diff --git a/scripts/whatsapp-bridge/bridge.js b/scripts/whatsapp-bridge/bridge.js
index fbacb6b43f8a9..2db06322f2911 100644
--- a/scripts/whatsapp-bridge/bridge.js
+++ b/scripts/whatsapp-bridge/bridge.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
  *   node bridge.js --port 3000 --session ~/.hermes/whatsapp/session
  */
 
-import { makeWASocket, useMultiFileAuthState, DisconnectReason, fetchLatestBaileysVersion, downloadMediaMessage, getAggregateVotesInPollMessage, decryptPollVote, getKeyAuthor, jidNormalizedUser } from '@whiskeysockets/baileys';
+import { makeWASocket, useMultiFileAuthState, DisconnectReason, fetchLatestBaileysVersion, fetchLatestWaWebVersion, downloadMediaMessage, getAggregateVotesInPollMessage, decryptPollVote, getKeyAuthor, jidNormalizedUser } from '@whiskeysockets/baileys';
 import express from 'express';
 import { Boom } from '@hapi/boom';
 import pino from 'pino';
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import {
   mediaPayloadForFile,
   pollCreationMessageFromPayload,
   pollUpdateForAggregation,
+  resolveWaVersion,
 } from './bridge_helpers.js';
 
 // Parse CLI args
@@ -395,7 +396,10 @@ function emitPairEvent(event) {
 
 async function startSocket() {
   const { state, saveCreds } = await useMultiFileAuthState(SESSION_DIR);
-  const { version } = await fetchLatestBaileysVersion();
+  const version = await resolveWaVersion({
+    fetchLiveVersion: fetchLatestWaWebVersion,
+    fetchBaileysVersion: fetchLatestBaileysVersion,
+  });
 
   sock = makeWASocket({
     version,
diff --git a/scripts/whatsapp-bridge/bridge.native.test.mjs b/scripts/whatsapp-bridge/bridge.native.test.mjs
index b4e123a265efd..9e0860499cda0 100644
--- a/scripts/whatsapp-bridge/bridge.native.test.mjs
+++ b/scripts/whatsapp-bridge/bridge.native.test.mjs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import {
   mediaPayloadForFile,
   pollCreationMessageFromPayload,
   pollUpdateForAggregation,
+  resolveWaVersion,
 } from './bridge_helpers.js';
 
 // -- inbound read receipts ------------------------------------------------
@@ -411,4 +412,35 @@ import {
   console.log('  ✓ captioned failed download keeps caption and appends note');
 }
 
+// -- resolveWaVersion (live-success and Baileys-fallback) ------------------
+{
+  const liveVersion = [2, 3000, 1015901307];
+  const version = await resolveWaVersion({
+    fetchLiveVersion: async () => ({ version: liveVersion, isLatest: true, error: null }),
+    fetchBaileysVersion: async () => { throw new Error('should not be called'); },
+  });
+  assert.deepEqual(version, liveVersion);
+  console.log('  ✓ resolveWaVersion returns live WhatsApp Web version when isLatest');
+}
+
+{
+  const baileysVersion = [2, 2413, 1];
+  const version = await resolveWaVersion({
+    fetchLiveVersion: async () => ({ version: [2, 0, 0], isLatest: false, error: null }),
+    fetchBaileysVersion: async () => ({ version: baileysVersion }),
+  });
+  assert.deepEqual(version, baileysVersion);
+  console.log('  ✓ resolveWaVersion falls back to Baileys version when isLatest is false');
+}
+
+{
+  const baileysVersion = [2, 2413, 2];
+  const version = await resolveWaVersion({
+    fetchLiveVersion: async () => ({ version: null, isLatest: true, error: 'network timeout' }),
+    fetchBaileysVersion: async () => ({ version: baileysVersion }),
+  });
+  assert.deepEqual(version, baileysVersion);
+  console.log('  ✓ resolveWaVersion falls back to Baileys version when live fetch has error');
+}
+
 console.log('\n✅ All WhatsApp native bridge helper tests passed.');
diff --git a/scripts/whatsapp-bridge/bridge_helpers.js b/scripts/whatsapp-bridge/bridge_helpers.js
index c0618cd2bd6e8..bceda4a14f8f2 100644
--- a/scripts/whatsapp-bridge/bridge_helpers.js
+++ b/scripts/whatsapp-bridge/bridge_helpers.js
@@ -532,6 +532,14 @@ export function mediaPayloadForFile({ buffer, filePath, mediaType, caption, file
   }
 }
 
+export async function resolveWaVersion({ fetchLiveVersion, fetchBaileysVersion }) {
+  const waWeb = await fetchLiveVersion();
+  if (waWeb.isLatest && !waWeb.error) {
+    return waWeb.version;
+  }
+  return (await fetchBaileysVersion()).version;
+}
+
 export function buildPollPayload({ question, options, selectableCount = 1 }) {
   const cleanQuestion = String(question || '').trim();
   const cleanOptions = (options || []).map(option => String(option || '').trim()).filter(Boolean);