diff --git a/lib/tasks/transcribe.js b/lib/tasks/transcribe.js
index f9c85659..7795a9a1 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/transcribe.js
+++ b/lib/tasks/transcribe.js
@@ -35,20 +35,21 @@ class TaskTranscribe extends Task {
     this.transcriptionHook = this.data.transcriptionHook;
     this.earlyMedia = this.data.earlyMedia === true || (parentTask && parentTask.earlyMedia);
 
-    const recognizer = this.data.recognizer;
-    this.vendor = recognizer.vendor;
-    this.language = recognizer.language;
-    this.interim = !!recognizer.interim;
-    this.separateRecognitionPerChannel = recognizer.separateRecognitionPerChannel;
+    if (this.data.recognizer) {
+      const recognizer = this.data.recognizer;
+      this.vendor = recognizer.vendor;
+      this.language = recognizer.language;
+      /* let credentials be supplied in the recognizer object at runtime */
+      this.sttCredentials = setSpeechCredentialsAtRuntime(recognizer);
 
-    /* let credentials be supplied in the recognizer object at runtime */
-    this.sttCredentials = setSpeechCredentialsAtRuntime(recognizer);
+      this.interim = !!recognizer.interim;
+      this.separateRecognitionPerChannel = recognizer.separateRecognitionPerChannel;
+
+    }
+    else this.data.recognizer = {hints: [], altLanguages: []};
 
     /* buffer for soniox transcripts */
     this._sonioxTranscripts = [];
-
-    recognizer.hints = recognizer.hints || [];
-    recognizer.altLanguages = recognizer.altLanguages || [];
   }
 
   get name() { return TaskName.Transcribe; }
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 6f6d42ca..00130fe4 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
         "@jambonz/speech-utils": "^0.0.13",
         "@jambonz/stats-collector": "^0.1.8",
         "@jambonz/time-series": "^0.2.5",
-        "@jambonz/verb-specifications": "^0.0.22",
+        "@jambonz/verb-specifications": "^0.0.24",
         "@opentelemetry/api": "^1.4.0",
         "@opentelemetry/exporter-jaeger": "^1.9.0",
         "@opentelemetry/exporter-trace-otlp-http": "^0.35.0",
@@ -1676,9 +1676,9 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/@jambonz/verb-specifications": {
-      "version": "0.0.22",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@jambonz/verb-specifications/-/verb-specifications-0.0.22.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-dgvpVh48IX2CVedLKgxYhv5ZwWoeAPtEhCjXqkkVOGgh6eqX1eu+pmcH2D/aKeFdxhXRVGUxfhtLLerfErIpVQ==",
+      "version": "0.0.24",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@jambonz/verb-specifications/-/verb-specifications-0.0.24.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-Bm8NKaCa2Xor82I1c873BtBaXbtFHXS3rPrnSM1+cYQqz5eXkl4QE4qDKqv2z9ihYYuuTZzTwwp8jQSXJGIb0g==",
       "dependencies": {
         "debug": "^4.3.4",
         "pino": "^8.8.0"
@@ -10128,9 +10128,9 @@
       }
     },
     "@jambonz/verb-specifications": {
-      "version": "0.0.22",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@jambonz/verb-specifications/-/verb-specifications-0.0.22.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-dgvpVh48IX2CVedLKgxYhv5ZwWoeAPtEhCjXqkkVOGgh6eqX1eu+pmcH2D/aKeFdxhXRVGUxfhtLLerfErIpVQ==",
+      "version": "0.0.24",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@jambonz/verb-specifications/-/verb-specifications-0.0.24.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-Bm8NKaCa2Xor82I1c873BtBaXbtFHXS3rPrnSM1+cYQqz5eXkl4QE4qDKqv2z9ihYYuuTZzTwwp8jQSXJGIb0g==",
       "requires": {
         "debug": "^4.3.4",
         "pino": "^8.8.0"
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index f44a1a7a..2d32b0b7 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
     "@jambonz/speech-utils": "^0.0.13",
     "@jambonz/stats-collector": "^0.1.8",
     "@jambonz/time-series": "^0.2.5",
-    "@jambonz/verb-specifications": "^0.0.22",
+    "@jambonz/verb-specifications": "^0.0.24",
     "@opentelemetry/api": "^1.4.0",
     "@opentelemetry/exporter-jaeger": "^1.9.0",
     "@opentelemetry/exporter-trace-otlp-http": "^0.35.0",