diff --git a/components/player/Player.vue b/components/player/Player.vue
index d2bb06e0..de10ecc5 100644
--- a/components/player/Player.vue
+++ b/components/player/Player.vue
@@ -2,11 +2,11 @@
   <section v-show="!nowPlayingOpen" class="radio-player-dock fixed inset-x-0 bottom-0 z-[60] border-t border-[var(--radio-border)] bg-[var(--radio-surface-elevated)] shadow-[0_-12px_40px_-28px_rgba(15,23,42,0.4)]" :class="{ 'hidden': playerMini }" :aria-label="$t('player.title')">
     <div class="radio-player-inner mx-auto max-w-[1920px] px-3 sm:px-6">
       <div v-if="playerStatusVisible" class="sr-only" aria-live="polite">
-        <template v-if="streamError">
+        <span v-if="!online">{{ $t('text.offline') }}</span>
+        <template v-else-if="streamError">
           <span class="truncate text-rose-500">{{ $t('alert.stream_error') }}</span>
           <UButton size="xs" variant="link" class="shrink-0 p-0 text-[10px]" @click="retryCurrentSource">{{ $t('player.retry') }}</UButton>
         </template>
-        <span v-else-if="!online">{{ $t('text.offline') }}</span>
         <span v-else-if="waiting" class="inline-flex items-center gap-1.5"><span class="h-1 w-1 animate-pulse rounded-full bg-rose-500"></span>{{ $t('player.connecting') }}</span>
         <span v-else-if="!hasPlayableSource">{{ $t('player.choose_station') }}</span>
         <span v-if="sleepRemaining" class="shrink-0 tabular-nums">· {{ $t('player.sleep_remaining', { minutes: sleepRemaining }) }}</span>
@@ -259,8 +259,8 @@ const favoriteActive = computed(() => listening.library.favorites.some((item: {
 const toggleFavorite = () => { if (playback.station) listening.toggleFavorite(playback.station); };
 const { t } = useI18n();
 const nowPlayingOpen = ref(false);
-const playerStatus = computed(() => t(streamError.value ? 'alert.stream_error' : !online.value ? 'text.offline' : waiting.value ? 'player.connecting' : playing.value ? 'player.on_air' : 'redesign.paused'));
-const liveStateLabel = computed(() => t(streamError.value ? 'alert.stream_error' : !online.value ? 'text.offline' : waiting.value ? 'player.connecting' : playing.value ? 'player.on_air' : 'player.ready'));
+const playerStatus = computed(() => t(!online.value ? 'text.offline' : streamError.value ? 'alert.stream_error' : waiting.value ? 'player.connecting' : playing.value ? 'player.on_air' : 'redesign.paused'));
+const liveStateLabel = computed(() => t(!online.value ? 'text.offline' : streamError.value ? 'alert.stream_error' : waiting.value ? 'player.connecting' : playing.value ? 'player.on_air' : 'player.ready'));
 const liveStateClass = computed(() => {
   if (streamError.value) return "bg-red-500/10 text-red-700 dark:text-red-300";
   if (!online.value || !hasPlayableSource.value) return "bg-[var(--radio-surface-soft)] text-[var(--radio-text-muted)]";
@@ -314,6 +314,7 @@ const activeSourceIndex = ref(0);
 const pendingAutoPlay = ref(false);
 const userPaused = ref(true);
 const attemptCount = ref(0);
+const AUDIO_PREFERENCES_KEY = "radio:audio-preferences:v1";
 const volume = ref(1);
 const muted = ref(false);
 // iOS browsers reserve playback volume for the hardware/system controls.
@@ -1093,12 +1094,18 @@ const onMediaPlaying = (): void => {
 
 const onMediaWaiting = (): void => {
   stopListeningDuration();
+  playing.value = false;
   if (!userPaused.value) {
     waiting.value = true;
     startFallbackProbe();
   }
 };
 
