diff --git a/Jellyfin.Plugin.MediaBarEnhanced/Web/mediaBarEnhanced.js b/Jellyfin.Plugin.MediaBarEnhanced/Web/mediaBarEnhanced.js
index 0384813..2faf690 100644
--- a/Jellyfin.Plugin.MediaBarEnhanced/Web/mediaBarEnhanced.js
+++ b/Jellyfin.Plugin.MediaBarEnhanced/Web/mediaBarEnhanced.js
@@ -1749,8 +1749,8 @@ const SlideCreator = {
           // Fetch SponsorBlock data
           ApiUtils.fetchSponsorBlockData(videoId).then(segments => {
             const playerVars = {
-              autoplay: 0,
-              mute: STATE.slideshow.isMuted ? 1 : 0,
+              autoplay: 1,
+              mute: 1, // need to be muted for Safari, because apple makes life difficult...
               controls: 0,
               disablekb: 1,
               fs: 0,
@@ -1808,9 +1808,8 @@ const SlideCreator = {
                   // Store reference to wrapper for fading
                   event.target._wrapperDiv = videoBackdrop;
 
-                  if (STATE.slideshow.isMuted) {
-                    event.target.mute();
-                  } else {
+                  // Unmute now if user wants sound.
+                  if (!STATE.slideshow.isMuted) {
                     event.target.unMute();
                     event.target.setVolume(40);
                   }
@@ -1819,28 +1818,34 @@ const SlideCreator = {
                     event.target.setPlaybackQuality(quality);
                   }
 
-                  // Only play if this is the active slide
+                  // Stop playback if slide was navigated away from
                   const slide = document.querySelector(`.slide[data-item-id="${itemId}"]`);
                   const isVideoPlayerOpen = document.querySelector('.videoPlayerContainer') || document.querySelector('.youtubePlayerContainer');
 
-                  if (slide && slide.classList.contains('active') && !document.hidden && (!isVideoPlayerOpen || isVideoPlayerOpen.classList.contains('hide'))) {
-                    event.target.playVideo();
-                    
-                    // Check if it actually started playing after a short delay (handling autoplay blocks)
+                  if (!slide || !slide.classList.contains('active') || document.hidden || (isVideoPlayerOpen && !isVideoPlayerOpen.classList.contains('hide'))) {
+                    event.target.stopVideo();
+                  } else {
+                    // Pause slideshow timer when video starts if configured
+                    if (CONFIG.waitForTrailerToEnd && STATE.slideshow.slideInterval) {
+                      STATE.slideshow.slideInterval.stop();
+                    }
+
+                    // Safety check after 1s: handle navigation-away during the window,
+                    // and fallback to muted play if autoplay failed for any reason.
                     const timeoutId = setTimeout(() => {
-                      // Re-check conditions before processing fallback
                       const isVideoPlayerOpenNow = document.querySelector('.videoPlayerContainer') || document.querySelector('.youtubePlayerContainer');
                       if (document.hidden || (isVideoPlayerOpenNow && !isVideoPlayerOpenNow.classList.contains('hide')) || !slide.classList.contains('active')) {
-                          console.log(`Navigation detected during autoplay check for ${itemId}, stopping video.`);
-                          try {
-                            event.target.stopVideo();
-                          } catch (e) { console.warn("Error stopping video in timeout:", e); }
-                          return;
+                        console.log(`Navigation detected during autoplay check for ${itemId}, stopping video.`);
+                        try {
+                          event.target.stopVideo();
+                        } catch (e) { console.warn("Error stopping video:", e); }
+                        return;
                       }
 
-                      if (event.target.getPlayerState() !== YT.PlayerState.PLAYING &&
-                        event.target.getPlayerState() !== YT.PlayerState.BUFFERING) {
-                        console.warn(`Autoplay blocked for ${itemId}, attempting muted fallback`);
+                      // If somehow not playing/buffering yet, force muted fallback
+                      const state = event.target.getPlayerState();
+                      if (state !== YT.PlayerState.PLAYING && state !== YT.PlayerState.BUFFERING) {
+                        console.warn(`Autoplay stalled for ${itemId}, attempting muted fallback`);
                         event.target.mute();
                         event.target.playVideo();
                       }
@@ -1848,11 +1853,6 @@ const SlideCreator = {
 
                     if (!STATE.slideshow.autoplayTimeouts) STATE.slideshow.autoplayTimeouts = [];
                     STATE.slideshow.autoplayTimeouts.push(timeoutId);
-
-                    // Pause slideshow timer when video starts if configured
-                    if (CONFIG.waitForTrailerToEnd && STATE.slideshow.slideInterval) {
-                      STATE.slideshow.slideInterval.stop();
-                    }
                   }
                 },
                 'onStateChange': (event) => {
@@ -1896,6 +1896,7 @@ const SlideCreator = {
         };
 
         videoAttributes.muted = "";
+        videoAttributes.playsinline = ""; // again Safari needs extra treatment...
 
         videoBackdrop = SlideUtils.createElement("video", videoAttributes);
         videoBackdrop.volume = 0.4;
@@ -2468,6 +2469,7 @@ const SlideshowManager = {
           const lazySrc = videoBackdrop.getAttribute('data-src');
           if (lazySrc && !videoBackdrop.src) {
             videoBackdrop.src = lazySrc;
+            videoBackdrop.load();
           }
 
           videoBackdrop.currentTime = 0;
@@ -2491,17 +2493,21 @@ const SlideshowManager = {
           const player = STATE.slideshow.videoPlayers[currentItemId];
           if (player && typeof player.loadVideoById === 'function' && player._videoId) {
             // Use loadVideoById to enforce start and end times
+            // load always starts muted first, then unmute if needed
             player.loadVideoById({
               videoId: player._videoId,
               startSeconds: player._startTime || 0,
               endSeconds: player._endTime
             });
-
-            if (STATE.slideshow.isMuted) {
-              player.mute();
-            } else {
-              player.unMute();
-              player.setVolume(40);
+            player.mute();
+            if (!STATE.slideshow.isMuted) {
+              setTimeout(() => {
+                // Only unmute if still on the same slide
+                if (currentSlide.classList.contains('active')) {
+                  player.unMute();
+                  player.setVolume(40);
+                }
+              }, 600);
             }
 
             // Check if playback successfully started, otherwise fallback to muted