diff --git a/src/ai/insight_generator.rs b/src/ai/insight_generator.rs
index ebba8be..632b504 100644
--- a/src/ai/insight_generator.rs
+++ b/src/ai/insight_generator.rs
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ pub struct InsightGenerator {
     search_dao: Arc<Mutex<Box<dyn SearchHistoryDao>>>,
     tag_dao: Arc<Mutex<Box<dyn TagDao>>>,
 
+    // Face detections (used by the get_faces_in_photo agentic tool)
+    face_dao: Arc<Mutex<Box<dyn crate::faces::FaceDao>>>,
+
     // Knowledge memory
     knowledge_dao: Arc<Mutex<Box<dyn KnowledgeDao>>>,
 
@@ -100,6 +103,7 @@ pub struct ToolGateOpts {
     pub daily_summaries_present: bool,
     pub calendar_present: bool,
     pub location_history_present: bool,
+    pub faces_present: bool,
 }
 
 impl InsightGenerator {
@@ -116,6 +120,7 @@ impl InsightGenerator {
         search_dao: Arc<Mutex<Box<dyn SearchHistoryDao>>>,
         tag_dao: Arc<Mutex<Box<dyn TagDao>>>,
         knowledge_dao: Arc<Mutex<Box<dyn KnowledgeDao>>>,
+        face_dao: Arc<Mutex<Box<dyn crate::faces::FaceDao>>>,
         libraries: Vec<Library>,
     ) -> Self {
         Self {
@@ -131,6 +136,7 @@ impl InsightGenerator {
             search_dao,
             tag_dao,
             knowledge_dao,
+            face_dao,
             libraries,
         }
     }
@@ -174,12 +180,20 @@ impl InsightGenerator {
                 .expect("Unable to lock DailySummaryDao");
             dao.has_any_summaries(&cx).unwrap_or(false)
         };
+        let faces_present = {
+            let mut dao = self
+                .face_dao
+                .lock()
+                .expect("Unable to lock FaceDao");
+            dao.has_any_faces(&cx).unwrap_or(false)
+        };
         ToolGateOpts {
             has_vision,
             apollo_enabled: self.apollo_enabled(),
             daily_summaries_present,
             calendar_present,
             location_history_present,
+            faces_present,
         }
     }
 
@@ -1529,6 +1543,7 @@ Return ONLY the summary, nothing else."#,
             "get_calendar_events" => self.tool_get_calendar_events(arguments, cx).await,
             "get_location_history" => self.tool_get_location_history(arguments, cx).await,
             "get_file_tags" => self.tool_get_file_tags(arguments, cx).await,
+            "get_faces_in_photo" => self.tool_get_faces_in_photo(arguments, cx).await,
             "describe_photo" => self.tool_describe_photo(ollama, image_base64).await,
             "reverse_geocode" => self.tool_reverse_geocode(arguments).await,
             "get_personal_place_at" => self.tool_get_personal_place_at(arguments).await,
@@ -2149,6 +2164,82 @@ Return ONLY the summary, nothing else."#,
         }
     }
 
