diff --git a/frontend/src/components/PlexPlayer.session.dom.test.tsx b/frontend/src/components/PlexPlayer.session.dom.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d2fecf9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/PlexPlayer.session.dom.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,278 @@
+// @vitest-environment jsdom
+//
+// The Plex player's session lifecycle, rendered for real (deep-review round 3 of bug hunt 2026-09).
+//
+// jsdom has no media pipeline, so the <video> is a small stand-in that behaves like Chrome where it
+// matters here: `pause()` fires its `timeupdate` in a LATER task (measured in Chrome — which is how the
+// previous item's position used to arrive after the player had already reset it for the next one).
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeAll, beforeEach, afterEach } from "vitest";
+import { render, cleanup, waitFor, screen, fireEvent, act } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from "@tanstack/react-query";
+
+vi.mock("react-i18next", async (importOriginal) => {
+  const actual = await importOriginal<typeof import("react-i18next")>();
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    useTranslation: () => ({ t: (key: string) => key, i18n: { language: "en" } }),
+  };
+});
+
+import PlexPlayer from "./PlexPlayer";
+import { api, type PlexItemDetail } from "../lib/api";
+import { qk } from "../lib/queryKeys";
+import { notify } from "../lib/notifications";
+import { ACTIVE_ACCOUNT_KEY } from "../lib/activeAccount";
+
+type Media = HTMLMediaElement & { _t?: number };
+
+beforeAll(() => {
+  class Stub {
+    observe() {}
+    unobserve() {}
+    disconnect() {}
+    takeRecords() {
+      return [];
+    }
+  }
+  globalThis.ResizeObserver ??= Stub as unknown as typeof ResizeObserver;
+  globalThis.IntersectionObserver ??= Stub as unknown as typeof IntersectionObserver;
+  const later = (el: HTMLMediaElement, ...types: string[]) =>
+    setTimeout(() => types.forEach((ty) => el.dispatchEvent(new Event(ty))), 0);
+  Object.defineProperty(HTMLMediaElement.prototype, "currentTime", {
+    configurable: true,
+    get(this: Media) {
+      return this._t ?? 0;
+    },
+    set(this: Media, v: number) {
+      this._t = v;
+    },
+  });
+  Object.defineProperty(HTMLMediaElement.prototype, "play", {
+    configurable: true,
+    value: () => Promise.resolve(),
+  });
+  Object.defineProperty(HTMLMediaElement.prototype, "pause", {
+    configurable: true,
+    value(this: HTMLMediaElement) {
+      later(this, "timeupdate", "pause"); // as Chrome does: after the call has returned
+    },
+  });
+  Object.defineProperty(HTMLMediaElement.prototype, "load", {
+    configurable: true,
+    value(this: Media) {
+      this._t = 0;
+    },
+  });
+  Object.defineProperty(HTMLMediaElement.prototype, "seekable", {
+    configurable: true,
+    get: () => ({ length: 0, end: () => 0 }),
+  });
+  Object.defineProperty(HTMLMediaElement.prototype, "textTracks", {
+    configurable: true,
+    get: () => Object.assign([], { addEventListener() {}, removeEventListener() {} }),
+  });
+});
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  // A signed-in account whose saved subtitle language is English (prefs are per account).
