diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/Meet/MeetingRoomController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/Meet/MeetingRoomController.php
index c22b4a8..4f3a22c 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/Meet/MeetingRoomController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/Meet/MeetingRoomController.php
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ class MeetingRoomController extends Controller
 
         abort_unless($participant->status === 'joined', 403, "You are not in this {$kind}.");
 
+        $participant = $this->sessions->syncEventsSpeakerRole($request, $participant);
+
         $token = $this->media->isConfigured()
             ? $this->sessions->generateMediaToken($participant)
             : '';
@@ -520,8 +522,11 @@ class MeetingRoomController extends Controller
         $participantUuid = $request->session()->get("meet.participant.{$session->uuid}");
         abort_unless($participantUuid, 403);
 
-        return Participant::where('uuid', $participantUuid)
-            ->where('session_id', $session->id)
-            ->firstOrFail();
+        return $this->sessions->syncEventsSpeakerRole(
+            $request,
+            Participant::where('uuid', $participantUuid)
+                ->where('session_id', $session->id)
+                ->firstOrFail()
+        );
     }
 }
diff --git a/app/Services/Meet/SessionService.php b/app/Services/Meet/SessionService.php
index 0488ad8..eb97d3d 100644
--- a/app/Services/Meet/SessionService.php
+++ b/app/Services/Meet/SessionService.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use App\Models\Room;
 use App\Models\Session;
 use App\Models\User;
 use App\Services\Meet\Media\MediaProviderInterface;
+use App\Support\EventsRegistrationSession;
 use Illuminate\Http\Request;
 use Illuminate\Support\Str;
 
@@ -108,15 +109,13 @@ class SessionService
                 $updates['joined_at'] = $existing->joined_at ?? now();
             }
 
-            if (in_array($role, ['host', 'co_host'], true)) {
-                $updates['role'] = $role;
-            } elseif ($existing->role === 'guest' && $role !== 'guest') {
+            if ($this->shouldPromoteParticipantRole($existing->role, $role)) {
                 $updates['role'] = $role;
             }
 
             $existing->update($updates);
 
-            return $existing;
+            return $existing->fresh();
         }
 
         $joinedAt = $status === 'joined' ? now() : null;
@@ -196,6 +195,43 @@ class SessionService
         return $participant->fresh();
     }
 
+    public function syncEventsSpeakerRole(Request $request, Participant $participant): Participant
+    {
+        $participant->loadMissing('session.room');
+        $room = $participant->session->room;
+
+        if (! $room->isEventsLinked() || ! EventsRegistrationSession::isSpeakerVerified($request, $room)) {
+            return $participant;
+        }
+
+        return $this->promoteParticipantRole($participant, 'panelist');
+    }
+
+    private function promoteParticipantRole(Participant $participant, string $role): Participant
+    {
+        if ($this->shouldPromoteParticipantRole($participant->role, $role)) {
+            $participant->update(['role' => $role]);
+
+            return $participant->fresh();
+        }
+
+        return $participant;
+    }
+
+    private function shouldPromoteParticipantRole(string $currentRole, string $newRole): bool
+    {
+        static $rank = [
+            'guest' => 10,
+            'attendee' => 20,
+            'participant' => 25,
+            'panelist' => 40,
+            'co_host' => 50,
+            'host' => 60,
+        ];
+
+        return ($rank[$newRole] ?? 0) > ($rank[$currentRole] ?? 0);
+    }
+
     protected function findExistingParticipant(Session $session, ?string $userRef, ?string $email): ?Participant
     {
         $active = fn ($q) => $q->whereIn('status', ['invited', 'waiting', 'joined']);
@@ -244,6 +280,7 @@ class SessionService
         if ($user) {
             $existing = $this->joinedParticipantForUser($session, $user);
             if ($existing) {
+                $existing = $this->promoteParticipantRole($existing, $role);
                 $this->rememberParticipantSession($request, $existing, $session);
 
                 return $existing;
diff --git a/tests/Feature/EventsJoinGateTest.php b/tests/Feature/EventsJoinGateTest.php
index 5c96711..e40da65 100644
--- a/tests/Feature/EventsJoinGateTest.php
+++ b/tests/Feature/EventsJoinGateTest.php
@@ -225,6 +225,48 @@ class EventsJoinGateTest extends TestCase
         ]);
     }
 
+    public function test_speaker_rejoin_promotes_existing_attendee_to_panelist(): void
+    {
+        $room = $this->createEventsLinkedRoom('town_hall', [
+            'settings' => array_merge(config('meet.default_settings'), [
+                'join_before_host' => true,
+                'waiting_room' => false,
+            ]),
+        ]);
+
+        $session = Session::create([
+            'owner_ref' => $this->user->public_id,
+            'room_id' => $room->id,
+            'media_room_name' => 'room-'.$room->uuid,
+            'status' => 'live',
+            'started_at' => now(),
+        ]);
+        $room->update(['status' => 'live']);
+
+        \App\Models\Participant::create([
+            'owner_ref' => $this->user->public_id,
+            'session_id' => $session->id,
+            'display_name' => 'Keynote Speaker',
+            'email' => 'speaker@example.com',
+            'role' => 'attendee',
+            'status' => 'joined',
+            'joined_at' => now(),
+        ]);
+
+        $this->get('/r/'.$room->uuid.'?speaker=speaker-token-123')
+            ->assertRedirect(route('meet.join', $room));
+
+        $this->post('/r/'.$room->uuid.'/enter', [
+            'display_name' => 'Keynote Speaker',
+        ])->assertRedirect(route('meet.room', $session));
+
+        $this->assertDatabaseHas('meet_participants', [
+            'session_id' => $session->id,
+            'email' => 'speaker@example.com',
+            'role' => 'panelist',
+        ]);
+    }
+
     /** @param  array<string, mixed>  $overrides */
     protected function createEventsLinkedRoom(string $type, array $overrides = []): Room
     {