diff --git a/docs/jellyfin-integration.md b/docs/jellyfin-integration.md
index 6073435..15cbddb 100644
--- a/docs/jellyfin-integration.md
+++ b/docs/jellyfin-integration.md
@@ -60,12 +60,18 @@ Launcher wrapper equivalent for interactive playback flow:
 subminer jellyfin -p
 ```
 
-Launcher wrapper for Jellyfin cast discovery mode (foreground app process):
+Launcher wrapper for Jellyfin cast discovery mode (background app + tray):
 
 ```bash
 subminer jellyfin -d
 ```
 
+Stop discovery session/app:
+
+```bash
+subminer app --stop
+```
+
 `subminer jf ...` is an alias for `subminer jellyfin ...`.
 
 To clear saved session credentials:
@@ -80,6 +86,17 @@ subminer jellyfin --logout
 SubMiner.AppImage --jellyfin-items --jellyfin-library-id LIBRARY_ID --jellyfin-search term
 ```
 
+Optional listing controls:
+
+- `--jellyfin-recursive=true|false` (default: true)
+- `--jellyfin-include-item-types=Series,Season,Folder,CollectionFolder,Movie,...`
+
+These are used by the launcher picker flow to:
+
+- keep root search focused on shows/folders/movies (exclude episode rows)
+- browse selected anime/show directories as folder-or-file lists
+- recurse for playable files only after selecting a folder
+
 5. Start playback:
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/launcher/jellyfin.ts b/launcher/jellyfin.ts
index e1d0a04..7ab7e6d 100644
--- a/launcher/jellyfin.ts
+++ b/launcher/jellyfin.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import path from 'node:path';
 import fs from 'node:fs';
+import os from 'node:os';
 import { spawnSync } from 'node:child_process';
 import type {
   Args,
@@ -8,8 +9,8 @@ import type {
   JellyfinItemEntry,
   JellyfinGroupEntry,
 } from './types.js';
-import { log, fail } from './log.js';
-import { commandExists, resolvePathMaybe } from './util.js';
+import { log, fail, getMpvLogPath } from './log.js';
+import { commandExists, resolvePathMaybe, sleep } from './util.js';
 import {
   pickLibrary,
   pickItem,
@@ -18,12 +19,17 @@ import {
   findRofiTheme,
 } from './picker.js';
 import { loadLauncherJellyfinConfig } from './config.js';
+import { resolveLauncherMainConfigPath } from './config/shared-config-reader.js';
 import {
   runAppCommandWithInheritLogged,
+  runAppCommandCaptureOutput,
+  launchAppStartDetached,
   launchMpvIdleDetached,
   waitForUnixSocketReady,
 } from './mpv.js';
 
+const ANSI_ESCAPE_PATTERN = /\u001b\[[0-9;]*m/g;
+
 export function sanitizeServerUrl(value: string): string {
   return value.trim().replace(/\/+$/, '');
 }
@@ -114,6 +120,591 @@ export function formatJellyfinItemDisplay(item: Record<string, unknown>): string
   return `${name} (${type})`;
 }
 