+  sessionStorage.setItem(ACTIVE_ACCOUNT_KEY, "7");
+  localStorage.setItem("siftlode.plexPlayerPrefs.7", JSON.stringify({ subLang: "en" }));
+});
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  cleanup();
+  vi.restoreAllMocks();
+  sessionStorage.clear();
+  localStorage.clear();
+});
+
+const item = (id: string, position = 0): PlexItemDetail =>
+  ({
+    id,
+    title: `Title ${id}`,
+    type: "episode",
+    duration_seconds: 3000,
+    status: "new",
+    position_seconds: position,
+    audio_streams: [{ ord: 0, label: "English", language: "en", default: true }],
+    subtitle_streams: [{ ord: 0, label: "English", language: "en", text: true }],
+    markers: [],
+  }) as unknown as PlexItemDetail;
+
+const direct = (id: string) =>
+  ({ mode: "direct", url: `/media/${id}`, start_s: 0 }) as Awaited<
+    ReturnType<typeof api.plexSession>
+  >;
+
+/** A session answer the test releases when it wants to. */
+function deferred() {
+  let resolve!: (v: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof api.plexSession>>) => void;
+  const promise = new Promise<Awaited<ReturnType<typeof api.plexSession>>>((r) => (resolve = r));
+  return { promise, resolve };
+}
+
+function mount(opts: {
+  details: Record<string, PlexItemDetail>;
+  sessions: Record<string, () => Promise<Awaited<ReturnType<typeof api.plexSession>>>>;
+  queue?: string[];
+  qc?: QueryClient;
+}) {
+  vi.spyOn(api, "plexItem").mockImplementation((id: string) => Promise.resolve(opts.details[id]!));
+  vi.spyOn(api, "plexSession").mockImplementation((id: string) => opts.sessions[id]!());
+  const progress = vi.spyOn(api, "plexProgress").mockResolvedValue(undefined as never);
+  const status = vi
+    .spyOn(api, "plexSubtitleStatus")
+    .mockResolvedValue({ state: "preparing", code: null, gen: 0 });
+  const qc = opts.qc ?? new QueryClient({ defaultOptions: { queries: { retry: false } } });
+  const first = opts.queue?.[0] ?? Object.keys(opts.details)[0]!;
+  const view = render(
+    <QueryClientProvider client={qc}>
+      <PlexPlayer itemId={first} onClose={() => {}} queue={opts.queue} />
+    </QueryClientProvider>,
+  );
+  return { ...view, progress, status, qc };
+}
+
+const video = () => document.querySelector("video") as Media;
+
+async function playingAt(src: string, t: number) {
+  await waitFor(() => expect(video()?.getAttribute("src")).toBe(src));
+  const v = video();
+  v._t = t;
+  act(() => void v.dispatchEvent(new Event("timeupdate")));
+}
+
+const tick = () => act(() => new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 20)));
+
+describe("moving to the next item", () => {
+  it("settles the item being left, and gives the next one none of its position", async () => {
+    const { progress, status, unmount } = mount({
+      details: { A: item("A"), B: item("B", 300) },
+      sessions: { A: () => Promise.resolve(direct("A")), B: () => new Promise(() => {}) },
+      queue: ["A", "B"],
+    });
+    await playingAt("/media/A", 1500);
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText("plex.player.next"));
+    await waitFor(() => expect(status.mock.calls.some(([id]) => id === "B")).toBe(true));
+    await tick(); // the timeupdate that pause() queued has landed by now
+    // B's session has not answered, so where B is is where it was asked to start — not A's 25:00.
+    expect(status.mock.calls.filter(([id]) => id === "B").map(([, , at]) => at)).not.toContain(
+      1500,
+    );
+    expect(status.mock.calls.find(([id]) => id === "B")?.[2]).toBe(300);
+    // A got its final checkpoint at the position it was left at…
+    expect(progress.mock.calls).toContainEqual(["A", 1500, 3000, true]);
+    unmount();
+    // …and leaving B while it was still loading saved nothing of A's position as B's.
+    expect(progress.mock.calls.filter(([id]) => id === "B")).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});
+
+it("a seek that restarts the session is saved at its target while the new session loads", async () => {
+  // seekTo wrote the target into the position ref only — and the restart re-renders at once, which
+  // re-syncs that ref from the state: a page-hide during the restart saved the pre-seek spot.
