diff --git a/lib/synth-audio.js b/lib/synth-audio.js
index 101a8c4..213c4b1 100644
--- a/lib/synth-audio.js
+++ b/lib/synth-audio.js
@@ -210,6 +210,10 @@ async function synthAudio(client, logger, stats, { account_sid,
         }
         break;
       case 'whisper':
+        audioBuffer = await synthWhisper(logger, {credentials, stats, voice, text, renderForCaching});
+        if (typeof audioBuffer === 'object' && audioBuffer.filePath) {
+          return audioBuffer;
+        }
         audioBuffer = await synthWhisper(logger, {credentials, stats, voice, text});
         break;
       case 'deepgram':
@@ -608,11 +612,11 @@ const synthCustomVendor = async(logger, {credentials, stats, language, voice, te
 };
 
 const synthElevenlabs = async(logger, {credentials, options, stats, language, voice, text, renderForCaching}) => {
-  const {api_key, model_id, options: credOpts} = credentials;
+  const {api_key, model_id, options: credOpts, use_streaming} = credentials;
   const opts = !!options && Object.keys(options).length !== 0 ? options : JSON.parse(credOpts || '{}');
 
   /* if the env is set to stream then bag out, unless we are specifically rendering to generate a cache file */
-  if (process.env.JAMBONES_ELEVENLABS_STREAMING && !renderForCaching) {
+  if (use_streaming && !renderForCaching) {
     let params = '';
     params += `{api_key=${api_key}`;
     params += `,model_id=${model_id}`;
@@ -656,8 +660,24 @@ const synthElevenlabs = async(logger, {credentials, options, stats, language, vo
   }
 };
 
-const synthWhisper = async(logger, {credentials, stats, voice, text}) => {
-  const {api_key, model_id, baseURL, timeout} = credentials;
+const synthWhisper = async(logger, {credentials, stats, voice, text, renderForCaching}) => {
+  const {api_key, model_id, baseURL, timeout, use_streaming, speed} = credentials;
+  /* if the env is set to stream then bag out, unless we are specifically rendering to generate a cache file */
+  if (use_streaming && !renderForCaching) {
+    let params = '';
+    params += `{api_key=${api_key}`;
+    params += `,model_id=${model_id}`;
+    params += `,voice=${voice}`;
+    params += ',write_cache_file=1';
+    if (speed) params += `,speed=${speed}`;
+    params += '}';
+
+    return {
+      filePath: `say:${params}${text.replace(/\n/g, ' ')}`,
+      servedFromCache: false,
+      rtt: 0
+    };
+  }
   try {
     const openai = new OpenAI.OpenAI({
       apiKey: api_key,