+function stripAnsi(value: string): string {
+  return value.replace(ANSI_ESCAPE_PATTERN, '');
+}
+
+function parseNamedJellyfinRecord(payload: string): {
+  name: string;
+  id: string;
+  type: string;
+} | null {
+  const typeClose = payload.lastIndexOf(')');
+  if (typeClose !== payload.length - 1) return null;
+
+  const typeOpen = payload.lastIndexOf(' (');
+  if (typeOpen <= 0 || typeOpen >= typeClose) return null;
+
+  const idClose = payload.lastIndexOf(']', typeOpen);
+  if (idClose <= 0) return null;
+
+  const idOpen = payload.lastIndexOf(' [', idClose);
+  if (idOpen <= 0 || idOpen >= idClose) return null;
+
+  const name = payload.slice(0, idOpen).trim();
+  const id = payload.slice(idOpen + 2, idClose).trim();
+  const type = payload.slice(typeOpen + 2, typeClose).trim();
+  if (!name || !id || !type) return null;
+
+  return { name, id, type };
+}
+
+export function parseJellyfinLibrariesFromAppOutput(output: string): JellyfinLibraryEntry[] {
+  const libraries: JellyfinLibraryEntry[] = [];
+  const seenIds = new Set<string>();
+
+  for (const rawLine of output.split(/\r?\n/)) {
+    const line = stripAnsi(rawLine);
+    const markerIndex = line.indexOf('Jellyfin library:');
+    if (markerIndex < 0) continue;
+    const payload = line.slice(markerIndex + 'Jellyfin library:'.length).trim();
+    const parsed = parseNamedJellyfinRecord(payload);
+    if (!parsed || seenIds.has(parsed.id)) continue;
+    seenIds.add(parsed.id);
+    libraries.push({
+      id: parsed.id,
+      name: parsed.name,
+      kind: parsed.type,
+    });
+  }
+
+  return libraries;
+}
+
+export function parseJellyfinItemsFromAppOutput(output: string): JellyfinItemEntry[] {
+  const items: JellyfinItemEntry[] = [];
+  const seenIds = new Set<string>();
+
+  for (const rawLine of output.split(/\r?\n/)) {
+    const line = stripAnsi(rawLine);
+    const markerIndex = line.indexOf('Jellyfin item:');
+    if (markerIndex < 0) continue;
+    const payload = line.slice(markerIndex + 'Jellyfin item:'.length).trim();
+    const parsed = parseNamedJellyfinRecord(payload);
+    if (!parsed || seenIds.has(parsed.id)) continue;
+    seenIds.add(parsed.id);
+    items.push({
+      id: parsed.id,
+      name: parsed.name,
+      type: parsed.type,
+      display: parsed.name,
+    });
+  }
+
+  return items;
+}
+
+export function parseJellyfinErrorFromAppOutput(output: string): string {
+  const lines = output.split(/\r?\n/).map((line) => stripAnsi(line).trim());
+  for (let i = lines.length - 1; i >= 0; i -= 1) {
+    const line = lines[i];
+    if (!line) continue;
+
+    const bracketedErrorIndex = line.indexOf('[ERROR]');
+    if (bracketedErrorIndex >= 0) {
+      const message = line.slice(bracketedErrorIndex + '[ERROR]'.length).trim();
+      if (message.length > 0) return message;
+    }
+
+    const mainErrorIndex = line.indexOf(' - ERROR - ');
+    if (mainErrorIndex >= 0) {
+      const message = line.slice(mainErrorIndex + ' - ERROR - '.length).trim();
+      if (message.length > 0) return message;
+    }
+
+    if (line.includes('Missing Jellyfin session')) {
+      return 'Missing Jellyfin session. Run `subminer jellyfin -l` to log in again.';
+    }
+  }
+  return '';
+}
+
+type JellyfinPreviewAuthResponse = {
+  serverUrl: string;
+  accessToken: string;
+  userId: string;
+};
+
+export function parseJellyfinPreviewAuthResponse(raw: string): JellyfinPreviewAuthResponse | null {
+  if (!raw || raw.trim().length === 0) return null;
+  let parsed: unknown;
+  try {
+    parsed = JSON.parse(raw);
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+  if (!parsed || typeof parsed !== 'object') return null;
+
+  const candidate = parsed as Record<string, unknown>;
+  const serverUrl = sanitizeServerUrl(
+    typeof candidate.serverUrl === 'string' ? candidate.serverUrl : '',
+  );
+  const accessToken =
+    typeof candidate.accessToken === 'string' ? candidate.accessToken.trim() : '';
+  const userId = typeof candidate.userId === 'string' ? candidate.userId.trim() : '';
+  if (!serverUrl || !accessToken) return null;
+
+  return {
+    serverUrl,
+    accessToken,
+    userId,
+  };
+}
+
+export function shouldRetryWithStartForNoRunningInstance(errorMessage: string): boolean {
+  return errorMessage.includes('No running instance. Use --start to launch the app.');
+}
+
+export function deriveJellyfinTokenStorePath(configPath: string): string {
+  return path.join(path.dirname(configPath), 'jellyfin-token-store.json');
+}
+
+export function hasStoredJellyfinSession(
+  configPath: string,
+  exists: (candidate: string) => boolean = fs.existsSync,
+): boolean {
+  return exists(deriveJellyfinTokenStorePath(configPath));
+}
+
+export function readUtf8FileAppendedSince(logPath: string, offsetBytes: number): string {
+  try {
+    const buffer = fs.readFileSync(logPath);
+    if (buffer.length === 0) return '';
+    const normalizedOffset =
+      Number.isFinite(offsetBytes) && offsetBytes >= 0
+        ? Math.floor(offsetBytes)
+        : 0;
+    const startOffset = normalizedOffset > buffer.length ? 0 : normalizedOffset;
+    return buffer.subarray(startOffset).toString('utf8');
+  } catch {
+    return '';
+  }
+}
+
+export function parseEpisodePathFromDisplay(
+  display: string,
+): { seriesName: string; seasonNumber: number } | null {
+  const normalized = display.trim().replace(/\s+/g, ' ');
+  const match = normalized.match(/^(.*?)\s+S(\d{1,2})E\d{1,3}\b/i);
+  if (!match) return null;
+  const seriesName = match[1].trim();
+  const seasonNumber = Number.parseInt(match[2], 10);
+  if (!seriesName || !Number.isFinite(seasonNumber) || seasonNumber < 0) return null;
+  return { seriesName, seasonNumber };
+}
+
+function normalizeJellyfinType(type: string): string {
+  return type.trim().toLowerCase();
+}
+
+export function isJellyfinPlayableType(type: string): boolean {
+  const normalizedType = normalizeJellyfinType(type);
+  return (
+    normalizedType === 'movie' ||
+    normalizedType === 'episode' ||
+    normalizedType === 'audio' ||
+    normalizedType === 'video' ||
+    normalizedType === 'musicvideo'
+  );
+}
+
+export function isJellyfinContainerType(type: string): boolean {
+  const normalizedType = normalizeJellyfinType(type);
+  return (
+    normalizedType === 'series' ||
+    normalizedType === 'season' ||
+    normalizedType === 'folder' ||
+    normalizedType === 'collectionfolder'
+  );
+}
+
+function isJellyfinRootSearchType(type: string): boolean {
+  const normalizedType = normalizeJellyfinType(type);
+  return (
+    isJellyfinContainerType(normalizedType) ||
+    normalizedType === 'movie' ||
+    normalizedType === 'video' ||
+    normalizedType === 'musicvideo'
+  );
+}
+
+export function buildRootSearchGroups(items: JellyfinItemEntry[]): JellyfinGroupEntry[] {
+  const seenIds = new Set<string>();
+  const groups: JellyfinGroupEntry[] = [];
+  for (const item of items) {
+    if (!item.id || seenIds.has(item.id) || !isJellyfinRootSearchType(item.type)) continue;
+    seenIds.add(item.id);
+    groups.push({
+      id: item.id,
+      name: item.name,
+      type: item.type,
+      display: `${item.name} (${item.type})`,
+    });
+  }
+  return groups;
+}
+
+async function runAppJellyfinListCommand(
+  appPath: string,
+  args: Args,
+  appArgs: string[],
+  label: string,
+): Promise<string> {
+  const attempt = await runAppJellyfinCommand(appPath, args, appArgs, label);
+  if (attempt.status !== 0) {
+    const message = attempt.output.trim();
+    fail(message || `${label} failed.`);
+  }
+  if (attempt.error) {
+    fail(attempt.error);
+  }
+  return attempt.output;
+}
+
+async function runAppJellyfinCommand(
+  appPath: string,
+  args: Args,
+  appArgs: string[],
+  label: string,
+): Promise<{ status: number; output: string; error: string; logOffset: number }> {
+  const forwardedBase = [...appArgs];
+  const serverOverride = sanitizeServerUrl(args.jellyfinServer || '');
+  if (serverOverride) {
+    forwardedBase.push('--jellyfin-server', serverOverride);
+  }
+  if (args.passwordStore) {
+    forwardedBase.push('--password-store', args.passwordStore);
+  }
+
+  const readLogAppendedSince = (offset: number): string => {
+    const logPath = getMpvLogPath();
+    return readUtf8FileAppendedSince(logPath, offset);
+  };
+
+  const hasCommandSignal = (output: string): boolean => {
+    if (label === 'jellyfin-libraries') {
+      return output.includes('Jellyfin library:') || output.includes('No Jellyfin libraries found.');
+    }
+    if (label === 'jellyfin-items') {
+      return (
+        output.includes('Jellyfin item:') ||
+        output.includes('No Jellyfin items found for the selected library/search.')
+      );
+    }
+    if (label === 'jellyfin-preview-auth') {
+      return output.includes('Jellyfin preview auth written.');
+    }
+    return output.trim().length > 0;
+  };
+
+  const runOnce = (): { status: number; output: string; error: string; logOffset: number } => {
+    const forwarded = [...forwardedBase];
+    const logPath = getMpvLogPath();
+    let logOffset = 0;
+    try {
+      if (fs.existsSync(logPath)) {
+        logOffset = fs.statSync(logPath).size;
+      }
+    } catch {
+      logOffset = 0;
+    }
+    log('debug', args.logLevel, `${label}: launching app with args: ${forwarded.join(' ')}`);
+    const result = runAppCommandCaptureOutput(appPath, forwarded);
+    log('debug', args.logLevel, `${label}: app command exited with status ${result.status}`);
+    let output = `${result.stdout || ''}\n${result.stderr || ''}\n${readLogAppendedSince(logOffset)}`;
+    let error = parseJellyfinErrorFromAppOutput(output);
+
+    return { status: result.status, output, error, logOffset };
+  };
+
+  let retriedAfterStart = false;
+  let attempt = runOnce();