+  let calls = 0;
+  mount({
+    details: { A: item("A") },
+    sessions: {
+      A: () => (calls++ === 0 ? Promise.resolve(direct("A")) : new Promise(() => {})),
+    },
+  });
+  const beacon = vi.spyOn(api, "plexProgressBeacon").mockImplementation(() => {});
+  await playingAt("/media/A", 1500);
+  fireEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText("plex.player.forward10"));
+  await waitFor(() => expect(api.plexSession).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)); // a restart, not a native seek
+  await tick();
+  act(() => void window.dispatchEvent(new Event("pagehide")));
+  expect(beacon).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith("A", 1510, 3000, true);
+});
+
+describe("a session answer that lands late", () => {
+  it("is dropped when the viewer has moved on to another item meanwhile", async () => {
+    const slowB = deferred();
+    mount({
+      details: { A: item("A"), B: item("B"), C: item("C") },
+      sessions: {
+        A: () => Promise.resolve(direct("A")),
+        B: () => slowB.promise,
+        C: () => Promise.resolve(direct("C")),
+      },
+      queue: ["A", "B", "C"],
+    });
+    await waitFor(() => expect(video()?.getAttribute("src")).toBe("/media/A"));
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText("plex.player.next"));
+    await screen.findByText("Title B");
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText("plex.player.next"));
+    await waitFor(() => expect(video()?.getAttribute("src")).toBe("/media/C"));
+    await act(async () => slowB.resolve(direct("B")));
+    await tick();
+    expect(video().getAttribute("src")).toBe("/media/C");
+  });
+
+  it("is dropped when the player has been closed meanwhile", async () => {
+    const slowA = deferred();
+    const { unmount } = mount({ details: { A: item("A") }, sessions: { A: () => slowA.promise } });
+    await waitFor(() => expect(api.plexSession).toHaveBeenCalled());
+    const v = video();
+    unmount();
+    await act(async () => slowA.resolve(direct("A")));
+    await tick();
+    expect(v.getAttribute("src")).toBeNull();
+  });
+});
+
+it("closing the player detaches the <video> it was playing", async () => {
+  const { unmount } = mount({
+    details: { A: item("A") },
+    sessions: { A: () => Promise.resolve(direct("A")) },
+  });
+  await waitFor(() => expect(video()?.getAttribute("src")).toBe("/media/A"));
+  const v = video();
+  unmount();
+  expect(v.getAttribute("src")).toBeNull();
+});
+
+describe("the subtitle poll and notice", () => {
+  it("asks about where a resumed session was asked to start, before playback has ticked", async () => {
+    const { status } = mount({
+      details: { A: item("A", 1198) },
+      sessions: { A: () => new Promise(() => {}) },
+    });
+    await waitFor(() => expect(status).toHaveBeenCalled());
+    expect(status.mock.calls[0]).toEqual(["A", 0, 1198]);
+  });
+
+  it("says a failing poll even while an earlier window is still on screen", async () => {
+    const qc = new QueryClient({ defaultOptions: { queries: { retry: false } } });
+    qc.setQueryData(qk.plexSubtitle("A", 0), { state: "partial", code: null, gen: 1 });
+    const view = mount({
+      details: { A: item("A") },
+      sessions: { A: () => Promise.resolve(direct("A")) },
+      qc,
+    });
+    view.status.mockRejectedValue(new Error("offline"));
+    await waitFor(() => expect(view.status).toHaveBeenCalled());
+    await screen.findByText("plex.player.subUnavailable.failed");
+    expect(document.querySelector("track")).not.toBeNull(); // the window stays mounted meanwhile
+  });
+
+  it("marks which track is selected for assistive tech, not only by colour", async () => {
+    mount({ details: { A: item("A") }, sessions: { A: () => new Promise(() => {}) } });
+    await screen.findByText("Title A");
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText("plex.player.tracks"));
+    const off = await screen.findByText("plex.player.subOff");
+    expect(off.closest("button")?.getAttribute("aria-pressed")).toBe("false");
+    const pressed = document.querySelectorAll('[aria-pressed="true"]');
+    expect([...pressed].map((b) => b.textContent)).toEqual(["English"]); // the saved subtitle
+  });
+});
+
+it("shows a toast raised while it is open inside itself, not under its scrim", async () => {
+  mount({ details: { A: item("A") }, sessions: { A: () => new Promise(() => {}) } });
+  await screen.findByText("Title A");
+  act(() => notify({ level: "error", message: "Couldn't mark it watched." }));
