diff --git a/src/presence/coordinator.js b/src/presence/coordinator.js
index d85e768..5fee487 100644
--- a/src/presence/coordinator.js
+++ b/src/presence/coordinator.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  */
 
 import { loadSettings, saveSettings, DEFAULTS, ALERT_PRESETS } from './settings.js';
-import { PresenceState, trackCountsAsPerson } from './state.js';
+import { PresenceState, meetsPersonThreshold, trackCountsAsPerson } from './state.js';
 import { FacePresenceState } from './face-state.js';
 import {
   ALERT_FACE,
@@ -116,9 +116,11 @@ export class PresenceCoordinator {
     frames?.addEventListener('change', () => {
       persist({ alertMode: 'custom', consecutiveFrames: Number(frames.value) });
     });
-    minPersons?.addEventListener('change', () => {
+    const persistMinPersons = () => {
       persist({ alertMode: 'custom', minPersonCount: Number(minPersons.value) });
-    });
+    };
+    minPersons?.addEventListener('change', persistMinPersons);
+    minPersons?.addEventListener('input', persistMinPersons);
     interval?.addEventListener('change', () => {
       persist({ alertMode: 'custom', repeatIntervalSec: Number(interval.value) });
     });
@@ -190,17 +192,29 @@ export class PresenceCoordinator {
     if (!this._running) return;
 
     const nowMs = performance.now();
+    const personThresholdMet = meetsPersonThreshold(tracks, this.settings);
     const personResult = this.state.tick(tracks, this.settings, nowMs);
     const qualifyingTrackIds = new Set(
       tracks.filter((track) => trackCountsAsPerson(track, this.settings)).map((track) => track.id),
     );
-    const faceResult = this.faceState.tick(faces, qualifyingTrackIds, this.settings, nowMs);
+    const faceResult = this.faceState.tick(
+      faces,
+      qualifyingTrackIds,
+      this.settings,
+      nowMs,
+      personThresholdMet,
+    );
     const actualLevel = faceResult.present
       ? ALERT_FACE
       : personResult.present
         ? ALERT_PERSON
         : ALERT_NONE;
-    const hasRecentFaceSample = this.faceState.hasRecentSamples(qualifyingTrackIds, this.settings, nowMs);
+    const hasRecentFaceSample = this.faceState.hasRecentSamples(
+      qualifyingTrackIds,
+      this.settings,
+      nowMs,
+      personThresholdMet,
+    );
     const firingLevel = shouldSuppressPersonAlert(
       this.alertState.level,
       actualLevel,
diff --git a/src/presence/face-state.js b/src/presence/face-state.js
index 0cdd5dc..64af6c5 100644
--- a/src/presence/face-state.js
+++ b/src/presence/face-state.js
@@ -17,9 +17,10 @@ export class FacePresenceState {
    * @param {Set<number>} qualifyingTrackIds
    * @param {{ faceWindowMs: number, faceHits: number }} settings
    * @param {number} nowMs
+   * @param {boolean} [personThresholdMet=true] when false, keep pruning but do not record or qualify face alerts
    * @returns {{ present: boolean }}
    */
-  tick(faces, qualifyingTrackIds, settings, nowMs) {
+  tick(faces, qualifyingTrackIds, settings, nowMs, personThresholdMet = true) {
     const windowStart = nowMs - settings.faceWindowMs;
 
     for (const [trackId, samples] of this.samplesByTrackId) {
@@ -31,21 +32,23 @@ export class FacePresenceState {
       }
     }
 
-    const recordedTrackIds = new Set();
-    for (const face of faces) {
-      if (!face.fresh) continue;
-      if (!qualifyingTrackIds.has(face.trackId)) continue;
-      if (recordedTrackIds.has(face.trackId)) continue;
-      recordedTrackIds.add(face.trackId);
-      const samples = this.samplesByTrackId.get(face.trackId) ?? [];
-      samples.push(nowMs);
-      this.samplesByTrackId.set(face.trackId, samples);
-    }
+    if (personThresholdMet) {
+      const recordedTrackIds = new Set();
+      for (const face of faces) {
+        if (!face.fresh) continue;
+        if (!qualifyingTrackIds.has(face.trackId)) continue;
+        if (recordedTrackIds.has(face.trackId)) continue;
+        recordedTrackIds.add(face.trackId);
+        const samples = this.samplesByTrackId.get(face.trackId) ?? [];
+        samples.push(nowMs);
+        this.samplesByTrackId.set(face.trackId, samples);
+      }
 
-    for (const trackId of qualifyingTrackIds) {
-      const samples = this.samplesByTrackId.get(trackId) ?? [];
-      if (samples.length >= settings.faceHits) {
-        return { present: true };
+      for (const trackId of qualifyingTrackIds) {
+        const samples = this.samplesByTrackId.get(trackId) ?? [];
+        if (samples.length >= settings.faceHits) {
+          return { present: true };
+        }
       }
     }
 
@@ -57,7 +60,8 @@ export class FacePresenceState {
    * @param {{ faceWindowMs: number }} settings
    * @param {number} nowMs
    */
-  hasRecentSamples(qualifyingTrackIds, settings, nowMs) {
+  hasRecentSamples(qualifyingTrackIds, settings, nowMs, personThresholdMet = true) {
+    if (!personThresholdMet) return false;
     const windowStart = nowMs - settings.faceWindowMs;
     for (const trackId of qualifyingTrackIds) {
       const samples = this.samplesByTrackId.get(trackId) ?? [];
diff --git a/tests/face-presence-state.test.js b/tests/face-presence-state.test.js
index e907348..104e1d6 100644
--- a/tests/face-presence-state.test.js
+++ b/tests/face-presence-state.test.js
@@ -91,3 +91,17 @@ test('reset clears stored samples', () => {
 
   assert.equal(result.present, false);
 });
+
+test('does not qualify face alerts until the person count threshold is met', () => {
+  const state = new FacePresenceState();
+  const qualifying = new Set([7]);
+  const faces = [{ trackId: 7, fresh: true }];
+
+  state.tick(faces, qualifying, settings, 1000, false);
+  const belowThreshold = state.tick(faces, qualifying, settings, 1600, false);
+  assert.equal(belowThreshold.present, false);
+  assert.equal(state.hasRecentSamples(qualifying, settings, 1600, false), false);
+
+  assert.equal(state.tick(faces, qualifying, settings, 2000, true).present, false);
+  assert.equal(state.tick(faces, qualifying, settings, 2600, true).present, true);
+});
diff --git a/tests/presence-threshold.test.js b/tests/presence-threshold.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..44f9925
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/presence-threshold.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import test from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+
+import {
+  countMatchingPersons,
+  meetsPersonThreshold,
+  trackCountsAsPerson,
+} from '../src/presence/state.js';
+
+const settings = {
+  minPersonCount: 2,
+  minScore: 0.35,
+  useConfirmedOnly: false,
+};
+
+function track(id, score = 0.9) {
+  return { id, missed: 0, confirmed: true, score };
+}
+
+test('meetsPersonThreshold requires enough qualifying tracks', () => {
+  assert.equal(meetsPersonThreshold([track(1)], settings), false);
+  assert.equal(meetsPersonThreshold([track(1), track(2)], settings), true);
+});
+
+test('countMatchingPersons ignores missed or low-score tracks', () => {
+  const tracks = [track(1), { ...track(2), missed: 1 }, { ...track(3), score: 0.1 }];
+  assert.equal(countMatchingPersons(tracks, settings), 1);
+  assert.equal(trackCountsAsPerson(tracks[0], settings), true);
+  assert.equal(trackCountsAsPerson(tracks[1], settings), false);
+});