diff --git a/apps/master-api/prisma/migrations/20260825050000_ensure_episode_still_url/migration.sql b/apps/master-api/prisma/migrations/20260825050000_ensure_episode_still_url/migration.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..68e7930
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/master-api/prisma/migrations/20260825050000_ensure_episode_still_url/migration.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+-- Ensure still_url exists even if earlier migrate state drifted
+ALTER TABLE "episodes" ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS "still_url" TEXT;
diff --git a/apps/master-api/src/app.ts b/apps/master-api/src/app.ts
index 0b3849e..074cee7 100644
--- a/apps/master-api/src/app.ts
+++ b/apps/master-api/src/app.ts
@@ -78,6 +78,15 @@ async function main() {
   nodeConnectionManager.init(config);
   await ensureAdminUser(config);
 
+  // Safety net if migrate history drifted — series meta must not 500.
+  try {
+    await prisma.$executeRawUnsafe(
+      `ALTER TABLE "episodes" ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS "still_url" TEXT`
+    );
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.warn("Could not ensure episodes.still_url:", err);
+  }
+
   const shutdown = async () => {
     console.log("Shutting down...");
     nodeConnectionManager.shutdown();
diff --git a/apps/master-api/src/stremio/routes.ts b/apps/master-api/src/stremio/routes.ts
index 2263b00..4be5b41 100644
--- a/apps/master-api/src/stremio/routes.ts
+++ b/apps/master-api/src/stremio/routes.ts
@@ -318,41 +318,27 @@ async function getMovieMeta(id: string) {
 }
 
 async function getSeriesMeta(id: string, metadata: MetadataService) {
-  const series = await prisma.series.findFirst({
-    where: {
-      OR: [{ imdbId: id }, { id: unwrapLocalId(id, "series") }],
-    },
-    include: {
-      seasons: {
-        include: {
-          episodes: {
-            orderBy: [{ seasonNumber: "asc" }, { episodeNumber: "asc" }],
-            include: { mediaFiles: { where: { available: true }, take: 1 } },
-          },
-        },
-        orderBy: { seasonNumber: "asc" },
-      },
-    },
-  });
+  const series = await loadSeriesForMeta(id);
   if (!series) return null;
 
-  // Enrich in background — never block or break episode listing on TMDB/DB issues.
+  // Enrich in background — never block or break episode listing.
   void metadata.enrichSeriesEpisodes(series.id).catch(() => undefined);
 
   const sid = seriesId(series.imdbId, series.id);
-  const videos = series.seasons.flatMap((season) =>
-    season.episodes
-      .filter((ep) => ep.mediaFiles.length > 0)
-      .map((ep) => ({
-        id: `${sid}:${ep.seasonNumber}:${ep.episodeNumber}`,
-        title: ep.title && !/^episode\s+\d+$/i.test(ep.title) ? ep.title : `Episode ${ep.episodeNumber}`,
-        season: ep.seasonNumber,
-        episode: ep.episodeNumber,
-        overview: ep.overview ?? undefined,
-        thumbnail: ep.stillUrl || undefined,
-        released: formatMetaDate(ep.airDate),
-      }))
-  );
+  const videos = series.episodes
+    .filter((ep) => ep.mediaFiles.length > 0)
+    .map((ep) => ({
+      id: `${sid}:${ep.seasonNumber}:${ep.episodeNumber}`,
+      title:
+        ep.title && !/^episode\s+\d+$/i.test(ep.title)
+          ? ep.title
+          : `Episode ${ep.episodeNumber}`,
+      season: ep.seasonNumber,
+      episode: ep.episodeNumber,
+      overview: ep.overview ?? undefined,
+      thumbnail: ep.stillUrl || undefined,
+      released: formatMetaDate(ep.airDate),
+    }));
 
   return {
     id: sid,
@@ -367,6 +353,115 @@ async function getSeriesMeta(id: string, metadata: MetadataService) {
   };
 }
 
+/** Load series + episodes without depending on optional still_url column. */
+async function loadSeriesForMeta(id: string): Promise<{
+  id: string;
+  title: string;
+  year: number | null;
+  overview: string | null;
+  posterUrl: string | null;
+  backdropUrl: string | null;
+  genres: string[];
+  imdbId: string | null;
+  episodes: Array<{
+    seasonNumber: number;
+    episodeNumber: number;
+    title: string | null;
+    overview: string | null;
+    airDate: Date | null;
+    stillUrl: string | null;
+    mediaFiles: Array<{ id: string }>;
+  }>;
+} | null> {
+  const where = {
+    OR: [{ imdbId: id }, { id: unwrapLocalId(id, "series") }],
+  };
+
+  const available = await querySeriesEpisodes(where, true);
+  if (available && available.episodes.some((ep) => ep.mediaFiles.length > 0)) {
+    return available;
+  }
+
+  // Fallback: list episodes that still have files even if marked unavailable
+  // (e.g. brief node disconnect), so Stremio is not empty.
+  const anyFiles = await querySeriesEpisodes(where, false);
+  return anyFiles ?? available;
+}
+
+async function querySeriesEpisodes(
+  where: { OR: Array<Record<string, string>> },
+  onlyAvailable: boolean
+) {
+  const mediaFilesArgs = onlyAvailable
+    ? { where: { available: true as const }, take: 1 as const, select: { id: true as const } }
+    : { take: 1 as const, select: { id: true as const } };
+
+  try {
+    const row = await prisma.series.findFirst({
+      where,
+      select: {
+        id: true,
+        title: true,
+        year: true,
+        overview: true,
+        posterUrl: true,
+        backdropUrl: true,
+        genres: true,
+        imdbId: true,
+        episodes: {
+          orderBy: [{ seasonNumber: "asc" as const }, { episodeNumber: "asc" as const }],
+          select: {
+            seasonNumber: true,
+            episodeNumber: true,
+            title: true,
+            overview: true,
+            airDate: true,
+            stillUrl: true,
+            mediaFiles: mediaFilesArgs,
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    if (row) return row;
+  } catch {
+    // still_url missing — retry without that field
+  }
+
+  try {
+    const row = await prisma.series.findFirst({
+      where,
+      select: {
+        id: true,
+        title: true,
+        year: true,
+        overview: true,
+        posterUrl: true,
+        backdropUrl: true,
+        genres: true,
+        imdbId: true,
+        episodes: {
+          orderBy: [{ seasonNumber: "asc" as const }, { episodeNumber: "asc" as const }],
+          select: {
+            seasonNumber: true,
+            episodeNumber: true,
+            title: true,
+            overview: true,
+            airDate: true,
+            mediaFiles: mediaFilesArgs,
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    if (!row) return null;
+    return {
+      ...row,
+      episodes: row.episodes.map((ep) => ({ ...ep, stillUrl: null as string | null })),
+    };
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
 function formatMetaDate(value: Date | null | undefined): string | undefined {
   if (!value) return undefined;
   const t = value.getTime();