diff --git a/Modules/Helpdesk/Resources/views/livewire/ticket-show.blade.php b/Modules/Helpdesk/Resources/views/livewire/ticket-show.blade.php
index 195a5fe6..c0a0196e 100644
--- a/Modules/Helpdesk/Resources/views/livewire/ticket-show.blade.php
+++ b/Modules/Helpdesk/Resources/views/livewire/ticket-show.blade.php
@@ -469,14 +469,40 @@
                             @enderror
                         </div>
 
-                        @if ($canSeeInternalNotes)
-                            <label
-                                class="mt-3 flex items-center gap-2 text-xs font-semibold text-zinc-700 dark:text-zinc-200">
-                                <input type="checkbox" name="internal" value="1" @checked(old('internal'))
-                                class="rounded border-zinc-300">
-                                MPBA internal note only
-                            </label>
-                        @endif
+                        <div class="rounded-xl border border-zinc-200 bg-white p-3 shadow-sm dark:border-zinc-700 dark:bg-zinc-950">
+                            <div class="mb-3 flex items-start justify-between gap-3">
+                                <div>
+                                    <p class="text-xs font-extrabold uppercase tracking-[0.16em] text-zinc-500 dark:text-zinc-400">Visibility</p>
+                                    <p class="mt-1 text-sm font-semibold text-zinc-700 dark:text-zinc-200">Choose whether this response is customer visible.</p>
+                                </div>
+                            </div>
+
+                            @if ($canSeeInternalNotes)
+                                <div class="grid gap-3 sm:grid-cols-2">
+                                    <label class="flex cursor-pointer items-start gap-3 rounded-xl border border-emerald-300 bg-emerald-50 p-3 text-emerald-950 shadow-sm transition hover:bg-emerald-100 dark:border-emerald-900 dark:bg-emerald-950/60 dark:text-emerald-100">
+                                        <input type="radio" name="internal" value="0" @checked(! old('internal')) class="mt-1 border-emerald-400 text-emerald-600 focus:ring-emerald-500">
+                                        <span>
+                                            <span class="block text-sm font-extrabold">Public reply</span>
+                                            <span class="mt-1 block text-xs font-semibold opacity-80">Visible to the requester and counts as the first SLA response.</span>
+                                        </span>
+                                    </label>
+
+                                    <label class="flex cursor-pointer items-start gap-3 rounded-xl border border-purple-300 bg-purple-50 p-3 text-purple-950 shadow-sm transition hover:bg-purple-100 dark:border-purple-900 dark:bg-purple-950/60 dark:text-purple-100">
+                                        <input type="radio" name="internal" value="1" @checked((bool) old('internal')) class="mt-1 border-purple-400 text-purple-600 focus:ring-purple-500">
+                                        <span>
+                                            <span class="block text-sm font-extrabold">Internal note</span>
+                                            <span class="mt-1 block text-xs font-semibold opacity-80">MPBA/support-only note. Does not count as a public SLA response.</span>
+                                        </span>
+                                    </label>
+                                </div>
+                            @else
+                                <input type="hidden" name="internal" value="0">
+                                <div class="rounded-xl border border-emerald-300 bg-emerald-50 p-3 text-sm font-semibold text-emerald-950 dark:border-emerald-900 dark:bg-emerald-950/60 dark:text-emerald-100">
+                                    <i class="fa-solid fa-envelope-circle-check mr-2" aria-hidden="true"></i>
+                                    This will be posted as a public reply and will count towards the first-response SLA.
+                                </div>
+                            @endif
+                        </div>
                     @endcan
 
                     <div class="flex justify-end">
diff --git a/Modules/Helpdesk/Resources/views/partials/comment-thread.blade.php b/Modules/Helpdesk/Resources/views/partials/comment-thread.blade.php
index 14dd1fe9..383cd5d7 100644
--- a/Modules/Helpdesk/Resources/views/partials/comment-thread.blade.php
+++ b/Modules/Helpdesk/Resources/views/partials/comment-thread.blade.php
@@ -111,7 +111,10 @@
                                     @endif
                                     @if ($isInternal)
                                         <span
-                                            class="rounded-full bg-red-600 px-2.5 py-1 text-[11px] font-extrabold uppercase tracking-wide text-white">Internal</span>
+                                            class="rounded-full bg-purple-600 px-2.5 py-1 text-[11px] font-extrabold uppercase tracking-wide text-white">Internal</span>
+                                    @else
+                                        <span
+                                            class="rounded-full bg-emerald-600 px-2.5 py-1 text-[11px] font-extrabold uppercase tracking-wide text-white">Public</span>
                                     @endif
                                 </div>
                                 <div
@@ -216,16 +219,39 @@
                                 class="block w-full rounded-xl border border-zinc-300 bg-white p-3 text-sm text-zinc-900 shadow-sm focus:border-blue-500 focus:ring-blue-500 dark:border-zinc-700 dark:bg-zinc-950 dark:text-zinc-100"
                                 placeholder="Write a threaded Lotus Notes-style response..."></textarea>
 
