt.alternatives[0].transcript.split(' ').length >= this.minBargeinWordCount) {
+      if (this.bargein && (words + bufferedWords) >= this.minBargeinWordCount) {
         if (!this.playComplete) {
           this.logger.debug({transcript: evt.alternatives[0].transcript}, 'killing audio due to speech');
           this.emit('vad');
@@ -544,7 +573,7 @@ class TaskGather extends Task {
       this._killAudio(cs);
     }
 
-    if (!this.resolved && !this.killed) {
+    if (!this.resolved && !this.killed && !this._bufferedTranscripts.length) {
       this._startTranscribing(ep);
     }
   }
@@ -579,6 +608,10 @@ class TaskGather extends Task {
       };
       this.logger.debug({evt}, 'TaskGather:resolve continuous asr');
     }
+    else if (!this.isContinuousAsr && reason.startsWith('speech') && this._bufferedTranscripts.length) {
+      compileTranscripts(this.logger, evt, this._bufferedTranscripts);
+      this.logger.debug({evt}, 'TaskGather:resolve buffered results');
+    }
 
     this.span.setAttributes({'stt.resolve': reason, 'stt.result': JSON.stringify(evt)});
     if (this.ep && this.ep.connected) {