+  if (shouldRetryWithStartForNoRunningInstance(attempt.error)) {
+    log('debug', args.logLevel, `${label}: starting app detached, then retrying command`);
+    launchAppStartDetached(appPath, args.logLevel);
+    await sleep(1000);
+    retriedAfterStart = true;
+    attempt = runOnce();
+  }
+
+  if (attempt.status === 0 && !attempt.error && !hasCommandSignal(attempt.output)) {
+    // When app is already running, command handling happens in the primary process and log
+    // lines can land slightly after the helper process exits.
+    const settleWindowMs = (() => {
+      if (label === 'jellyfin-items') {
+        return retriedAfterStart ? 45000 : 30000;
+      }
+      return retriedAfterStart ? 12000 : 4000;
+    })();
+    const settleDeadline = Date.now() + settleWindowMs;
+    const settleOffset = attempt.logOffset;
+    while (Date.now() < settleDeadline) {
+      await sleep(100);
+      const settledOutput = readLogAppendedSince(settleOffset);
+      if (!settledOutput.trim()) {
+        continue;
+      }
+      attempt.output = `${attempt.output}\n${settledOutput}`;
+      attempt.error = parseJellyfinErrorFromAppOutput(attempt.output);
+      if (attempt.error || hasCommandSignal(attempt.output)) {
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  return attempt;
+}
+
+async function requestJellyfinPreviewAuthFromApp(
+  appPath: string,
+  args: Args,
+): Promise<JellyfinPreviewAuthResponse | null> {
+  const tmpDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'subminer-jf-preview-auth-'));
+  const responsePath = path.join(tmpDir, 'response.json');
+  try {
+    const attempt = await runAppJellyfinCommand(
+      appPath,
+      args,
+      ['--jellyfin-preview-auth', `--jellyfin-response-path=${responsePath}`],
+      'jellyfin-preview-auth',
+    );
+    if (attempt.status !== 0 || attempt.error) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    const deadline = Date.now() + 4000;
+    while (Date.now() < deadline) {
+      try {
+        if (fs.existsSync(responsePath)) {
+          const raw = fs.readFileSync(responsePath, 'utf8');
+          const parsed = parseJellyfinPreviewAuthResponse(raw);
+          if (parsed) {
+            return parsed;
+          }
+        }
+      } catch {
+        // retry until timeout
+      }
+      await sleep(100);
+    }
+    return null;
+  } finally {
+    try {
+      fs.rmSync(tmpDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    } catch {
+      // ignore cleanup failures
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+async function resolveJellyfinSelectionViaApp(
+  appPath: string,
+  args: Args,
+  session: JellyfinSessionConfig,
+  themePath: string | null = null,
+): Promise<string> {
+  const listLibrariesOutput = await runAppJellyfinListCommand(
+    appPath,
+    args,
+    ['--jellyfin-libraries'],
+    'jellyfin-libraries',
+  );
+  const libraries = parseJellyfinLibrariesFromAppOutput(listLibrariesOutput);
+  if (libraries.length === 0) {
+    fail('No Jellyfin libraries found.');
+  }
+
+  const iconlessSession: JellyfinSessionConfig = {
+    ...session,
+    userId: session.userId || 'launcher',
+  };
+  const noIcon = (): string | null => null;
+  const hasPreviewSession = Boolean(iconlessSession.serverUrl && iconlessSession.accessToken);
+  const pickerSession: JellyfinSessionConfig = {
+    ...iconlessSession,
+    pullPictures: hasPreviewSession && iconlessSession.pullPictures === true,
+  };
+  const ensureIconForPicker = hasPreviewSession ? ensureJellyfinIcon : noIcon;
+  if (!hasPreviewSession) {
+    log(
+      'debug',
+      args.logLevel,
+      'Jellyfin picker image previews disabled (no launcher-accessible Jellyfin token).',
+    );
+  }
+
+  const configuredDefaultLibraryId = session.defaultLibraryId;
+  const hasConfiguredDefault = libraries.some((library) => library.id === configuredDefaultLibraryId);
+  let libraryId = hasConfiguredDefault ? configuredDefaultLibraryId : '';
+  if (!libraryId) {
+    libraryId = pickLibrary(
+      pickerSession,
+      libraries,
+      args.useRofi,
+      ensureIconForPicker,
+      '',
+      themePath,
+    );
+    if (!libraryId) fail('No Jellyfin library selected.');
+  }
+
+  const searchTerm = await promptOptionalJellyfinSearch(args.useRofi, themePath);
+  const normalizedSearch = searchTerm.trim();
+  const searchLimit = 400;
+  const browseLimit = 2500;
+  const rootIncludeItemTypes = 'Series,Season,Folder,CollectionFolder,Movie,Video,MusicVideo';
+  const directoryIncludeItemTypes =
+    'Series,Season,Folder,CollectionFolder,Movie,Episode,Audio,Video,MusicVideo';
+  const recursivePlayableIncludeItemTypes = 'Movie,Episode,Audio,Video,MusicVideo';
+  const listItemsViaApp = async (
+    parentId: string,
+    options: {
+      search?: string;
+      limit: number;
+      recursive?: boolean;
+      includeItemTypes?: string;
+    },
+  ): Promise<JellyfinItemEntry[]> => {
+    const itemArgs = [
+      '--jellyfin-items',
+      `--jellyfin-library-id=${parentId}`,
+      `--jellyfin-limit=${Math.max(1, options.limit)}`,
+    ];
+    const normalized = (options.search || '').trim();
+    if (normalized.length > 0) {
+      itemArgs.push(`--jellyfin-search=${normalized}`);
+    }
+    if (typeof options.recursive === 'boolean') {
+      itemArgs.push(`--jellyfin-recursive=${options.recursive ? 'true' : 'false'}`);
+    }
+    const includeItemTypes = options.includeItemTypes?.trim();
+    if (includeItemTypes) {
+      itemArgs.push(`--jellyfin-include-item-types=${includeItemTypes}`);
+    }
+    const output = await runAppJellyfinListCommand(appPath, args, itemArgs, 'jellyfin-items');
+    return parseJellyfinItemsFromAppOutput(output);
+  };
+
+  let rootItems =
+    normalizedSearch.length > 0
+      ? await listItemsViaApp(libraryId, {
+          search: normalizedSearch,
+          limit: searchLimit,
+          recursive: true,
+          includeItemTypes: rootIncludeItemTypes,
+        })
+      : await listItemsViaApp(libraryId, {
+          limit: browseLimit,
+          recursive: false,
+          includeItemTypes: rootIncludeItemTypes,
+        });
+  if (normalizedSearch.length > 0 && rootItems.length === 0) {
+    // Compatibility fallback for older app binaries that may ignore custom search include types.
+    log(
+      'debug',
+      args.logLevel,
+      `jellyfin-items: no direct search hits for "${normalizedSearch}", falling back to unfiltered library query`,
+    );
+    rootItems = await listItemsViaApp(libraryId, {
+      limit: browseLimit,
+      recursive: false,
+      includeItemTypes: rootIncludeItemTypes,
+    });
+  }
+  const rootGroups = buildRootSearchGroups(rootItems);
+  if (rootGroups.length === 0) {
+    fail('No Jellyfin shows or movies found.');
+  }
+
+  const rootById = new Map(rootGroups.map((group) => [group.id, group]));
+  const selectedRootId = pickGroup(
+    pickerSession,
+    rootGroups,
+    args.useRofi,
+    ensureIconForPicker,
+    normalizedSearch,
+    themePath,
+  );
+  if (!selectedRootId) fail('No Jellyfin show/movie selected.');
+  const selectedRoot = rootById.get(selectedRootId);
+  if (!selectedRoot) fail('Invalid Jellyfin root selection.');
+
+  if (isJellyfinPlayableType(selectedRoot.type)) {
+    return selectedRoot.id;
+  }
+
+  const pickPlayableDescendants = async (parentId: string): Promise<string> => {
+    const descendantItems = await listItemsViaApp(parentId, {
+      limit: browseLimit,
+      recursive: true,
+      includeItemTypes: recursivePlayableIncludeItemTypes,
+    });
+    const playableItems = descendantItems.filter((item) => isJellyfinPlayableType(item.type));
+    if (playableItems.length === 0) {
+      fail('No playable Jellyfin items found.');
+    }
+    const selectedItemId = pickItem(
+      pickerSession,
+      playableItems,
+      args.useRofi,
+      ensureIconForPicker,
+      '',
+      themePath,
+    );
+    if (!selectedItemId) {
+      fail('No Jellyfin item selected.');
+    }
+    return selectedItemId;
+  };
+
+  let currentContainerId = selectedRoot.id;
+  while (true) {
+    const directoryEntries = await listItemsViaApp(currentContainerId, {
+      limit: browseLimit,
+      recursive: false,
+      includeItemTypes: directoryIncludeItemTypes,
+    });
+
+    const seenIds = new Set<string>();
+    const childGroups: JellyfinGroupEntry[] = [];
+    for (const item of directoryEntries) {
+      if (!item.id || seenIds.has(item.id)) continue;
+      if (!isJellyfinContainerType(item.type) && !isJellyfinPlayableType(item.type)) continue;
+      seenIds.add(item.id);
+      childGroups.push({
+        id: item.id,
+        name: item.name,
+        type: item.type,
+        display: `${item.name} (${item.type})`,
+      });
+    }
+
+    if (childGroups.length === 0) {
+      return await pickPlayableDescendants(currentContainerId);
+    }
+
+    const childById = new Map(childGroups.map((group) => [group.id, group]));
+    const selectedChildId = pickGroup(
+      pickerSession,
+      childGroups,
+      args.useRofi,
+      ensureIconForPicker,
+      '',
+      themePath,
+    );
+    if (!selectedChildId) fail('No Jellyfin folder/file selected.');
+    const selectedChild = childById.get(selectedChildId);
+    if (!selectedChild) fail('Invalid Jellyfin item selection.');
+    if (isJellyfinPlayableType(selectedChild.type)) {
+      return selectedChild.id;
+    }
+    if (isJellyfinContainerType(selectedChild.type)) {
+      return await pickPlayableDescendants(selectedChild.id);
+    }
+    fail('Selected Jellyfin item is not playable.');
+  }
+}
+
 export async function resolveJellyfinSelection(
   args: Args,
   session: JellyfinSessionConfig,
@@ -367,18 +958,37 @@ export async function runJellyfinPlayMenu(
     iconCacheDir: config.iconCacheDir || '',
   };
 
