diff --git a/frontend/src/components/PlexPlayer.strictmode.dom.test.tsx b/frontend/src/components/PlexPlayer.strictmode.dom.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..149037b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/PlexPlayer.strictmode.dom.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+// @vitest-environment jsdom
+//
+// The Plex player must start playing by itself — also when React mounts it, unmounts it and mounts
+// it again, which StrictMode does to every component in development.
+//
+// Bug hunt 2026-09, found on localdev: the player's "still alive" flag (every play() is gated on it,
+// so a late one cannot start a detached <video> after Back) was only ever LOWERED, in an effect's
+// cleanup. StrictMode's dry-run unmount lowered it for good: the player never started on its own, and
+// a seek that restarts the session — back past the loaded region — left it paused. Production does
+// not double-mount, which is why only dev showed it.
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeAll, afterEach } from "vitest";
+import { StrictMode } from "react";
+import { render, cleanup, waitFor } 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";
+
+const played: string[] = [];
+
+beforeAll(() => {
+  class Stub {
+    observe() {}
+    unobserve() {}
+    disconnect() {}
+    takeRecords() {
+      return [];
+    }
+  }
+  globalThis.ResizeObserver ??= Stub as unknown as typeof ResizeObserver;
+  globalThis.IntersectionObserver ??= Stub as unknown as typeof IntersectionObserver;
+  // jsdom has no media pipeline: record what the player asks of the element instead.
+  Object.defineProperty(HTMLMediaElement.prototype, "play", {
+    configurable: true,
+    value(this: HTMLMediaElement) {
+      played.push(this.getAttribute("src") ?? "");
+      return Promise.resolve();
+    },
+  });
+  Object.defineProperty(HTMLMediaElement.prototype, "pause", { configurable: true, value() {} });
+  Object.defineProperty(HTMLMediaElement.prototype, "load", { configurable: true, value() {} });
+  Object.defineProperty(HTMLMediaElement.prototype, "textTracks", {
+    configurable: true,
+    get: () => Object.assign([], { addEventListener() {}, removeEventListener() {} }),
+  });
+});
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  cleanup();
+  vi.restoreAllMocks();
+  played.length = 0;
+});
+
+const detail = {
+  id: "99079",
+  title: "The Adversary",
+  type: "episode",
+  duration_seconds: 3434,
+  status: "new",
+  position_seconds: 0,
+  audio_streams: [{ ord: 0, label: "English", language: "en", default: true }],
+  subtitle_streams: [],
+  markers: [],
+} as unknown as PlexItemDetail;
+
+describe("PlexPlayer under StrictMode", () => {
+  it("starts playing by itself once the media is ready", async () => {
+    vi.spyOn(api, "plexItem").mockResolvedValue(detail);
+    // A direct-play session: the element gets the file URL and plays on `loadedmetadata`. (hls.js is
+    // not supported under jsdom, so this is the path the test can drive; the HLS path gates its
+    // play() on the very same flag.)
+    vi.spyOn(api, "plexSession").mockResolvedValue({
+      mode: "direct",
+      url: "/api/plex/direct/99079",
+      start_s: 0,
+    } as never);
+    const qc = new QueryClient({ defaultOptions: { queries: { retry: false } } });
+    render(
+      <StrictMode>
+        <QueryClientProvider client={qc}>
+          <PlexPlayer itemId="99079" onClose={() => {}} />
+        </QueryClientProvider>
+      </StrictMode>,
+    );
+    const video = await waitFor(() => {
+      const v = document.querySelector("video");
+      expect(v?.getAttribute("src")).toBe("/api/plex/direct/99079");
+      return v!;
+    });
+    video.dispatchEvent(new Event("loadedmetadata"));
+    await waitFor(() => expect(played).toContain("/api/plex/direct/99079"));
+  });
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/PlexPlayer.tsx b/frontend/src/components/PlexPlayer.tsx
index 4d99f0bc..c6d5b564 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/PlexPlayer.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/PlexPlayer.tsx
@@ -428,7 +428,13 @@ export default function PlexPlayer({ itemId, onClose, queue }: Props) {
 
   // Full media teardown on unmount (Back): stop + detach the <video> and destroy hls, so a late
   // play() can't leave audio playing on a detached element after leaving the player.
+  //
+  // The setup half matters as much as the cleanup: React may run the cleanup and then MOUNT AGAIN
+  // (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).
   useEffect(() => {
+    aliveRef.current = true;
     return () => {
       aliveRef.current = false;
       if (hlsRef.current) {