diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index c8d403e..8b8f626 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -11,6 +11,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "memchr",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "android_system_properties"
+version = "0.1.5"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "819e7219dbd41043ac279b19830f2efc897156490d7fd6ea916720117ee66311"
+dependencies = [
+ "libc",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "anyhow"
 version = "1.0.102"
@@ -23,6 +32,12 @@ version = "1.1.2"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "1505bd5d3d116872e7271a6d4e16d81d0c8570876c8de68093a09ac269d8aac0"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "autocfg"
+version = "1.5.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "c08606f8c3cbf4ce6ec8e28fb0014a2c086708fe954eaa885384a6165172e7e8"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "axum"
 version = "0.8.8"
@@ -127,6 +142,19 @@ version = "1.0.4"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "9330f8b2ff13f34540b44e946ef35111825727b38d33286ef986142615121801"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "chrono"
+version = "0.4.44"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "c673075a2e0e5f4a1dde27ce9dee1ea4558c7ffe648f576438a20ca1d2acc4b0"
+dependencies = [
+ "iana-time-zone",
+ "js-sys",
+ "num-traits",
+ "wasm-bindgen",
+ "windows-link",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "core-foundation"
 version = "0.9.4"
@@ -535,6 +563,30 @@ dependencies = [
  "windows-registry",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "iana-time-zone"
+version = "0.1.65"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "e31bc9ad994ba00e440a8aa5c9ef0ec67d5cb5e5cb0cc7f8b744a35b389cc470"
+dependencies = [
+ "android_system_properties",
+ "core-foundation-sys",
+ "iana-time-zone-haiku",
+ "js-sys",
+ "log",
+ "wasm-bindgen",
+ "windows-core",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "iana-time-zone-haiku"
+version = "0.1.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "f31827a206f56af32e590ba56d5d2d085f558508192593743f16b2306495269f"
+dependencies = [
+ "cc",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "icu_collections"
 version = "2.1.1"
@@ -806,6 +858,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "windows-sys 0.61.2",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "num-traits"
+version = "0.2.19"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "071dfc062690e90b734c0b2273ce72ad0ffa95f0c74596bc250dcfd960262841"
+dependencies = [
+ "autocfg",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "once_cell"
 version = "1.21.3"
@@ -1793,6 +1854,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "axum",
  "base64",
  "bytes",
+ "chrono",
  "dotenvy",
  "hound",
  "rand 0.8.5",
@@ -1946,6 +2008,41 @@ dependencies = [
  "wasm-bindgen",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "windows-core"
+version = "0.62.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "b8e83a14d34d0623b51dce9581199302a221863196a1dde71a7663a4c2be9deb"
+dependencies = [
+ "windows-implement",
+ "windows-interface",
+ "windows-link",
+ "windows-result",
+ "windows-strings",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "windows-implement"
+version = "0.60.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "053e2e040ab57b9dc951b72c264860db7eb3b0200ba345b4e4c3b14f67855ddf"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "syn",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "windows-interface"
+version = "0.59.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "3f316c4a2570ba26bbec722032c4099d8c8bc095efccdc15688708623367e358"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "syn",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "windows-link"
 version = "0.2.1"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 124dcb9..ecb8ab4 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -25,3 +25,4 @@ dotenvy = "0.15"
 tokio-util = "0.7"
 rpassword = "7"
 rand = "0.8"
+chrono = "0.4"
diff --git a/config.example.toml b/config.example.toml
index 83774a0..0798d92 100644
--- a/config.example.toml
+++ b/config.example.toml
@@ -24,7 +24,10 @@ model = "inworld-tts-1.5-max"
 [claude]
 # Uses `claude` CLI from PATH — no API key needed
 session_timeout_secs = 300
-greeting = "Hello, this is Echo"
+# Entity name used in greetings (default: "Echo")
+name = "Echo"
+# Static greeting override. Leave empty to use rotating time-aware greetings.
+greeting = ""
 # Allow claude CLI to run tools without permission prompts (use with caution)
 dangerously_skip_permissions = false
 # Path to self document injected as system prompt on every turn
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index f72ce93..d32faca 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -61,8 +61,10 @@ fn default_inworld_model() -> String {
 pub struct ClaudeConfig {
     #[serde(default = "default_session_timeout")]
     pub session_timeout_secs: u64,
-    #[serde(default = "default_greeting")]
+    #[serde(default)]
     pub greeting: String,
+    #[serde(default = "default_name")]
+    pub name: String,
     #[serde(default)]
     pub dangerously_skip_permissions: bool,
     #[serde(default)]
@@ -73,8 +75,8 @@ fn default_session_timeout() -> u64 {
     300
 }
 
-fn default_greeting() -> String {
-    "Hello, this is Echo".to_string()
+fn default_name() -> String {
+    "Echo".to_string()
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Deserialize, Clone)]
diff --git a/src/greeting.rs b/src/greeting.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5427d17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/greeting.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
+use chrono::{Local, Timelike};
+use rand::seq::SliceRandom;
+
+const ANYTIME: &[&str] = &[
+    "Hey, it's {name}",
+    "Hi there, {name} here",
+    "Hello, this is {name}",
+    "{name} here, what's up?",
+];
+
+const MORNING: &[&str] = &["Good morning, {name} here", "Morning! It's {name}"];
+
+const AFTERNOON: &[&str] = &[
+    "Good afternoon, it's {name}",
+    "Hey, good afternoon, {name} here",
+];
+
+const EVENING: &[&str] = &["Good evening, this is {name}", "Evening! {name} here"];
+
+const NIGHT: &[&str] = &[
+    "Hey, it's late, but {name}'s here",
+    "{name} here, burning the midnight oil?",
+];
+
+fn time_pool(hour: u32) -> &'static [&'static str] {
+    match hour {
+        5..=11 => MORNING,
+        12..=16 => AFTERNOON,
+        17..=20 => EVENING,
+        _ => NIGHT,
+    }
+}
+
+/// Select a greeting based on the current time of day.