-  if (!session.serverUrl || !session.accessToken || !session.userId) {
-    fail(
-      'Missing Jellyfin session. Set SUBMINER_JELLYFIN_ACCESS_TOKEN and SUBMINER_JELLYFIN_USER_ID, then retry.',
-    );
-  }
-
   const rofiTheme = args.useRofi ? findRofiTheme(scriptPath) : null;
   if (args.useRofi && !rofiTheme) {
     log('warn', args.logLevel, 'Rofi theme not found for Jellyfin picker; using rofi defaults.');
   }
 
-  const itemId = await resolveJellyfinSelection(args, session, rofiTheme);
+  const hasDirectSession = Boolean(session.serverUrl && session.accessToken && session.userId);
+  let itemId = '';
+  if (hasDirectSession) {
+    itemId = await resolveJellyfinSelection(args, session, rofiTheme);
+  } else {
+    const configPath = resolveLauncherMainConfigPath();
+    if (!hasStoredJellyfinSession(configPath)) {
+      fail(
+        'Missing Jellyfin session. Run `subminer jellyfin -l --server <url> --username <user> --password <pass>` first.',
+      );
+    }
+    const previewAuth = await requestJellyfinPreviewAuthFromApp(appPath, args);
+    if (previewAuth) {
+      session.serverUrl = previewAuth.serverUrl || session.serverUrl;
+      session.accessToken = previewAuth.accessToken;
+      session.userId = previewAuth.userId || session.userId;
+      log('debug', args.logLevel, 'Jellyfin preview auth bridge ready for picker image previews.');
+    } else {
+      log(
+        'debug',
+        args.logLevel,
+        'Jellyfin preview auth bridge unavailable; picker image previews may be disabled.',
+      );
+    }
+    itemId = await resolveJellyfinSelectionViaApp(appPath, args, session, rofiTheme);
+  }
   log('debug', args.logLevel, `Jellyfin selection resolved: itemId=${itemId}`);
   log('debug', args.logLevel, `Ensuring MPV IPC socket is ready: ${mpvSocketPath}`);
   let mpvReady = false;
@@ -393,7 +1003,7 @@ export async function runJellyfinPlayMenu(
   if (!mpvReady) {
     fail(`MPV IPC socket not ready: ${mpvSocketPath}`);
   }
-  const forwarded = ['--start', '--jellyfin-play', '--jellyfin-item-id', itemId];
+  const forwarded = ['--start', '--jellyfin-play', `--jellyfin-item-id=${itemId}`];
   if (args.logLevel !== 'info') forwarded.push('--log-level', args.logLevel);
   if (args.passwordStore) forwarded.push('--password-store', args.passwordStore);
   runAppCommandWithInheritLogged(appPath, forwarded, args.logLevel, 'jellyfin-play');
diff --git a/launcher/main.test.ts b/launcher/main.test.ts
index 0a98632..9fc0034 100644
--- a/launcher/main.test.ts
+++ b/launcher/main.test.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,18 @@ import os from 'node:os';
 import path from 'node:path';
 import { spawnSync } from 'node:child_process';
 import { resolveConfigFilePath } from '../src/config/path-resolution.js';
+import {
+  parseJellyfinLibrariesFromAppOutput,
+  parseJellyfinItemsFromAppOutput,
+  parseJellyfinErrorFromAppOutput,
+  parseJellyfinPreviewAuthResponse,
+  deriveJellyfinTokenStorePath,
+  hasStoredJellyfinSession,
+  shouldRetryWithStartForNoRunningInstance,
+  readUtf8FileAppendedSince,
+  parseEpisodePathFromDisplay,
+  buildRootSearchGroups,
+} from './jellyfin.js';
 
 type RunResult = {
   status: number | null;
@@ -149,7 +161,7 @@ test('doctor reports checks and exits non-zero without hard dependencies', () =>
   });
 });
 
