diff --git a/changes/fix-jellyfin-overlay-toggle.md b/changes/fix-jellyfin-overlay-toggle.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..785cb4e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/fix-jellyfin-overlay-toggle.md
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+type: fixed
+area: jellyfin
+
+- Fixed Jellyfin `y-t` overlay hide so the plugin sends an explicit hide command when it knows the overlay is visible, avoiding overlay reloads and paused playback resumes.
diff --git a/plugin/subminer/process.lua b/plugin/subminer/process.lua
index 6afff0ce..18a8dd61 100644
--- a/plugin/subminer/process.lua
+++ b/plugin/subminer/process.lua
@@ -77,6 +77,20 @@ function M.create(ctx)
 		return DEFAULT_AUTO_PLAY_READY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS
 	end
 
+	local function record_visible_overlay_action(action)
+		if action == "show-visible-overlay" then
+			state.visible_overlay_requested = true
+			state.suppress_ready_overlay_restore = false
+		elseif action == "hide-visible-overlay" then
+			state.visible_overlay_requested = false
+		elseif action == "toggle-visible-overlay" and state.visible_overlay_requested ~= nil then
+			state.visible_overlay_requested = not state.visible_overlay_requested
+			if state.visible_overlay_requested then
+				state.suppress_ready_overlay_restore = false
+			end
+		end
+	end
+
 	local function normalize_socket_path(path)
 		if type(path) ~= "string" then
 			return nil
@@ -317,6 +331,7 @@ function M.create(ctx)
 	end
 
 	run_control_command_async = function(action, overrides, callback)
+		record_visible_overlay_action(action)
 		local args = build_command_args(action, overrides)
 		local command = build_subprocess_command(args)
 		subminer_log("debug", "process", "Control command: " .. table.concat(args, " "))
@@ -557,7 +572,8 @@ function M.create(ctx)
 		show_osd("Stopped")
 	end
 
-	local function hide_visible_overlay()
+	local function hide_visible_overlay(options)
+		options = options or {}
 		if not binary.ensure_binary_available() then
 			subminer_log("error", "binary", "SubMiner binary not found")
 			return
@@ -577,7 +593,9 @@ function M.create(ctx)
 			end
 		end)
 
-		disarm_auto_play_ready_gate()
+		disarm_auto_play_ready_gate({
+			resume_playback = options.resume_playback ~= false,
+		})
 	end
 
 	local function toggle_overlay()
@@ -586,6 +604,22 @@ function M.create(ctx)
 			show_osd("Error: binary not found")
 			return
 		end
+		if state.visible_overlay_requested == true then
+			state.suppress_ready_overlay_restore = true
+			hide_visible_overlay({ resume_playback = false })
+			return
+		end
+		if state.visible_overlay_requested == false then
+			state.suppress_ready_overlay_restore = false
+			disarm_auto_play_ready_gate({ resume_playback = false })
+			run_control_command_async("show-visible-overlay", nil, function(ok)
+				if not ok then
+					subminer_log("warn", "process", "Show-visible-overlay command failed")
+					show_osd("Toggle failed")
+				end
+			end)
+			return
+		end
 		state.suppress_ready_overlay_restore = true
 		disarm_auto_play_ready_gate({ resume_playback = false })
 
diff --git a/plugin/subminer/state.lua b/plugin/subminer/state.lua
index 7444e5ad..fd3b9d50 100644
--- a/plugin/subminer/state.lua
+++ b/plugin/subminer/state.lua
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ function M.new()
 		auto_play_ready_osd_timer = nil,
 		suppress_ready_overlay_restore = false,
 		force_ready_overlay_restore = false,
+		visible_overlay_requested = nil,
 		current_media_identity = nil,
 		pending_reload_media_identity = nil,
 		auto_start_retry_generation = 0,
diff --git a/scripts/test-plugin-start-gate.lua b/scripts/test-plugin-start-gate.lua
index d0b70b51..181d9d09 100644
--- a/scripts/test-plugin-start-gate.lua
+++ b/scripts/test-plugin-start-gate.lua
@@ -683,6 +683,55 @@ do
 	)
 end
 
