diff --git a/frigate/config/config.py b/frigate/config/config.py
index d1cc2101b..6873e6b88 100644
--- a/frigate/config/config.py
+++ b/frigate/config/config.py
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ from frigate.plus import PlusApi
 from frigate.util.builtin import (
     deep_merge,
     get_ffmpeg_arg_list,
-    load_labels,
 )
 from frigate.util.config import (
     CURRENT_CONFIG_VERSION,
@@ -638,17 +637,12 @@ class FrigateConfig(FrigateBaseModel):
         if self.ffmpeg.hwaccel_args == "auto":
             self.ffmpeg.hwaccel_args = auto_detect_hwaccel()
 
-        # Populate global audio filters for all audio labels
-        all_audio_labels = {
-            label
-            for label in load_labels("/audio-labelmap.txt", prefill=521).values()
-            if label
-        }
-
+        # Populate global audio filters from listen. Existing user-defined
+        # entries for labels not in listen are preserved but unused at runtime.
         if self.audio.filters is None:
             self.audio.filters = {}
 
-        for key in sorted(all_audio_labels - self.audio.filters.keys()):
+        for key in sorted(set(self.audio.listen) - self.audio.filters.keys()):
             self.audio.filters[key] = AudioFilterConfig()
 
         self.audio.filters = dict(sorted(self.audio.filters.items()))
@@ -840,7 +834,9 @@ class FrigateConfig(FrigateBaseModel):
             if camera_config.audio.filters is None:
                 camera_config.audio.filters = {}
 
-            for key in sorted(all_audio_labels - camera_config.audio.filters.keys()):
+            for key in sorted(
+                set(camera_config.audio.listen) - camera_config.audio.filters.keys()
+            ):
                 camera_config.audio.filters[key] = AudioFilterConfig()
 
             camera_config.audio.filters = dict(
diff --git a/frigate/test/test_config.py b/frigate/test/test_config.py
index 3a8909b30..c63f27430 100644
--- a/frigate/test/test_config.py
+++ b/frigate/test/test_config.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ from ruamel.yaml.constructor import DuplicateKeyError
 from frigate.config import BirdseyeModeEnum, FrigateConfig
 from frigate.const import MODEL_CACHE_DIR
 from frigate.detectors import DetectorTypeEnum
-from frigate.util.builtin import deep_merge, load_labels
+from frigate.util.builtin import deep_merge
 
 
 class TestConfig(unittest.TestCase):
@@ -309,16 +309,11 @@ class TestConfig(unittest.TestCase):
         }
 
         frigate_config = FrigateConfig(**config)
-        all_audio_labels = {
-            label
-            for label in load_labels("/audio-labelmap.txt", prefill=521).values()
-            if label
+        assert set(frigate_config.cameras["back"].audio.filters.keys()) == {
+            "speech",
+            "yell",
         }
 
-        assert all_audio_labels.issubset(
-            set(frigate_config.cameras["back"].audio.filters.keys())
-        )
-
     def test_override_audio_filters(self):
         config = {
             "mqtt": {"host": "mqtt"},
@@ -345,7 +340,8 @@ class TestConfig(unittest.TestCase):
         frigate_config = FrigateConfig(**config)
         assert "speech" in frigate_config.cameras["back"].audio.filters
         assert frigate_config.cameras["back"].audio.filters["speech"].threshold == 0.9
-        assert "babbling" in frigate_config.cameras["back"].audio.filters
+        assert "yell" in frigate_config.cameras["back"].audio.filters
+        assert "babbling" not in frigate_config.cameras["back"].audio.filters
 
     def test_inherit_object_filters(self):
         config = {
diff --git a/web/src/components/config-form/sections/BaseSection.tsx b/web/src/components/config-form/sections/BaseSection.tsx
index 66cc2cc4a..6c32ffae6 100644
--- a/web/src/components/config-form/sections/BaseSection.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/config-form/sections/BaseSection.tsx
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import {
   modifySchemaForSection,
   getEffectiveDefaultsForSection,
   sanitizeOverridesForSection,
-  synthesizeMissingObjectFilters,
+  synthesizeMissingFilters,
 } from "./section-special-cases";
 import { getSectionValidation } from "../section-validations";
 import { useConfigOverride } from "@/hooks/use-config-override";
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ export function ConfigSection({
       return {};
     }
 
-    return synthesizeMissingObjectFilters(
+    return synthesizeMissingFilters(
       sectionPath,
       rawSectionValue,
       modifiedSchema ?? undefined,
diff --git a/web/src/components/config-form/sections/section-special-cases.ts b/web/src/components/config-form/sections/section-special-cases.ts
index d8121aea8..62a4bfa85 100644
--- a/web/src/components/config-form/sections/section-special-cases.ts
+++ b/web/src/components/config-form/sections/section-special-cases.ts
@@ -128,22 +128,31 @@ export function getEffectiveDefaultsForSection(
   return schemaDefaults;
 }
 
+// Sections whose `filters` dict is keyed by a sibling list field. The backend
+// auto-populates these filters at config init but doesn't re-run after profile
+// merges, so we synthesize the missing entries on the frontend.
+const FILTER_SECTIONS: Record<string, { listField: string }> = {
+  objects: { listField: "track" },
+  audio: { listField: "listen" },
+};
+
 /**
- * Add default filter entries for any label in `objects.track` that isn't
- * already in `objects.filters`, so each tracked label gets a collapsible.
- * The backend only auto-populates filters at config init, not after profile
- * merges.
+ * Add default filter entries for any label in the section's list field
+ * (e.g. `objects.track`, `audio.listen`) that isn't already in `filters`, so
+ * each label gets a collapsible. The backend only auto-populates filters at
+ * config init, not after profile merges.
  */
-export function synthesizeMissingObjectFilters(
+export function synthesizeMissingFilters(
   sectionPath: string,
   data: unknown,
   sectionSchema: RJSFSchema | undefined,
 ): unknown {
-  if (sectionPath !== "objects") return data;
+  const sectionConfig = FILTER_SECTIONS[sectionPath];
+  if (!sectionConfig) return data;
   if (!isJsonObject(data)) return data;
 
-  const trackValue = (data as JsonObject).track;
-  if (!Array.isArray(trackValue) || trackValue.length === 0) return data;
+  const listValue = (data as JsonObject)[sectionConfig.listField];
+  if (!Array.isArray(listValue) || listValue.length === 0) return data;
 
   const properties = (sectionSchema as { properties?: Record<string, unknown> })
     ?.properties;
@@ -160,7 +169,7 @@ export function synthesizeMissingObjectFilters(
 
   const newFilters: JsonObject = { ...existingFilters };
   let added = false;
-  for (const label of trackValue) {
+  for (const label of listValue) {
     if (typeof label !== "string") continue;
     if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(newFilters, label)) continue;
     newFilters[label] = (