-test('jellyfin discovery routes to app --start with log-level forwarding', () => {
+test('jellyfin discovery routes to app --background and remote announce with log-level forwarding', () => {
   withTempDir((root) => {
     const homeDir = path.join(root, 'home');
     const xdgConfigHome = path.join(root, 'xdg');
@@ -169,7 +181,37 @@ test('jellyfin discovery routes to app --start with log-level forwarding', () =>
     const result = runLauncher(['jellyfin', 'discovery', '--log-level', 'debug'], env);
 
     assert.equal(result.status, 0);
-    assert.equal(fs.readFileSync(capturePath, 'utf8'), '--start\n--log-level\ndebug\n');
+    assert.equal(
+      fs.readFileSync(capturePath, 'utf8'),
+      '--background\n--jellyfin-remote-announce\n--log-level\ndebug\n',
+    );
+  });
+});
+
+test('jellyfin discovery via jf alias forwards remote announce for cast visibility', () => {
+  withTempDir((root) => {
+    const homeDir = path.join(root, 'home');
+    const xdgConfigHome = path.join(root, 'xdg');
+    const appPath = path.join(root, 'fake-subminer.sh');
+    const capturePath = path.join(root, 'captured-args.txt');
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      appPath,
+      '#!/bin/sh\nif [ -n "$SUBMINER_TEST_CAPTURE" ]; then printf "%s\\n" "$@" > "$SUBMINER_TEST_CAPTURE"; fi\nexit 0\n',
+    );
+    fs.chmodSync(appPath, 0o755);
+
+    const env = {
+      ...makeTestEnv(homeDir, xdgConfigHome),
+      SUBMINER_APPIMAGE_PATH: appPath,
+      SUBMINER_TEST_CAPTURE: capturePath,
+    };
+    const result = runLauncher(['-R', 'jf', '--discovery', '--log-level', 'debug'], env);
+
+    assert.equal(result.status, 0);
+    assert.equal(
+      fs.readFileSync(capturePath, 'utf8'),
+      '--background\n--jellyfin-remote-announce\n--log-level\ndebug\n',
+    );
   });
 });
 
@@ -238,3 +280,166 @@ test('jellyfin setup forwards password-store to app command', () => {
     );
   });
 });
+
+test('parseJellyfinLibrariesFromAppOutput parses prefixed library lines', () => {
+  const parsed = parseJellyfinLibrariesFromAppOutput(`
+[subminer] - 2026-03-01 13:10:34 - INFO - [main] Jellyfin library: Anime [lib1] (tvshows)
+[subminer] - 2026-03-01 13:10:35 - INFO - [main] Jellyfin library: Movies [lib2] (movies)
+`);
+
+  assert.deepEqual(parsed, [
+    { id: 'lib1', name: 'Anime', kind: 'tvshows' },
+    { id: 'lib2', name: 'Movies', kind: 'movies' },
+  ]);
+});
+
+test('parseJellyfinItemsFromAppOutput parses item title/id/type tuples', () => {
+  const parsed = parseJellyfinItemsFromAppOutput(`
+[subminer] - 2026-03-01 13:10:34 - INFO - [main] Jellyfin item: Solo Leveling S01E10 [item-10] (Episode)
+[subminer] - 2026-03-01 13:10:35 - INFO - [main] Jellyfin item: Movie [Alt] [movie-1] (Movie)
+`);
+
+  assert.deepEqual(parsed, [
+    {
+      id: 'item-10',
+      name: 'Solo Leveling S01E10',
+      type: 'Episode',
+      display: 'Solo Leveling S01E10',
+    },
+    {
+      id: 'movie-1',
+      name: 'Movie [Alt]',
+      type: 'Movie',
+      display: 'Movie [Alt]',
+    },
+  ]);
+});
+
+test('parseJellyfinErrorFromAppOutput extracts bracketed error lines', () => {
+  const parsed = parseJellyfinErrorFromAppOutput(`
+[subminer] - 2026-03-01 13:10:34 - WARN - [main] test warning
+[2026-03-01T21:11:28.821Z] [ERROR] Missing Jellyfin session. Set SUBMINER_JELLYFIN_ACCESS_TOKEN and SUBMINER_JELLYFIN_USER_ID, then retry.
+`);
+
+  assert.equal(
+    parsed,
+    'Missing Jellyfin session. Set SUBMINER_JELLYFIN_ACCESS_TOKEN and SUBMINER_JELLYFIN_USER_ID, then retry.',
+  );
+});
+
+test('parseJellyfinErrorFromAppOutput extracts main runtime error lines', () => {
+  const parsed = parseJellyfinErrorFromAppOutput(`
+[subminer] - 2026-03-01 13:10:34 - ERROR - [main] runJellyfinCommand failed: {"message":"Missing Jellyfin password."}
+`);
+
+  assert.equal(parsed, '[main] runJellyfinCommand failed: {"message":"Missing Jellyfin password."}');
+});
+
+test('parseJellyfinPreviewAuthResponse parses valid structured response payload', () => {
+  const parsed = parseJellyfinPreviewAuthResponse(
+    JSON.stringify({
+      serverUrl: 'http://pve-main:8096/',
+      accessToken: 'token-123',
+      userId: 'user-1',
+    }),
+  );
+
+  assert.deepEqual(parsed, {
+    serverUrl: 'http://pve-main:8096',
+    accessToken: 'token-123',
+    userId: 'user-1',
+  });
+});
+
+test('parseJellyfinPreviewAuthResponse returns null for invalid payloads', () => {
+  assert.equal(parseJellyfinPreviewAuthResponse(''), null);
+  assert.equal(parseJellyfinPreviewAuthResponse('{not json}'), null);
+  assert.equal(
+    parseJellyfinPreviewAuthResponse(
+      JSON.stringify({
+        serverUrl: 'http://pve-main:8096',
+        accessToken: '',
+        userId: 'user-1',
+      }),
+    ),
+    null,
+  );
+});
+
+test('deriveJellyfinTokenStorePath resolves alongside config path', () => {
+  const tokenPath = deriveJellyfinTokenStorePath('/home/test/.config/SubMiner/config.jsonc');
+  assert.equal(tokenPath, '/home/test/.config/SubMiner/jellyfin-token-store.json');
+});
+
+test('hasStoredJellyfinSession checks token-store existence', () => {
+  const exists = (candidate: string): boolean =>
+    candidate === '/home/test/.config/SubMiner/jellyfin-token-store.json';
+  assert.equal(hasStoredJellyfinSession('/home/test/.config/SubMiner/config.jsonc', exists), true);
+  assert.equal(hasStoredJellyfinSession('/home/test/.config/Other/alt.jsonc', exists), false);
+});
+
+test('shouldRetryWithStartForNoRunningInstance matches expected app lifecycle error', () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    shouldRetryWithStartForNoRunningInstance('No running instance. Use --start to launch the app.'),
+    true,
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    shouldRetryWithStartForNoRunningInstance('Missing Jellyfin session. Run --jellyfin-login first.'),
+    false,
+  );
+});
+
+test('readUtf8FileAppendedSince treats offset as bytes and survives multibyte logs', () => {
+  withTempDir((root) => {
+    const logPath = path.join(root, 'SubMiner.log');
+    const prefix = '[subminer] こんにちは\n';
+    const suffix = '[subminer] Jellyfin library: Movies [lib2] (movies)\n';
+    fs.writeFileSync(logPath, `${prefix}${suffix}`, 'utf8');
+
+    const byteOffset = Buffer.byteLength(prefix, 'utf8');
+    const fromByteOffset = readUtf8FileAppendedSince(logPath, byteOffset);
+    assert.match(fromByteOffset, /Jellyfin library: Movies \[lib2\] \(movies\)/);
+
+    const fromBeyondEnd = readUtf8FileAppendedSince(logPath, byteOffset + 9999);
+    assert.match(fromBeyondEnd, /Jellyfin library: Movies \[lib2\] \(movies\)/);
+  });
+});
+
+test('parseEpisodePathFromDisplay extracts series and season from episode display titles', () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(parseEpisodePathFromDisplay('KONOSUBA S01E03 A Panty Treasure in This Right Hand!'), {
+    seriesName: 'KONOSUBA',
+    seasonNumber: 1,
+  });
+  assert.deepEqual(parseEpisodePathFromDisplay('Frieren S2E10 Something'), {
+    seriesName: 'Frieren',
+    seasonNumber: 2,
+  });
+});
+
+test('parseEpisodePathFromDisplay returns null for non-episode displays', () => {
+  assert.equal(parseEpisodePathFromDisplay('Movie Title (Movie)'), null);
+  assert.equal(parseEpisodePathFromDisplay('Just A Name'), null);
+});
+
+test('buildRootSearchGroups excludes episodes and keeps containers/movies', () => {
+  const groups = buildRootSearchGroups([
+    { id: 'series-1', name: 'The Eminence in Shadow', type: 'Series', display: 'x' },
+    { id: 'movie-1', name: 'Spirited Away', type: 'Movie', display: 'x' },
+    { id: 'episode-1', name: 'The Eminence in Shadow S01E01', type: 'Episode', display: 'x' },
+  ]);
+
+  assert.deepEqual(groups, [
+    {
+      id: 'series-1',
+      name: 'The Eminence in Shadow',
+      type: 'Series',
+      display: 'The Eminence in Shadow (Series)',
+    },
+    {
+      id: 'movie-1',
+      name: 'Spirited Away',
+      type: 'Movie',
+      display: 'Spirited Away (Movie)',
+    },
+  ]);
+});
diff --git a/src/cli/args.test.ts b/src/cli/args.test.ts
index 2d762b1..55bb04e 100644
--- a/src/cli/args.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/args.test.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,24 @@ test('parseArgs ignores missing value after --log-level', () => {
   assert.equal(args.start, true);
 });
 