+// stalled describes network delivery; buffered audio may still be playing.
+const onMediaStalled = (): void => {
+  if ((mediaElement.value?.readyState ?? 0) < 3) onMediaWaiting();
+};
+
 const onMediaPause = (): void => {
   stopListeningDuration();
   playing.value = false;
@@ -1129,6 +1136,9 @@ const onVolumeChange = (): void => {
   if (!media) return;
   volume.value = media.volume;
   muted.value = media.muted;
+  try {
+    localStorage.setItem(AUDIO_PREFERENCES_KEY, JSON.stringify({ volume: media.volume, muted: media.muted }));
+  } catch { /* Storage restrictions must not interrupt audio. */ }
 };
 
 const bindMediaEvents = (): void => {
@@ -1138,7 +1148,7 @@ const bindMediaEvents = (): void => {
   media.addEventListener("canplay", onMediaCanPlay);
   media.addEventListener("playing", onMediaPlaying);
   media.addEventListener("waiting", onMediaWaiting);
-  media.addEventListener("stalled", onMediaWaiting);
+  media.addEventListener("stalled", onMediaStalled);
   media.addEventListener("pause", onMediaPause);
   media.addEventListener("ended", onMediaEnded);
   media.addEventListener("error", onMediaError);
@@ -1152,7 +1162,7 @@ const unbindMediaEvents = (): void => {
   media.removeEventListener("canplay", onMediaCanPlay);
   media.removeEventListener("playing", onMediaPlaying);
   media.removeEventListener("waiting", onMediaWaiting);
-  media.removeEventListener("stalled", onMediaWaiting);
+  media.removeEventListener("stalled", onMediaStalled);
   media.removeEventListener("pause", onMediaPause);
   media.removeEventListener("ended", onMediaEnded);
   media.removeEventListener("error", onMediaError);
@@ -1256,6 +1266,18 @@ onMounted(() => {
   window.addEventListener("resize", updateViewport);
   online.value = navigator.onLine;
 
+  // Restore before binding volumechange so partial restoration cannot overwrite preferences.
+  const savedMedia = mediaElement.value;
+  if (savedMedia) {
+    try {
+      const saved = JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem(AUDIO_PREFERENCES_KEY) || 'null');
+      if (saved && typeof saved.muted === 'boolean') savedMedia.muted = saved.muted;
+      if (!systemVolumeOnly.value && typeof saved?.volume === 'number'
+        && Number.isFinite(saved.volume) && saved.volume >= 0 && saved.volume <= 1) {
+        savedMedia.volume = saved.volume;
+      }
+    } catch { /* Ignore malformed or unavailable preferences. */ }
+  }
   bindMediaEvents();
   registerMediaSession();
   updateMediaSession();
diff --git a/composables/useStationRealtime.ts b/composables/useStationRealtime.ts
index 7c9e1d5b..33f5195d 100644
--- a/composables/useStationRealtime.ts
+++ b/composables/useStationRealtime.ts
@@ -23,14 +23,23 @@ export function useStationRealtime() {
   const scheduleIsReference = computed(() => Boolean(referenceSchedule.value));
   const timestampUrl = (url: string) => /[?&](?:time|timestamp)=$/i.test(url) ? `${url}${Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000)}` : url;
 
+  const lyricCache = new Map<string, string[]>();
   const fetchLyric = async (id: string, signal: AbortSignal): Promise<string[]> => {
     if (!import.meta.client) return [];
+    if (lyricCache.has(id)) return lyricCache.get(id)!;
     if (!config.public.apiZingGetLyric) return [t('panel.no_lyric')];
     try {
       const result = await $fetch<{ err: number; data?: { sentences?: { words: { data: string }[] }[] } }>(
         `${config.public.apiZingGetLyric}${id}&time=${Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000)}`, { signal, timeout: 10_000 },
       );
-      if (result.err === 0 && result.data?.sentences?.length) return result.data.sentences.map(s => s.words.map(w => w.data).join(' '));
+      if (result.err === 0 && result.data?.sentences?.length) {
+        const lines = result.data.sentences.map(s => s.words.map(w => w.data).join(' '));
+        if (!signal.aborted) {
+          if (lyricCache.size >= 20) lyricCache.delete(lyricCache.keys().next().value!);
+          lyricCache.set(id, lines);
+        }
+        return lines;
+      }
     } catch (error) {
       if (signal.aborted) throw error;
     }
@@ -63,6 +72,8 @@ export function useStationRealtime() {
 