+  const toast = await screen.findByText("Couldn't mark it watched.");
+  let host: Element | null = video();
+  while (host && !host.contains(toast)) host = host.parentElement;
+  expect(host).not.toBe(document.body); // the player's own host, beside its <video>
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/PlexPlayer.tsx b/frontend/src/components/PlexPlayer.tsx
index c6d5b564..e8b5a80b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/PlexPlayer.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/PlexPlayer.tsx
@@ -109,6 +109,20 @@ export default function PlexPlayer({ itemId, onClose, queue }: Props) {
   const aliveRef = useRef(true);
   const wrapRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
   const sessionStartRef = useRef(0); // absolute offset the current HLS/direct session begins at
+  // Which loadSession call is the current one. Everything after its `await` checks it: a response
+  // that lands after a newer call, an item change or the player's unmount is dropped — it used to
+  // replace whatever was playing (Next twice quickly, the slower transcode answering last, played the
+  // middle item under the last one's title and recorded its progress there) or attach a stream to the
+  // detached <video> after Back, never destroyed, keeping the server session warm.
+  const sessGenRef = useRef(0);
+  // Whether the <video>'s clock belongs to the session `sessionStartRef` describes. False from the
+  // moment a session is asked for until it has answered: the media still attached meanwhile is the
+  // OLD one, so `sessionStartRef + currentTime` was the previous item's position (go()'s pause() fires
+  // a timeupdate AFTER the reset to 0) — sent as the new item's subtitle position and saved as its
+  // progress, or, during a seek-restart, the pre-seek spot overwriting the target.
+  const clockLiveRef = useRef(false);
+  // The item whose session is attached to the <video> right now (see loadSession's failure path).
+  const attachedIdRef = useRef<string | null>(null);
   // Which encoder the current transcode session ran: true=VAAPI hardware, false=libx264 software,
   // null=not a transcode. Feeds the stats overlay's mode row ("transcode · GPU" / "· CPU").
   const hwRef = useRef<boolean | null>(null);
@@ -247,6 +261,9 @@ export default function PlexPlayer({ itemId, onClose, queue }: Props) {
     async (startAt: number, resumePlay = true) => {
       const video = videoRef.current;
       if (!video) return;
+      const gen = ++sessGenRef.current;
+      const current = () => gen === sessGenRef.current && aliveRef.current;
+      clockLiveRef.current = false;
       loadStartRef.current = startAt;
       setReady(false);
       setBuffering(false);
@@ -262,6 +279,10 @@ export default function PlexPlayer({ itemId, onClose, queue }: Props) {
         const m = multiAudioRef.current;
         sess = await api.plexSession(id, startAt, m ? null : audioRef.current, aoffRef.current, m);
       } catch (e) {
+        if (!current()) return; // superseded or left: not this request's error to show
+        // A failed seek-restart leaves the old session attached and its clock still true; a failed
+        // move to another item leaves the previous item's media, which is not this item's clock.
+        clockLiveRef.current = attachedIdRef.current === id;
         // Surface WHY playback can't start instead of an eternal spinner. 404 = the physical file
         // isn't reachable (missing media bind-mount or a wrong plex_path_map); 501 = the codec
         // needs full transcoding (a later phase).
@@ -275,6 +296,7 @@ export default function PlexPlayer({ itemId, onClose, queue }: Props) {
         );
         return;
       }
+      if (!current()) return;
       // Surface the active mode for the stats overlay + the honest cold-start label: a transcode session
       // re-encodes the video (hw = which encoder), and its first segment is genuinely slower than remux.
       const isTranscode = sess.mode === "hls" && !!sess.transcode;
@@ -288,6 +310,10 @@ export default function PlexPlayer({ itemId, onClose, queue }: Props) {
         sess.mode === "hls" && sess.start_s > 0 ? sess.start_s - HLS_SUB_LAG : sess.start_s;
       sessionStartRef.current = trueStart;
       setSessionK(trueStart);
+      // From here the <video>'s clock is this session's: the old source is replaced just below, and a
+      // timeupdate its teardown queues already reads the new start.
