diff --git a/src/bot/joinProcedure.ts b/src/bot/joinProcedure.ts
index 5d59a7d..062ea38 100644
--- a/src/bot/joinProcedure.ts
+++ b/src/bot/joinProcedure.ts
@@ -317,33 +317,47 @@ export class JoinProcedure {
 
   /**
    * Check if the bot is currently in the lobby (waiting to be admitted).
-   * Primary check: text "Someone will let you in shortly" (confirmed by Recall.ai).
+   * Teams shows various lobby messages depending on the meeting state:
+   * - "Someone will let you in shortly" (meeting active, waiting for admit)
+   * - "Someone will let you in when the meeting starts" (meeting not started yet)
+   * - "waiting for someone to let you in" (alternative wording)
    */
   async isInMeetingLobby(options: { waitForSeconds?: number } = {}): Promise<boolean> {
     const timeout = (options.waitForSeconds || 5) * 1000;
 
+    // Check for any lobby text variant using page.evaluate for reliability
     try {
-      // Primary: text-based check (Recall.ai approach, most reliable)
-      await this._page.getByText('Someone will let you in shortly').waitFor({
+      const inLobby = await this._page.evaluate(() => {
+        const bodyText = document.body?.innerText || '';
+        const lobbyIndicators = [
+          'Someone will let you in shortly',
+          'Someone will let you in when the meeting starts',
+          'will let you in',
+          'waiting for someone to let you in',
+          'Someone in the meeting should let you in',
+        ];
+        return lobbyIndicators.some(text => bodyText.includes(text));
+      });
+      if (inLobby) return true;
+    } catch {
+      // Page may not be ready
+    }
+
+    // Primary: text-based check with waitFor (waits up to timeout)
+    try {
+      await this._page.getByText('will let you in').waitFor({
         timeout,
         state: 'visible',
       });
       return true;
     } catch {
-      // Fallback: try other lobby indicators
+      // Not found within timeout
     }
 
-    // Fallback selectors
-    const fallbackSelectors = [
-      ':has-text("waiting for someone to let you in")',
-      ':has-text("Someone in the meeting should let you in soon")',
-      '[data-tid="lobby-screen"]',
-      '[data-tid="waiting-screen"]',
-    ];
-
+    // Fallback: data-tid selectors
     try {
-      await this._page.waitForSelector(fallbackSelectors.join(', '), {
-        timeout: 1000, // Short timeout since primary already waited
+      await this._page.waitForSelector('[data-tid="lobby-screen"], [data-tid="waiting-screen"]', {
+        timeout: 1000,
         state: 'visible',
       });
       return true;