+    /// Tool: get_faces_in_photo — list face detections + person names for
+    /// the given file path. Resolves rel_path → content_hash via FaceDao,
+    /// then queries face_detections joined with persons (status='detected'
+    /// only). Returns a compact bullet list keyed for human-LLM readability.
+    async fn tool_get_faces_in_photo(
+        &self,
+        args: &serde_json::Value,
+        cx: &opentelemetry::Context,
+    ) -> String {
+        let file_path = match args.get("file_path").and_then(|v| v.as_str()) {
+            Some(p) if !p.trim().is_empty() => p.trim().to_string(),
+            _ => return "Error: missing required parameter 'file_path'".to_string(),
+        };
+        log::info!("tool_get_faces_in_photo: file_path='{}'", file_path);
+
+        // Resolve content_hash from any library that has this rel_path.
+        // Walk libraries in their declared order and take the first hit.
+        let mut content_hash: Option<String> = None;
+        for lib in &self.libraries {
+            let mut dao = self.face_dao.lock().expect("Unable to lock FaceDao");
+            if let Ok(Some(h)) = dao.resolve_content_hash(cx, lib.id, &file_path) {
+                content_hash = Some(h);
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+        let Some(content_hash) = content_hash else {
+            return "No content_hash found for that file path (the photo may not be indexed yet, \
+                    or the path doesn't match any library)."
+                .to_string();
+        };
+
+        let faces = {
+            let mut dao = self.face_dao.lock().expect("Unable to lock FaceDao");
+            match dao.list_for_content_hash(cx, &content_hash) {
+                Ok(rows) => rows,
+                Err(e) => return format!("Error querying faces: {}", e),
+            }
+        };
+
+        if faces.is_empty() {
+            return "No faces detected in this photo.".to_string();
+        }
+
+        // Render: bound faces grouped by person first, then unbound. The
+        // model uses the bound names directly; the unbound count + bbox
+        // helps it count people without naming them.
+        let bound: Vec<&_> = faces.iter().filter(|f| f.person_name.is_some()).collect();
+        let unbound: Vec<&_> = faces.iter().filter(|f| f.person_name.is_none()).collect();
+
+        let mut out = format!("Found {} face(s) in this photo:\n", faces.len());
+        for f in &bound {
+            out.push_str(&format!(
+                "- {} (confidence {:.2}, bbox x={:.2} y={:.2} w={:.2} h={:.2}, source: {})\n",
+                f.person_name.as_deref().unwrap_or("?"),
+                f.confidence,
+                f.bbox_x,
+                f.bbox_y,
+                f.bbox_w,
+                f.bbox_h,
+                f.source,
+            ));
+        }
+        for f in &unbound {
+            out.push_str(&format!(
+                "- (unidentified) confidence {:.2}, bbox x={:.2} y={:.2} w={:.2} h={:.2}, source: {}\n",
+                f.confidence,
+                f.bbox_x,
+                f.bbox_y,
+                f.bbox_w,
+                f.bbox_h,
+                f.source,
+            ));
+        }
+        out
+    }
+
     /// Tool: describe_photo — generate a visual description of the photo
     async fn tool_describe_photo(
         &self,
@@ -2733,6 +2824,25 @@ Return ONLY the summary, nothing else."#,
             ));
         }
 
+        if opts.faces_present {
+            tools.push(Tool::function(
+                "get_faces_in_photo",
+                "Return the faces detected in this photo with their bounding boxes and assigned person names \
+                 (when bound). Each face carries `person_name` (string or null), `bbox` ({x, y, w, h} normalized 0–1), \
+                 `confidence` (0–1), and `source` ('auto' from detector or 'manual' from a user-drawn bbox). \
+                 More authoritative than `get_file_tags` for counting people in a photo or naming who is present, \
+                 since it returns detected-but-unbound faces too. \
+                 Example: `{file_path: \"2019/06/IMG_4242.jpg\"}`.",
+                serde_json::json!({
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "required": ["file_path"],
+                    "properties": {
+                        "file_path": { "type": "string", "description": "File path of the photo." }
+                    }
+                }),
+            ));
+        }
+
         tools.push(Tool::function(
             "recall_entities",
             "Search the persistent knowledge memory for previously learned people, places, events, or things. \
@@ -3748,6 +3858,7 @@ mod tests {
             daily_summaries_present: false,
             calendar_present: false,
             location_history_present: false,
+            faces_present: false,
         };
         let tools = InsightGenerator::build_tool_definitions(opts);
         let names: Vec<&str> = tools.iter().map(|t| t.function.name.as_str()).collect();
@@ -3769,6 +3880,7 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(!names.contains(&"search_rag"));
         assert!(!names.contains(&"get_calendar_events"));
         assert!(!names.contains(&"get_location_history"));
+        assert!(!names.contains(&"get_faces_in_photo"));
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -3779,6 +3891,7 @@ mod tests {
             daily_summaries_present: true,
             calendar_present: true,
             location_history_present: true,
+            faces_present: true,
         };
         let tools = InsightGenerator::build_tool_definitions(opts);
         let names: Vec<&str> = tools.iter().map(|t| t.function.name.as_str()).collect();
@@ -3787,6 +3900,7 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(names.contains(&"search_rag"));
         assert!(names.contains(&"get_calendar_events"));
         assert!(names.contains(&"get_location_history"));
+        assert!(names.contains(&"get_faces_in_photo"));
     }
 
     fn place(name: &str, description: &str) -> ApolloPlace {
diff --git a/src/bin/populate_knowledge.rs b/src/bin/populate_knowledge.rs
index 9c55e60..e72a27b 100644
--- a/src/bin/populate_knowledge.rs
+++ b/src/bin/populate_knowledge.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ use image_api::database::{
     SqliteInsightDao, SqliteKnowledgeDao, SqliteLocationHistoryDao, SqliteSearchHistoryDao,
     connect,
 };
+use image_api::faces::{FaceDao, SqliteFaceDao};
 use image_api::file_types::{IMAGE_EXTENSIONS, VIDEO_EXTENSIONS};
 use image_api::libraries::{self, Library};
 use image_api::tags::{SqliteTagDao, TagDao};
@@ -182,6 +183,8 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         Arc::new(Mutex::new(Box::new(SqliteTagDao::default())));
     let knowledge_dao: Arc<Mutex<Box<dyn KnowledgeDao>>> =
         Arc::new(Mutex::new(Box::new(SqliteKnowledgeDao::new())));
+    let face_dao: Arc<Mutex<Box<dyn FaceDao>>> =
+        Arc::new(Mutex::new(Box::new(SqliteFaceDao::new())));
 