+test('parseArgs handles jellyfin item listing controls', () => {
+  const args = parseArgs([
+    '--jellyfin-items',
+    '--jellyfin-recursive=false',
+    '--jellyfin-include-item-types',
+    'Series,Movie,Folder',
+  ]);
+
+  assert.equal(args.jellyfinItems, true);
+  assert.equal(args.jellyfinRecursive, false);
+  assert.equal(args.jellyfinIncludeItemTypes, 'Series,Movie,Folder');
+});
+
+test('parseArgs handles space-separated jellyfin recursive control', () => {
+  const args = parseArgs(['--jellyfin-items', '--jellyfin-recursive', 'false']);
+  assert.equal(args.jellyfinRecursive, false);
+});
+
 test('hasExplicitCommand and shouldStartApp preserve command intent', () => {
   const stopOnly = parseArgs(['--stop']);
   assert.equal(hasExplicitCommand(stopOnly), true);
@@ -118,6 +136,19 @@ test('hasExplicitCommand and shouldStartApp preserve command intent', () => {
   assert.equal(hasExplicitCommand(jellyfinRemoteAnnounce), true);
   assert.equal(shouldStartApp(jellyfinRemoteAnnounce), false);
 
+  const jellyfinPreviewAuth = parseArgs([
+    '--jellyfin-preview-auth',
+    '--jellyfin-response-path',
+    '/tmp/subminer-jf-response.json',
+  ]);
+  assert.equal(jellyfinPreviewAuth.jellyfinPreviewAuth, true);
+  assert.equal(
+    jellyfinPreviewAuth.jellyfinResponsePath,
+    '/tmp/subminer-jf-response.json',
+  );
+  assert.equal(hasExplicitCommand(jellyfinPreviewAuth), true);
+  assert.equal(shouldStartApp(jellyfinPreviewAuth), false);
+
   const background = parseArgs(['--background']);
   assert.equal(background.background, true);
   assert.equal(hasExplicitCommand(background), true);
diff --git a/src/cli/args.ts b/src/cli/args.ts
index 752deb2..0932fae 100644
--- a/src/cli/args.ts
+++ b/src/cli/args.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ export interface CliArgs {
   jellyfinSubtitleUrlsOnly: boolean;
   jellyfinPlay: boolean;
   jellyfinRemoteAnnounce: boolean;
+  jellyfinPreviewAuth: boolean;
   texthooker: boolean;
   help: boolean;
   autoStartOverlay: boolean;
@@ -49,8 +50,11 @@ export interface CliArgs {
   jellyfinItemId?: string;
   jellyfinSearch?: string;
   jellyfinLimit?: number;
+  jellyfinRecursive?: boolean;
+  jellyfinIncludeItemTypes?: string;
   jellyfinAudioStreamIndex?: number;
   jellyfinSubtitleStreamIndex?: number;
+  jellyfinResponsePath?: string;
   debug: boolean;
   logLevel?: 'debug' | 'info' | 'warn' | 'error';
 }
@@ -93,6 +97,7 @@ export function parseArgs(argv: string[]): CliArgs {
     jellyfinSubtitleUrlsOnly: false,
     jellyfinPlay: false,
     jellyfinRemoteAnnounce: false,
+    jellyfinPreviewAuth: false,
     texthooker: false,
     help: false,
     autoStartOverlay: false,
@@ -147,6 +152,7 @@ export function parseArgs(argv: string[]): CliArgs {
       args.jellyfinSubtitleUrlsOnly = true;
     } else if (arg === '--jellyfin-play') args.jellyfinPlay = true;
     else if (arg === '--jellyfin-remote-announce') args.jellyfinRemoteAnnounce = true;
+    else if (arg === '--jellyfin-preview-auth') args.jellyfinPreviewAuth = true;
     else if (arg === '--texthooker') args.texthooker = true;
     else if (arg === '--auto-start-overlay') args.autoStartOverlay = true;
     else if (arg === '--generate-config') args.generateConfig = true;
@@ -229,6 +235,27 @@ export function parseArgs(argv: string[]): CliArgs {
     } else if (arg === '--jellyfin-limit') {
       const value = Number(readValue(argv[i + 1]));
       if (Number.isFinite(value) && value > 0) args.jellyfinLimit = Math.floor(value);
+    } else if (arg.startsWith('--jellyfin-recursive=')) {
+      const value = arg.split('=', 2)[1]?.trim().toLowerCase();
+      if (value === 'true' || value === '1' || value === 'yes') args.jellyfinRecursive = true;
+      if (value === 'false' || value === '0' || value === 'no') args.jellyfinRecursive = false;
+    } else if (arg === '--jellyfin-recursive') {
+      const value = readValue(argv[i + 1])?.trim().toLowerCase();
+      if (value === 'false' || value === '0' || value === 'no') {
+        args.jellyfinRecursive = false;
+      } else if (value === 'true' || value === '1' || value === 'yes') {
+        args.jellyfinRecursive = true;
+      } else {
+        args.jellyfinRecursive = true;
+      }
+    } else if (arg === '--jellyfin-non-recursive') {
+      args.jellyfinRecursive = false;
+    } else if (arg.startsWith('--jellyfin-include-item-types=')) {
+      const value = arg.split('=', 2)[1];
+      if (value) args.jellyfinIncludeItemTypes = value;
+    } else if (arg === '--jellyfin-include-item-types') {
+      const value = readValue(argv[i + 1]);
+      if (value) args.jellyfinIncludeItemTypes = value;
     } else if (arg.startsWith('--jellyfin-audio-stream-index=')) {
       const value = Number(arg.split('=', 2)[1]);
       if (Number.isInteger(value) && value >= 0) args.jellyfinAudioStreamIndex = value;
@@ -241,6 +268,12 @@ export function parseArgs(argv: string[]): CliArgs {
     } else if (arg === '--jellyfin-subtitle-stream-index') {
       const value = Number(readValue(argv[i + 1]));
       if (Number.isInteger(value) && value >= 0) args.jellyfinSubtitleStreamIndex = value;
+    } else if (arg.startsWith('--jellyfin-response-path=')) {
+      const value = arg.split('=', 2)[1];
+      if (value) args.jellyfinResponsePath = value;
+    } else if (arg === '--jellyfin-response-path') {
+      const value = readValue(argv[i + 1]);
+      if (value) args.jellyfinResponsePath = value;
     }
   }
 
