diff --git a/backend/services/ytdlp.py b/backend/services/ytdlp.py
index 1e2f645..90e3320 100644
--- a/backend/services/ytdlp.py
+++ b/backend/services/ytdlp.py
@@ -55,10 +55,25 @@ _meta_lock = threading.Lock()
 _meta_last_call: float = 0.0
 _META_MIN_GAP = 5.0   # seconds between any two metadata requests
 
+# Active download counter — _meta_run pauses while any download is running so
+# background discovery and a concurrent download never share the YouTube session
+# at the same time. Downloads set/clear this; _meta_run reads it.
+_active_downloads: int = 0
+_active_downloads_lock = threading.Lock()
+
 
 def _meta_run(args: list[str], timeout: int = 60) -> tuple[str, str, int]:
     global _meta_last_call
     with _meta_lock:
+        # Pause background metadata calls while a download is active.
+        # Running both concurrently causes YouTube to see two requests from the
+        # same session simultaneously, which triggers cookie invalidation.
+        while True:
+            with _active_downloads_lock:
+                if _active_downloads == 0:
+                    break
+            time.sleep(3)
+
         now = time.monotonic()
         wait = _META_MIN_GAP - (now - _meta_last_call)
         if wait > 0:
@@ -884,63 +899,71 @@ def start_download(
     )
 
     def _run_download():
-        with _SEMAPHORE:
-            cookie_args = _cookie_args()
-            print(f"[ytdlp] cookie_args={cookie_args!r}", flush=True)
-            cmd = [
-                "yt-dlp", url,
-                "-f", fmt,
-                "--merge-output-format", "mp4",
-                "--no-part", "--no-mtime",
-                "-o", output_template,
-                "--newline", "--progress", "--no-colors",
-                *subtitle_args,
-                *cookie_args,
-            ]
-            # Private cookie copy — download runs for minutes; without this,
-            # concurrent metadata calls would write-back to the same cookie file
-            # and corrupt the session.
-            cmd, tmp_cookie_path = _make_private_cookie_copy(cmd)
-            try:
-                process = subprocess.Popen(
-                    cmd,
-                    stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
-                    stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
-                    text=True,
-                )
-                file_path = None
-                stream_index = 0
-                output_lines: list[str] = []
-                for line in process.stdout:
-                    line = line.strip()
-                    output_lines.append(line)
-                    if re.search(r"\[download\] Destination:", line):
-                        stream_index += 1
-                    m = re.search(r"\[download\]\s+([\d.]+)%", line)
-                    if m:
-                        pct = float(m.group(1))
-                        scaled = pct * 0.85 if stream_index <= 1 else 85.0 + pct * 0.10
-                        on_progress(download_id, min(scaled, 95.0))
-                    m2 = re.search(r"\[(?:download|Merger)\] Destination: (.+)", line)
-                    if m2:
-                        file_path = m2.group(1).strip()
+        global _active_downloads
+        # Signal to _meta_run that a download is active so it pauses all
+        # background discovery/metadata calls for the duration. Running both
+        # concurrently causes YouTube to see the same session used simultaneously
+        # and invalidates cookies.
+        with _active_downloads_lock:
+            _active_downloads += 1
+        try:
+            with _SEMAPHORE:
+                cookie_args = _cookie_args()
+                print(f"[ytdlp] cookie_args={cookie_args!r}", flush=True)
+                cmd = [
+                    "yt-dlp", url,
+                    "-f", fmt,
+                    "--merge-output-format", "mp4",
+                    "--no-part", "--no-mtime",
+                    "-o", output_template,
+                    "--newline", "--progress", "--no-colors",
+                    *subtitle_args,
+                    *cookie_args,
+                ]
+                cmd, tmp_cookie_path = _make_private_cookie_copy(cmd)
+                try:
+                    process = subprocess.Popen(
+                        cmd,
+                        stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+                        stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
+                        text=True,
+                    )
+                    file_path = None
+                    stream_index = 0
+                    output_lines: list[str] = []
+                    for line in process.stdout:
+                        line = line.strip()
+                        output_lines.append(line)
+                        if re.search(r"\[download\] Destination:", line):
+                            stream_index += 1
+                        m = re.search(r"\[download\]\s+([\d.]+)%", line)
+                        if m:
+                            pct = float(m.group(1))
+                            scaled = pct * 0.85 if stream_index <= 1 else 85.0 + pct * 0.10
+                            on_progress(download_id, min(scaled, 95.0))
+                        m2 = re.search(r"\[(?:download|Merger)\] Destination: (.+)", line)
+                        if m2:
+                            file_path = m2.group(1).strip()
 
-                process.wait()
-                if process.returncode == 0:
-                    _strip_vtt_cue_settings(video_id)
-                    resolution = detect_resolution(file_path) if file_path else None
-                    on_complete(download_id, file_path, resolution)
-                else:
-                    tail = "\n".join(output_lines[-20:]) if output_lines else "(no output)"
-                    import logging
-                    logging.getLogger(__name__).error("yt-dlp failed (code %d):\n%s", process.returncode, tail)
-                    on_error(download_id, f"yt-dlp exited with code {process.returncode}:\n{tail}")
-            finally:
-                if tmp_cookie_path:
-                    try:
-                        os.unlink(tmp_cookie_path)
-                    except Exception:
-                        pass
+                    process.wait()
+                    if process.returncode == 0:
+                        _strip_vtt_cue_settings(video_id)
+                        resolution = detect_resolution(file_path) if file_path else None
+                        on_complete(download_id, file_path, resolution)
+                    else:
+                        tail = "\n".join(output_lines[-20:]) if output_lines else "(no output)"
+                        import logging
+                        logging.getLogger(__name__).error("yt-dlp failed (code %d):\n%s", process.returncode, tail)
+                        on_error(download_id, f"yt-dlp exited with code {process.returncode}:\n{tail}")
+                finally:
+                    if tmp_cookie_path:
+                        try:
+                            os.unlink(tmp_cookie_path)
+                        except Exception:
+                            pass
+        finally:
+            with _active_downloads_lock:
+                _active_downloads -= 1
 
     thread = threading.Thread(target=_run_download, daemon=True)
     thread.start()