     // Pass the full library set so `resolve_full_path` probes every root,
     // even when --library restricts the walk. A rel_path shared across
@@ -199,6 +202,7 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         search_dao,
         tag_dao,
         knowledge_dao,
+        face_dao,
         all_libs.clone(),
     );
 
diff --git a/src/faces.rs b/src/faces.rs
index fb2fb87..d92b7ae 100644
--- a/src/faces.rs
+++ b/src/faces.rs
@@ -503,6 +503,10 @@ pub trait FaceDao: Send + Sync {
         into: i32,
     ) -> anyhow::Result<Person>;
 
+    /// Cheap presence probe — returns true iff at least one face has been
+    /// detected (excluding marker rows). Used by chat-tool gating.
+    fn has_any_faces(&mut self, ctx: &opentelemetry::Context) -> anyhow::Result<bool>;
+
     /// Resolve `(library_id, rel_path)` → `content_hash` via image_exif.
     /// Returns None when the photo hasn't been EXIF-indexed yet (no row
     /// in image_exif) or when the row exists but content_hash is NULL.
@@ -1432,6 +1436,20 @@ impl FaceDao for SqliteFaceDao {
         })
     }
 
+    fn has_any_faces(&mut self, ctx: &opentelemetry::Context) -> anyhow::Result<bool> {
+        use anyhow::Context;
+        let mut conn = self.connection.lock().expect("face dao lock");
+        trace_db_call(ctx, "query", "has_any_faces", |_span| {
+            face_detections::table
+                .filter(face_detections::status.eq("detected"))
+                .select(face_detections::id)
+                .first::<i32>(conn.deref_mut())
+                .optional()
+                .map(|x| x.is_some())
+                .with_context(|| "has_any_faces query")
+        })
+    }
+
     fn resolve_content_hash(
         &mut self,
         ctx: &opentelemetry::Context,
diff --git a/src/state.rs b/src/state.rs
index abbcc56..49d0b4c 100644
--- a/src/state.rs
+++ b/src/state.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 use crate::ai::apollo_client::ApolloClient;
 use crate::ai::face_client::FaceClient;
+use crate::faces;
 use crate::ai::insight_chat::{ChatLockMap, InsightChatService};
 use crate::ai::openrouter::OpenRouterClient;
 use crate::ai::{InsightGenerator, OllamaClient, SmsApiClient};
@@ -206,6 +207,8 @@ impl Default for AppState {
             Arc::new(Mutex::new(Box::new(SqliteTagDao::default())));
         let knowledge_dao: Arc<Mutex<Box<dyn KnowledgeDao>>> =
             Arc::new(Mutex::new(Box::new(SqliteKnowledgeDao::new())));
+        let face_dao: Arc<Mutex<Box<dyn faces::FaceDao>>> =
+            Arc::new(Mutex::new(Box::new(faces::SqliteFaceDao::new())));
 
         // Load base path and ensure the primary library row reflects it.
         let base_path = env::var("BASE_PATH").expect("BASE_PATH was not set in the env");
@@ -232,6 +235,7 @@ impl Default for AppState {
             search_dao.clone(),
             tag_dao.clone(),
             knowledge_dao,
+            face_dao.clone(),
             libraries_vec.clone(),
         );
 
@@ -348,6 +352,8 @@ impl AppState {
             Arc::new(Mutex::new(Box::new(SqliteTagDao::default())));
         let knowledge_dao: Arc<Mutex<Box<dyn KnowledgeDao>>> =
             Arc::new(Mutex::new(Box::new(SqliteKnowledgeDao::new())));
+        let face_dao: Arc<Mutex<Box<dyn faces::FaceDao>>> =
+            Arc::new(Mutex::new(Box::new(faces::SqliteFaceDao::new())));
 
         // Initialize test InsightGenerator with all data sources
         let base_path_str = base_path.to_string_lossy().to_string();
@@ -371,6 +377,7 @@ impl AppState {
             search_dao.clone(),
             tag_dao.clone(),
             knowledge_dao,
+            face_dao.clone(),
             vec![test_lib],
         );