+///
+/// Combines anytime greetings with time-specific ones and picks randomly.
+/// The `{name}` placeholder is replaced with the provided name.
+pub fn select_greeting(name: &str) -> String {
+    let hour = Local::now().hour();
+    select_greeting_for_hour(name, hour)
+}
+
+fn select_greeting_for_hour(name: &str, hour: u32) -> String {
+    let time_specific = time_pool(hour);
+    let mut pool: Vec<&str> = Vec::with_capacity(ANYTIME.len() + time_specific.len());
+    pool.extend_from_slice(ANYTIME);
+    pool.extend_from_slice(time_specific);
+
+    let mut rng = rand::thread_rng();
+    let template = pool.choose(&mut rng).unwrap_or(&ANYTIME[0]);
+    template.replace("{name}", name)
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn greeting_contains_name() {
+        let greeting = select_greeting_for_hour("TestBot", 10);
+        assert!(
+            greeting.contains("TestBot"),
+            "greeting should contain entity name: {greeting}"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn greeting_no_placeholder_leftover() {
+        for hour in 0..24 {
+            let greeting = select_greeting_for_hour("Echo", hour);
+            assert!(
+                !greeting.contains("{name}"),
+                "placeholder not replaced at hour {hour}: {greeting}"
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn greeting_never_empty() {
+        for hour in 0..24 {
+            let greeting = select_greeting_for_hour("X", hour);
+            assert!(!greeting.is_empty(), "empty greeting at hour {hour}");
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn time_pool_morning() {
+        let pool = time_pool(8);
+        assert!(pool
+            .iter()
+            .any(|g| g.contains("morning") || g.contains("Morning")));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn time_pool_afternoon() {
+        let pool = time_pool(14);
+        assert!(pool.iter().any(|g| g.contains("afternoon")));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn time_pool_evening() {
+        let pool = time_pool(19);
+        assert!(pool
+            .iter()
+            .any(|g| g.contains("evening") || g.contains("Evening")));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn time_pool_night() {
+        let pool = time_pool(23);
+        assert!(pool
+            .iter()
+            .any(|g| g.contains("late") || g.contains("midnight")));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn time_pool_boundaries() {
+        // 4 AM = night, 5 AM = morning, 11 AM = morning, 12 PM = afternoon
+        assert_eq!(time_pool(4), NIGHT);
+        assert_eq!(time_pool(5), MORNING);
+        assert_eq!(time_pool(11), MORNING);
+        assert_eq!(time_pool(12), AFTERNOON);
+        assert_eq!(time_pool(16), AFTERNOON);
+        assert_eq!(time_pool(17), EVENING);
+        assert_eq!(time_pool(20), EVENING);
+        assert_eq!(time_pool(21), NIGHT);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 6497ce3..f0fe4ae 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 mod api;
 mod config;
+mod greeting;
 mod pipeline;
 mod setup;
 mod twilio;
diff --git a/src/twilio/media.rs b/src/twilio/media.rs
index 933636c..064bd23 100644
--- a/src/twilio/media.rs
+++ b/src/twilio/media.rs
@@ -453,19 +453,23 @@ fn is_whisper_hallucination(transcript: &str) -> bool {
     WHISPER_HALLUCINATIONS.iter().any(|h| lower == *h)
 }
 
-/// Speak the configured greeting when a call connects.
+/// Speak a greeting when a call connects.
+///
+/// If `greeting` is set in config, uses that exact text every time.
+/// Otherwise, selects a time-aware greeting from the built-in pool.
 async fn send_greeting(
     stream_sid: &str,
     state: &AppState,
     tx: &mpsc::Sender<Message>,
     speaking: &AtomicBool,
 ) -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error + Send + Sync>> {
-    let greeting = &state.config.claude.greeting;
-    if greeting.is_empty() {
-        return Ok(());
-    }
-    tracing::info!("Sending greeting");
-    let mulaw = state.tts.synthesize(greeting).await?;
+    let greeting = if state.config.claude.greeting.is_empty() {
+        crate::greeting::select_greeting(&state.config.claude.name)
+    } else {
+        state.config.claude.greeting.clone()
+    };
+    tracing::info!(greeting = %greeting, "Sending greeting");
+    let mulaw = state.tts.synthesize(&greeting).await?;
     speaking.store(true, Ordering::Relaxed);
     send_audio(stream_sid, &mulaw, tx).await
 }