+do
+	local recorded, err = run_plugin_scenario({
+		process_list = "",
+		option_overrides = {
+			binary_path = binary_path,
+			auto_start = "yes",
+			auto_start_visible_overlay = "yes",
+			auto_start_pause_until_ready = "yes",
+			socket_path = "/tmp/subminer-socket",
+		},
+		input_ipc_server = "/tmp/subminer-socket",
+		path = "/media/jellyfin-stream.m3u8",
+		media_title = "Jellyfin Episode",
+		paused = true,
+		files = {
+			[binary_path] = true,
+		},
+	})
+	assert_true(recorded ~= nil, "plugin failed to load for y-t hide visible overlay scenario: " .. tostring(err))
+	fire_event(recorded, "file-loaded")
+	local toggle_binding = nil
+	for _, candidate in ipairs(recorded.key_bindings) do
+		if candidate.name == "subminer-toggle" then
+			toggle_binding = candidate
+			break
+		end
+	end
+	assert_true(toggle_binding ~= nil, "y-t toggle binding should be registered")
+	toggle_binding.fn()
+	fire_event(recorded, "file-loaded")
+	recorded.script_messages["subminer-autoplay-ready"]()
+	assert_true(
+		count_control_calls(recorded.async_calls, "--hide-visible-overlay") == 1,
+		"y-t should hide the known visible overlay explicitly instead of app-side toggle"
+	)
+	assert_true(
+		count_control_calls(recorded.async_calls, "--toggle-visible-overlay") == 0,
+		"y-t should avoid app-side toggle when plugin knows the overlay is visible"
+	)
+	assert_true(
+		count_control_calls(recorded.async_calls, "--show-visible-overlay") == 1,
+		"manual y-t hide should suppress duplicate auto-start and ready-time visible overlay reassertion"
+	)
+	assert_true(
+		count_property_set(recorded.property_sets, "pause", false) == 0,
+		"manual y-t hide should not resume paused Jellyfin playback"
+	)
+end
+
 do
 	local recorded, err = run_plugin_scenario({
 		process_list = "",
@@ -1550,8 +1599,12 @@ do
 	assert_true(recorded.script_messages["subminer-toggle"] ~= nil, "subminer-toggle script message not registered")
 	recorded.script_messages["subminer-toggle"]()
 	assert_true(
-		count_control_calls(recorded.async_calls, "--toggle-visible-overlay") == 1,
-		"manual toggle should use explicit visible-overlay toggle command"
+		count_control_calls(recorded.async_calls, "--hide-visible-overlay") == 1,
+		"manual toggle-off should hide a known visible overlay explicitly"
+	)
+	assert_true(
+		count_control_calls(recorded.async_calls, "--toggle-visible-overlay") == 0,
+		"manual toggle-off should avoid app-side toggle when plugin knows the overlay is visible"
 	)
 	recorded.script_messages["subminer-autoplay-ready"]()
 	assert_true(
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/jellyfin-subtitle-preload.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/jellyfin-subtitle-preload.test.ts
index a0535778..df3e8f00 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/jellyfin-subtitle-preload.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/jellyfin-subtitle-preload.test.ts
@@ -333,12 +333,18 @@ test('preload jellyfin subtitles cleans previous cached subtitles before a new p
 
 test('preload jellyfin subtitles continues after cleanup failures', async () => {
   const commands: Array<Array<string | number>> = [];
+  const cleanupCalls: string[][] = [];
   const logs: string[] = [];
   let cleanupShouldFail = false;
   const preload = createPreloadJellyfinExternalSubtitlesHandler(
     makeDeps({
-      listJellyfinSubtitleTracks: async () => [
-        { index: 0, language: 'eng', title: 'English', deliveryUrl: 'https://sub/a.srt' },
+      listJellyfinSubtitleTracks: async (_session, _clientInfo, itemId) => [
+        {
+          index: itemId === 'item-1' ? 0 : 1,
+          language: 'eng',
+          title: 'English',
+          deliveryUrl: `https://sub/${itemId}.srt`,
+        },
       ],
       getMpvClient: () => ({ requestProperty: async () => [] }),
       cacheSubtitleTrack: async (track) => ({
@@ -346,7 +352,8 @@ test('preload jellyfin subtitles continues after cleanup failures', async () =>
         cleanupDir: `/tmp/subminer-jellyfin-subtitles-${track.index}`,
       }),
       sendMpvCommand: (command) => commands.push(command),
-      cleanupCachedSubtitles: () => {
+      cleanupCachedSubtitles: (dirs) => {
+        cleanupCalls.push(dirs);
         if (cleanupShouldFail) {
           throw new Error('cleanup failed');
         }
@@ -358,13 +365,19 @@ test('preload jellyfin subtitles continues after cleanup failures', async () =>
   await preload({ session, clientInfo, itemId: 'item-1' });
   cleanupShouldFail = true;
   await assert.doesNotReject(() => preload({ session, clientInfo, itemId: 'item-2' }));
+  cleanupShouldFail = false;
+  preload.cleanupCachedSubtitles();
 
   assert.deepEqual(logs, ['Failed to cleanup Jellyfin cached subtitles']);
+  assert.deepEqual(cleanupCalls, [
+    ['/tmp/subminer-jellyfin-subtitles-0'],
+    ['/tmp/subminer-jellyfin-subtitles-0', '/tmp/subminer-jellyfin-subtitles-1'],
+  ]);
   assert.deepEqual(
     commands.filter((command) => command[0] === 'sub-add'),
     [
       ['sub-add', '/tmp/subminer-jellyfin-subtitles-0/track.srt', 'auto', 'English', 'eng'],
-      ['sub-add', '/tmp/subminer-jellyfin-subtitles-0/track.srt', 'auto', 'English', 'eng'],
+      ['sub-add', '/tmp/subminer-jellyfin-subtitles-1/track.srt', 'auto', 'English', 'eng'],
     ],
   );
 });
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/jellyfin-subtitle-preload.ts b/src/main/runtime/jellyfin-subtitle-preload.ts
index c8cd9586..933cbec7 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/jellyfin-subtitle-preload.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/jellyfin-subtitle-preload.ts
@@ -235,9 +235,11 @@ export function createPreloadJellyfinExternalSubtitlesHandler(deps: {
 
   function cleanupActiveCache(): void {
     const dirs = [...activeCacheDirs];
-    activeCacheDirs.clear();
     if (dirs.length === 0) return;
     deps.cleanupCachedSubtitles(dirs);
+    for (const dir of dirs) {
+      activeCacheDirs.delete(dir);
+    }
   }
 
   const runPreload = async (params: {