-                            @can('update', $currentTicket)
-                                @if ($canSeeInternalNotes)
-                                    <label
-                                        class="mt-3 flex items-center gap-2 text-sm font-semibold text-zinc-700 dark:text-zinc-200">
-                                        <input type="checkbox" name="internal" value="1"
-                                            class="rounded border-zinc-300">
-                                        MPBA internal note only
-                                    </label>
-                                @endif
-                            @endcan
+                            <div class="mt-4 rounded-xl border border-zinc-200 bg-white p-3 shadow-sm dark:border-zinc-700 dark:bg-zinc-950">
+                                <p class="text-xs font-extrabold uppercase tracking-[0.16em] text-zinc-500 dark:text-zinc-400">Visibility</p>
+
+                                @can('update', $currentTicket)
+                                    @if ($canSeeInternalNotes)
+                                        <div class="mt-3 grid gap-3 sm:grid-cols-2">
+                                            <label class="flex cursor-pointer items-start gap-3 rounded-xl border border-emerald-300 bg-emerald-50 p-3 text-emerald-950 shadow-sm transition hover:bg-emerald-100 dark:border-emerald-900 dark:bg-emerald-950/60 dark:text-emerald-100">
+                                                <input type="radio" name="internal" value="0" checked class="mt-1 border-emerald-400 text-emerald-600 focus:ring-emerald-500">
+                                                <span>
+                                                    <span class="block text-sm font-extrabold">Public reply</span>
+                                                    <span class="mt-1 block text-xs font-semibold opacity-80">Visible to the requester and counts towards SLA.</span>
+                                                </span>
+                                            </label>
+
+                                            <label class="flex cursor-pointer items-start gap-3 rounded-xl border border-purple-300 bg-purple-50 p-3 text-purple-950 shadow-sm transition hover:bg-purple-100 dark:border-purple-900 dark:bg-purple-950/60 dark:text-purple-100">
+                                                <input type="radio" name="internal" value="1" class="mt-1 border-purple-400 text-purple-600 focus:ring-purple-500">
+                                                <span>
+                                                    <span class="block text-sm font-extrabold">Internal note</span>
+                                                    <span class="mt-1 block text-xs font-semibold opacity-80">Support-only note. Does not count as public SLA response.</span>
+                                                </span>
+                                            </label>
+                                        </div>
+                                    @else
+                                        <input type="hidden" name="internal" value="0">
+                                        <div class="mt-3 rounded-xl border border-emerald-300 bg-emerald-50 p-3 text-sm font-semibold text-emerald-950 dark:border-emerald-900 dark:bg-emerald-950/60 dark:text-emerald-100">
+                                            <i class="fa-solid fa-envelope-circle-check mr-2" aria-hidden="true"></i>
+                                            This threaded response will be public.
+                                        </div>
+                                    @endif
+                                @else
+                                    <input type="hidden" name="internal" value="0">
+                                @endcan
+                            </div>
 
                             <details
                                 class="mt-4 overflow-hidden rounded-xl border border-zinc-200 bg-white/80 shadow-sm dark:border-zinc-800 dark:bg-zinc-950/50">
diff --git a/Modules/Helpdesk/changelog.yaml b/Modules/Helpdesk/changelog.yaml
index 384db456..10b00d47 100644
--- a/Modules/Helpdesk/changelog.yaml
+++ b/Modules/Helpdesk/changelog.yaml
@@ -41,3 +41,12 @@
   changes:
     - Updated the active End timer action with the same minimum width and no-wrap text treatment as the Start timer button.
     - Preserved the inline timer updater and avoided adding unused standalone JavaScript files.
+- version: 1.9.34
+  date: 2026-06-23
+  type: bugfix
+  summary: Add explicit public/internal response controls to Helpdesk ticket conversations.
+  changes:
+    - Added a clear Public reply versus Internal note visibility selector to the main ticket response form.
+    - Added the same visibility selector to threaded response forms so replies can be made public deliberately.
+    - Added public/internal badges to conversation entries so response visibility is obvious after posting.
+    - Preserved append-only changelog history and avoided adding unused JavaScript or orphan files.
diff --git a/Modules/Helpdesk/module.json b/Modules/Helpdesk/module.json
index cf167402..2898fed1 100644
--- a/Modules/Helpdesk/module.json
+++ b/Modules/Helpdesk/module.json
@@ -22,5 +22,5 @@
         "Modules\\Helpdesk\\Providers\\HelpdeskServiceProvider"
     ],
     "files": [],
-    "version": "1.9.33"
+    "version": "1.9.34"
 }