+      clockLiveRef.current = true;
+      attachedIdRef.current = id;
       // Belt-and-suspenders resume: the play() fired on MANIFEST_PARSED / loadedmetadata can be
       // rejected when the media isn't ready yet (slow first segments over a proxy), which would leave
       // the video paused after a seek even though the user was watching. Retry once the element can
@@ -416,6 +442,10 @@ export default function PlexPlayer({ itemId, onClose, queue }: Props) {
     const resume = detail.status !== "watched" ? detail.position_seconds || 0 : 0;
     loadSession(resume);
     return () => {
+      // A session still in flight for this item must not land after it. The LIVE counter is the point
+      // (bumping it is what outdates the pending call), so the "ref may have changed" hint is moot.
+      // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
+      sessGenRef.current++;
       if (hlsRef.current) {
         hlsRef.current.destroy();
         hlsRef.current = null;
@@ -433,15 +463,21 @@ export default function PlexPlayer({ itemId, onClose, queue }: Props) {
   // (StrictMode does exactly that in development). With the flag only ever lowered, it stayed false
   // for the life of the player — every play() is gated on it, so the player never started by itself,
   // and a seek that restarts the session left it paused (bug hunt 2026-09, found on localdev).
+  //
+  // The element is captured HERE, not read in the cleanup: React detaches a ref before it runs an
+  // unmount's effect cleanups, so `videoRef.current` was already null there and the stop/detach below
+  // never ran (only StrictMode's simulated unmount, which keeps refs, ever reached it).
   useEffect(() => {
     aliveRef.current = true;
+    const v = videoRef.current;
     return () => {
       aliveRef.current = false;
+      // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps -- the live counter, as above
+      sessGenRef.current++;
       if (hlsRef.current) {
         hlsRef.current.destroy();
         hlsRef.current = null;
       }
-      const v = videoRef.current;
       if (v) {
         try {
           v.pause();
@@ -459,6 +495,7 @@ export default function PlexPlayer({ itemId, onClose, queue }: Props) {
     const video = videoRef.current;
     if (!video) return;
     const onTime = () => {
+      if (!clockLiveRef.current) return; // the old session's clock (see clockLiveRef)
       const a = sessionStartRef.current + video.currentTime;
       setAbs(a);
       try {
@@ -511,7 +548,7 @@ export default function PlexPlayer({ itemId, onClose, queue }: Props) {
   }, [id]);
 
   // Periodic + on-unmount progress checkpoint (interval flush + pause/pagehide + reopen cache patch).
-  usePlexProgress({ id, qc, videoRef, absRef, durationRef });
+  const { settle: settleProgress } = usePlexProgress({ id, qc, videoRef, absRef, durationRef });
 
   // --- seeking (native within the loaded region, else restart the session) ---------------------
   const seekTo = useCallback(
@@ -521,7 +558,11 @@ export default function PlexPlayer({ itemId, onClose, queue }: Props) {
       const wasPlaying = !video.paused; // preserve play/pause intent across the seek
       const dur = durationRef.current || target;
       const T = Math.max(0, Math.min(target, dur - 1));
-      absRef.current = T; // reflect the target immediately so a save/beacon right after a seek is accurate
+      // Reflect the target immediately so a save/beacon right after a seek is accurate — in the STATE
+      // too: `absRef` is re-synced from `abs` on every render, and the restart below renders at once,
+      // so the ref alone was back at the pre-seek spot before anything could read it.