   const polling = createStationPolling({
     load: fetchSchedule,
+    // Keep metadata fresh for background playback and visible schedule browsing.
+    shouldPoll: () => navigator.onLine && (!document.hidden || playback.playing || playback.waiting),
     onData: (value: RealtimeData | undefined) => {
       if (!value) return;
       program.value = value.program;
diff --git a/docs/PROJECT_CONTEXT.md b/docs/PROJECT_CONTEXT.md
index 5d8ea9b8..a9f58779 100644
--- a/docs/PROJECT_CONTEXT.md
+++ b/docs/PROJECT_CONTEXT.md
@@ -639,3 +639,9 @@ branch commit before generating or publishing files. The next current run
 performs the normal checks. An active upload/deploy finishes before the next
 workflow starts. Previously dispatched runs retain their old concurrency
 configuration until completion.
+
+## Playback reliability follow-up (2026-10-18)
+
+- `waiting` clears actual-playing state; only the media `playing` event restores it. Network `stalled` must not clear playing when readyState still has future buffered data.
+- Volume/mute preferences use `radio:audio-preferences:v1`, restored before volume listeners, with guarded storage and range validation. iOS system volume is never assigned programmatically. Preferences never authorize autoplay.
+- Metadata polling skips offline and hidden idle sessions, but continues for visible schedules and background playback. Successful lyrics are cached by media ID (20 entries); failed requests remain retryable.
diff --git a/tests/player-buffering-state.test.mjs b/tests/player-buffering-state.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..35968d1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/player-buffering-state.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import test from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+const source = readFileSync(new URL('../components/player/Player.vue', import.meta.url), 'utf8');
+function handler(name, context) {
+  const body = source.match(new RegExp(`const ${name} = \\(\\): void => \\{([\\s\\S]*?)\\n\\};`))?.[1];
+  assert.ok(body, `missing ${name}`);
+  return new Function(...Object.keys(context), body).bind(null, ...Object.values(context));
+}
+test('waiting clears actual-playing state and starts bounded recovery only with play intent', () => {
+  let stops = 0, probes = 0;
+  const playing = { value: true }, waiting = { value: false }, userPaused = { value: false };
+  const run = handler('onMediaWaiting', { playing, waiting, userPaused,
+    stopListeningDuration: () => stops++, startFallbackProbe: () => probes++ });
+  run();
+  assert.equal(playing.value, false);
+  assert.equal(waiting.value, true);
+  assert.equal(stops, 1);
+  assert.equal(probes, 1);
+  userPaused.value = true;
+  waiting.value = false;
+  run();
+  assert.equal(waiting.value, false);
+  assert.equal(probes, 1);
+});
+test('network stall preserves buffered playback and only recovers when data runs out', () => {
+  let waits = 0;
+  const mediaElement = { value: { readyState: 4 } };
+  const run = handler('onMediaStalled', { mediaElement, onMediaWaiting: () => waits++ });
+  run();
+  assert.equal(waits, 0);
+  mediaElement.value.readyState = 2;
+  run();
+  assert.equal(waits, 1);
+});
diff --git a/tests/station-polling.test.mjs b/tests/station-polling.test.mjs
index 99376341..a1d357a3 100644
--- a/tests/station-polling.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/station-polling.test.mjs
@@ -72,3 +72,22 @@ test('catalog activation preserves explicit proxy sources and ignores invalid le
     ['https://example/live.m3u8', false], ['https://proxy/https://example/backup.mp3', true],
   ]);
 });
+
+test('suspended polling makes no request and resumes without losing its station', async () => {
+  let allowed = false;
+  let callback;
+  const calls = [];
+  const polling = createStationPolling({
+    shouldPoll: () => allowed,
+    load: async url => { calls.push(url); return url; },
+    onData: () => {}, onLoading: () => {},
+    setTimer: fn => { callback = fn; return 1; }, clearTimer: () => {},
+  });
+  polling.start('current-station');
+  await tick();
+  assert.deepEqual(calls, []);
+  allowed = true;
+  await callback();
+  assert.deepEqual(calls, ['current-station']);
+  polling.stop();
+});
diff --git a/utils/station-polling.mjs b/utils/station-polling.mjs
index 3516fef6..f23e3f91 100644
--- a/utils/station-polling.mjs
+++ b/utils/station-polling.mjs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // A polling lifetime follows the selected station, independent of the route.
 // Abort saves work; the generation check also protects against providers that
 // complete a request even after it has been aborted.
-export function createStationPolling({ load, onData, onError, onLoading, interval = 60_000, setTimer = setTimeout, clearTimer = clearTimeout }) {
+export function createStationPolling({ load, onData, onError, onLoading, interval = 60_000, shouldPoll = () => true, setTimer = setTimeout, clearTimer = clearTimeout }) {
   let generation = 0;
   let timer;
   let controller;
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ export function createStationPolling({ load, onData, onError, onLoading, interva
 
     const poll = async () => {
       try {
+        if (!shouldPoll()) return;
         const data = await load(url, signal);
         if (version !== generation || signal.aborted) return;
         onData(data);