@@ -282,6 +315,7 @@ export function hasExplicitCommand(args: CliArgs): boolean {
     args.jellyfinSubtitles ||
     args.jellyfinPlay ||
     args.jellyfinRemoteAnnounce ||
+    args.jellyfinPreviewAuth ||
     args.texthooker ||
     args.generateConfig ||
     args.help
@@ -350,6 +384,7 @@ export function shouldRunSettingsOnlyStartup(args: CliArgs): boolean {
     !args.jellyfinSubtitles &&
     !args.jellyfinPlay &&
     !args.jellyfinRemoteAnnounce &&
+    !args.jellyfinPreviewAuth &&
     !args.texthooker &&
     !args.help &&
     !args.autoStartOverlay &&
diff --git a/src/core/services/jellyfin.test.ts b/src/core/services/jellyfin.test.ts
index 1c84bf9..99d039d 100644
--- a/src/core/services/jellyfin.test.ts
+++ b/src/core/services/jellyfin.test.ts
@@ -87,6 +87,10 @@ test('listItems supports search and formats title', async () => {
   const originalFetch = globalThis.fetch;
   globalThis.fetch = (async (input) => {
     assert.match(String(input), /SearchTerm=planet/);
+    assert.match(
+      String(input),
+      /IncludeItemTypes=Movie%2CEpisode%2CAudio%2CSeries%2CSeason%2CFolder%2CCollectionFolder/,
+    );
     return new Response(
       JSON.stringify({
         Items: [
@@ -125,6 +129,64 @@ test('listItems supports search and formats title', async () => {
   }
 });
 
+test('listItems keeps playable-only include types when search is empty', async () => {
+  const originalFetch = globalThis.fetch;
+  globalThis.fetch = (async (input) => {
+    assert.match(String(input), /IncludeItemTypes=Movie%2CEpisode%2CAudio/);
+    assert.doesNotMatch(String(input), /CollectionFolder|Series|Season|Folder/);
+    return new Response(JSON.stringify({ Items: [] }), { status: 200 });
+  }) as typeof fetch;
+
+  try {
+    const items = await listItems(
+      {
+        serverUrl: 'http://jellyfin.local',
+        accessToken: 'token',
+        userId: 'u1',
+        username: 'kyle',
+      },
+      clientInfo,
+      {
+        libraryId: 'lib-1',
+        limit: 25,
+      },
+    );
+    assert.deepEqual(items, []);
+  } finally {
+    globalThis.fetch = originalFetch;
+  }
+});
+
+test('listItems accepts explicit include types and recursive mode', async () => {
+  const originalFetch = globalThis.fetch;
+  globalThis.fetch = (async (input) => {
+    assert.match(String(input), /Recursive=false/);
+    assert.match(String(input), /IncludeItemTypes=Series%2CMovie%2CFolder/);
+    return new Response(JSON.stringify({ Items: [] }), { status: 200 });
+  }) as typeof fetch;
+
+  try {
+    const items = await listItems(
+      {
+        serverUrl: 'http://jellyfin.local',
+        accessToken: 'token',
+        userId: 'u1',
+        username: 'kyle',
+      },
+      clientInfo,
+      {
+        libraryId: 'lib-1',
+        includeItemTypes: 'Series,Movie,Folder',
+        recursive: false,
+        limit: 25,
+      },
+    );
+    assert.deepEqual(items, []);
+  } finally {
+    globalThis.fetch = originalFetch;
+  }
+});
+
 test('resolvePlaybackPlan chooses direct play when allowed', async () => {
   const originalFetch = globalThis.fetch;
   globalThis.fetch = (async () =>
diff --git a/src/core/services/jellyfin.ts b/src/core/services/jellyfin.ts
index 1c2a015..a9acaa8 100644
--- a/src/core/services/jellyfin.ts
+++ b/src/core/services/jellyfin.ts
@@ -370,21 +370,29 @@ export async function listItems(
     libraryId: string;
     searchTerm?: string;
     limit?: number;
+    recursive?: boolean;
+    includeItemTypes?: string;
   },
 ): Promise<Array<{ id: string; name: string; type: string; title: string }>> {
   if (!options.libraryId) throw new Error('Missing Jellyfin library id.');
+  const normalizedSearchTerm = options.searchTerm?.trim() || '';
+  const includeItemTypes =
+    options.includeItemTypes?.trim() ||
+    (normalizedSearchTerm
+      ? 'Movie,Episode,Audio,Series,Season,Folder,CollectionFolder'
+      : 'Movie,Episode,Audio');
 
   const query = new URLSearchParams({
     ParentId: options.libraryId,
-    Recursive: 'true',
-    IncludeItemTypes: 'Movie,Episode,Audio',
+    Recursive: options.recursive === false ? 'false' : 'true',
+    IncludeItemTypes: includeItemTypes,
     Fields: 'MediaSources,UserData',
     SortBy: 'SortName',
     SortOrder: 'Ascending',
     Limit: String(options.limit ?? 100),
   });
-  if (options.searchTerm?.trim()) {
-    query.set('SearchTerm', options.searchTerm.trim());
+  if (normalizedSearchTerm) {
+    query.set('SearchTerm', normalizedSearchTerm);
   }
 
   const payload = await jellyfinRequestJson<JellyfinItemsResponse>(
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/jellyfin-cli-list.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/jellyfin-cli-list.test.ts
index 591bdf8..dd286f5 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/jellyfin-cli-list.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/jellyfin-cli-list.test.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ test('list handler no-ops when no list command is set', async () => {
     listJellyfinLibraries: async () => [],
     listJellyfinItems: async () => [],
     listJellyfinSubtitleTracks: async () => [],
+    writeJellyfinPreviewAuth: () => {},
     logInfo: () => {},
   });
 
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ test('list handler logs libraries', async () => {
     listJellyfinLibraries: async () => [{ id: 'lib1', name: 'Anime', collectionType: 'tvshows' }],
     listJellyfinItems: async () => [],
     listJellyfinSubtitleTracks: async () => [],
+    writeJellyfinPreviewAuth: () => {},
     logInfo: (message) => logs.push(message),
   });
 