+      absRef.current = T;
+      setAbs(T);
       const rel = T - sessionStartRef.current;
       if (rel >= 0 && rel <= (video.seekable.length ? video.seekable.end(0) : 0) + 0.5) {
         video.currentTime = rel; // native seek within the loaded region keeps playing on its own
@@ -551,21 +592,29 @@ export default function PlexPlayer({ itemId, onClose, queue }: Props) {
     helpOpenRef,
   });
 
-  const go = useCallback((otherId: string | null | undefined) => {
-    if (otherId) {
-      // Stop the outgoing media BEFORE switching. If the next item fails to load (e.g. no local
-      // file), loadSession returns without replacing the <video> source, leaving the old episode
-      // still playing — it would then fire 'ended' against the NEW id and mark the wrong item
-      // watched (and scrobble it to Plex). Pausing here severs that stale-tail race.
-      try {
-        videoRef.current?.pause();
-      } catch {
-        /* ignore */
+  const go = useCallback(
+    (otherId: string | null | undefined) => {
+      if (otherId) {
+        // Stop the outgoing media BEFORE switching. If the next item fails to load (e.g. no local
+        // file), loadSession returns without replacing the <video> source, leaving the old episode
+        // still playing — it would then fire 'ended' against the NEW id and mark the wrong item
+        // watched (and scrobble it to Plex). Pausing here severs that stale-tail race.
+        try {
+          videoRef.current?.pause();
+        } catch {
+          /* ignore */
+        }
+        // Settle the item being left while the position still is its own (see usePlexProgress), and
+        // stop trusting the old media's clock: the timeupdate that pause() queues lands after the
+        // reset below and would otherwise hand the old position to the new item.
+        settleProgress();
+        clockLiveRef.current = false;
+        setAbs(0);
+        setId(otherId);
       }
-      setAbs(0);
-      setId(otherId);
-    }
-  }, []);
+    },
+    [settleProgress],
+  );
 
   // Prev/next: from the playlist queue when playing one, else the item's own episode neighbours.
   const qIdx = queue ? queue.indexOf(id) : -1;
@@ -1250,6 +1299,7 @@ export default function PlexPlayer({ itemId, onClose, queue }: Props) {
                           <button
                             key={a.ord}
                             onClick={() => changeAudio(a.ord)}
+                            aria-pressed={(audioOrd ?? 0) === a.ord}
                             className={`block w-full truncate rounded px-2 py-1 text-left hover:bg-white/10 ${
                               (audioOrd ?? 0) === a.ord ? "text-accent" : "text-white"
                             }`}
@@ -1264,6 +1314,7 @@ export default function PlexPlayer({ itemId, onClose, queue }: Props) {
                         <PanelHead>{t("plex.player.subtitles")}</PanelHead>
                         <button
                           onClick={() => changeSubtitle(null)}
+                          aria-pressed={subOrd == null}
                           className={`block w-full rounded px-2 py-1 text-left hover:bg-white/10 ${
                             subOrd == null ? "text-accent" : "text-white"
                           }`}
@@ -1274,6 +1325,7 @@ export default function PlexPlayer({ itemId, onClose, queue }: Props) {
                           <button
                             key={s.ord}
                             onClick={() => changeSubtitle(s.ord)}
+                            aria-pressed={subOrd === s.ord}
                             className={`block w-full truncate rounded px-2 py-1 text-left hover:bg-white/10 ${
                               subOrd === s.ord ? "text-accent" : "text-white"
                             }`}
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/plexPlayerHooks.ts b/frontend/src/lib/plexPlayerHooks.ts
index 797d9373..d7e4decd 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/plexPlayerHooks.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/plexPlayerHooks.ts
@@ -79,14 +79,20 @@ export function useControlsVisibility(opts: {
 // Periodic + on-unmount progress checkpoint. Reads live position/duration through refs (owned by the
 // component, since seeking/skip/ended all mutate absRef too) so the interval and unload beacon see the
 // current spot without rebuilding the effect.
+//
+// `settle` is what leaving the item does (the final checkpoint + the reopen-cache patch). The player
+// calls it itself BEFORE it moves to another item: by the time this effect's cleanup runs for the
+// outgoing id, the position has already been reset for the incoming one — so the cleanup found 0 and
+// skipped, and every Next dropped the last stretch watched of the episode being left.
 export function usePlexProgress(opts: {
   id: string;
   qc: QueryClient;
   videoRef: RefObject<HTMLVideoElement | null>;
   absRef: MutableRefObject<number>;
   durationRef: MutableRefObject<number>;
-}): void {
+}): { settle: () => void } {
   const { id, qc, videoRef, absRef, durationRef } = opts;
+  const settleRef = useRef<() => void>(() => {});
   useEffect(() => {
     // `final` = a settled checkpoint (pause / page-hide / leaving the player) vs. the periodic tick.
     // Only final checkpoints get mirrored to a linked Plex account (backend-side debounce), so Plex
@@ -120,23 +126,15 @@ export function usePlexProgress(opts: {
         api.plexProgressBeacon(id, Math.floor(absRef.current), durationRef.current, true);
     };
     window.addEventListener("pagehide", onHide);
-    return () => {
-      window.clearInterval(iv);
-      window.clearTimeout(seekTimer);
-      window.removeEventListener("pagehide", onHide);
-      video?.removeEventListener("pause", onPauseFlush);
-      video?.removeEventListener("seeked", onSeekFlush);
+    // Back (unmount) persists the position server-side via flush(), but reopening the same item in
+    // the SAME session read react-query's CACHED detail — whose position_seconds predated this watch —
+    // so the resume landed at the old spot (the progress GET could also race the POST). So leaving
+    // also patches the cached detail, and a reopen resumes from where we left off. (F5 was always fine:
+    // a reload starts with an empty cache and fetches the fresh position.) Safe to do only when leaving
+    // — patching while mounted would retrigger the loadSession effect and reseek mid-play. Reading the
+    // LATEST abs/duration is the whole point of the checkpoint (the resume point when leaving).
+    const settle = () => {
       flush(true);
-      // Back (unmount) persists the position server-side via flush(), but reopening the same item in
-      // the SAME session read react-query's CACHED detail — whose position_seconds predated this
-      // watch — so the resume landed at the old spot (the progress GET could also race the POST).
-      // Patch the cached detail here so a reopen resumes from where we left off. (F5 was always fine:
-      // a reload starts with an empty cache and fetches the fresh position.) Safe to do only on
-      // unmount — patching while mounted would retrigger the loadSession effect and reseek mid-play.
-      // Reading the LATEST abs/duration at cleanup is the whole point of the checkpoint (the resume
-      // point when leaving), not a stale snapshot — the "ref value may have changed" hint is a false
-      // positive here. Scoped disable so the deps array below is still checked.
-      /* eslint-disable react-hooks/exhaustive-deps */
       if (absRef.current > 0 && durationRef.current > 0) {
         const pos = Math.floor(absRef.current);
         // Match the language-keyed detail query (E5 S6) so the optimistic resume patch lands.
@@ -144,13 +142,23 @@ export function usePlexProgress(opts: {
           old ? { ...old, position_seconds: pos } : old,
         );
       }
-      /* eslint-enable react-hooks/exhaustive-deps */
+    };
+    settleRef.current = settle;
+    return () => {
+      window.clearInterval(iv);
+      window.clearTimeout(seekTimer);
+      window.removeEventListener("pagehide", onHide);
+      video?.removeEventListener("pause", onPauseFlush);
+      video?.removeEventListener("seeked", onSeekFlush);
+      settle();
+      settleRef.current = () => {};
       qc.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: qk.plexLibrary() });
       qc.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: qk.plexShow() });
     };
     // absRef/durationRef/videoRef are stable ref objects — listed to satisfy exhaustive-deps without
     // changing when the effect re-runs (id/qc only), matching the original in-component effect.
   }, [id, qc, absRef, durationRef, videoRef]);
+  return { settle: useCallback(() => settleRef.current(), []) };
 }
 
 // Volume/mute for the Plex player's HTML5 <video> (0..1 float, independent .muted flag). Persists to