@@ -67,14 +69,19 @@ test('list handler logs libraries', async () => {
 
 test('list handler resolves items using default library id', async () => {
   let usedLibraryId = '';
+  let usedRecursive: boolean | undefined;
+  let usedIncludeItemTypes: string | undefined;
   const logs: string[] = [];
   const handler = createHandleJellyfinListCommands({
     listJellyfinLibraries: async () => [],
     listJellyfinItems: async (_session, _clientInfo, params) => {
       usedLibraryId = params.libraryId;
+      usedRecursive = params.recursive;
+      usedIncludeItemTypes = params.includeItemTypes;
       return [{ id: 'item1', title: 'Episode 1', type: 'Episode' }];
     },
     listJellyfinSubtitleTracks: async () => [],
+    writeJellyfinPreviewAuth: () => {},
     logInfo: (message) => logs.push(message),
   });
 
@@ -86,6 +93,8 @@ test('list handler resolves items using default library id', async () => {
       jellyfinLibraryId: '',
       jellyfinSearch: 'episode',
       jellyfinLimit: 10,
+      jellyfinRecursive: false,
+      jellyfinIncludeItemTypes: 'Series,Movie,Folder',
     } as never,
     session: baseSession,
     clientInfo: baseClientInfo,
@@ -96,6 +105,8 @@ test('list handler resolves items using default library id', async () => {
 
   assert.equal(handled, true);
   assert.equal(usedLibraryId, 'default-lib');
+  assert.equal(usedRecursive, false);
+  assert.equal(usedIncludeItemTypes, 'Series,Movie,Folder');
   assert.ok(logs.some((line) => line.includes('Jellyfin item: Episode 1 [item1] (Episode)')));
 });
 
@@ -104,6 +115,7 @@ test('list handler throws when items command has no library id', async () => {
     listJellyfinLibraries: async () => [],
     listJellyfinItems: async () => [],
     listJellyfinSubtitleTracks: async () => [],
+    writeJellyfinPreviewAuth: () => {},
     logInfo: () => {},
   });
 
@@ -132,6 +144,7 @@ test('list handler logs subtitle urls only when requested', async () => {
       { index: 1, deliveryUrl: 'http://localhost/sub1.srt', language: 'eng' },
       { index: 2, language: 'jpn' },
     ],
+    writeJellyfinPreviewAuth: () => {},
     logInfo: (message) => logs.push(message),
   });
 
@@ -157,6 +170,7 @@ test('list handler throws when subtitle command has no item id', async () => {
     listJellyfinLibraries: async () => [],
     listJellyfinItems: async () => [],
     listJellyfinSubtitleTracks: async () => [],
+    writeJellyfinPreviewAuth: () => {},
     logInfo: () => {},
   });
 
@@ -174,3 +188,65 @@ test('list handler throws when subtitle command has no item id', async () => {
     /Missing --jellyfin-item-id/,
   );
 });
+
+test('list handler writes preview auth payload to response path', async () => {
+  const writes: Array<{
+    path: string;
+    payload: { serverUrl: string; accessToken: string; userId: string };
+  }> = [];
+  const logs: string[] = [];
+  const handler = createHandleJellyfinListCommands({
+    listJellyfinLibraries: async () => [],
+    listJellyfinItems: async () => [],
+    listJellyfinSubtitleTracks: async () => [],
+    writeJellyfinPreviewAuth: (responsePath, payload) => {
+      writes.push({ path: responsePath, payload });
+    },
+    logInfo: (message) => logs.push(message),
+  });
+
+  const handled = await handler({
+    args: {
+      jellyfinPreviewAuth: true,
+      jellyfinResponsePath: '/tmp/subminer-preview-auth.json',
+    } as never,
+    session: baseSession,
+    clientInfo: baseClientInfo,
+    jellyfinConfig: baseConfig,
+  });
+
+  assert.equal(handled, true);
+  assert.deepEqual(writes, [
+    {
+      path: '/tmp/subminer-preview-auth.json',
+      payload: {
+        serverUrl: baseSession.serverUrl,
+        accessToken: baseSession.accessToken,
+        userId: baseSession.userId,
+      },
+    },
+  ]);
+  assert.deepEqual(logs, ['Jellyfin preview auth written.']);
+});
+
+test('list handler throws when preview auth command has no response path', async () => {
+  const handler = createHandleJellyfinListCommands({
+    listJellyfinLibraries: async () => [],
+    listJellyfinItems: async () => [],
+    listJellyfinSubtitleTracks: async () => [],
+    writeJellyfinPreviewAuth: () => {},
+    logInfo: () => {},
+  });
+
+  await assert.rejects(
+    handler({
+      args: {
+        jellyfinPreviewAuth: true,
+      } as never,
+      session: baseSession,
+      clientInfo: baseClientInfo,
+      jellyfinConfig: baseConfig,
+    }),
+    /Missing --jellyfin-response-path/,
+  );
+});
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/jellyfin-cli-list.ts b/src/main/runtime/jellyfin-cli-list.ts
index b711b3c..f6c3529 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/jellyfin-cli-list.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/jellyfin-cli-list.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,12 @@ type JellyfinConfig = {
   defaultLibraryId: string;
 };
 
+type JellyfinPreviewAuthPayload = {
+  serverUrl: string;
+  accessToken: string;
+  userId: string;
+};
+
 export function createHandleJellyfinListCommands(deps: {
   listJellyfinLibraries: (
     session: JellyfinSession,
@@ -25,7 +31,13 @@ export function createHandleJellyfinListCommands(deps: {
   listJellyfinItems: (
     session: JellyfinSession,
     clientInfo: JellyfinClientInfo,
-    params: { libraryId: string; searchTerm?: string; limit: number },
+    params: {
+      libraryId: string;
+      searchTerm?: string;
+      limit: number;
+      recursive?: boolean;
+      includeItemTypes?: string;
+    },
   ) => Promise<Array<{ id: string; title: string; type: string }>>;
   listJellyfinSubtitleTracks: (
     session: JellyfinSession,
@@ -42,8 +54,9 @@ export function createHandleJellyfinListCommands(deps: {
       isForced?: boolean;
       isExternal?: boolean;
       deliveryUrl?: string | null;
-    }>
+      }>
   >;
+  writeJellyfinPreviewAuth: (responsePath: string, payload: JellyfinPreviewAuthPayload) => void;
   logInfo: (message: string) => void;
 }) {
   return async (params: {
@@ -54,6 +67,20 @@ export function createHandleJellyfinListCommands(deps: {
   }): Promise<boolean> => {
     const { args, session, clientInfo, jellyfinConfig } = params;
 
+    if (args.jellyfinPreviewAuth) {
+      const responsePath = args.jellyfinResponsePath?.trim();
+      if (!responsePath) {
+        throw new Error('Missing --jellyfin-response-path for --jellyfin-preview-auth.');
+      }
+      deps.writeJellyfinPreviewAuth(responsePath, {
+        serverUrl: session.serverUrl,
+        accessToken: session.accessToken,
+        userId: session.userId,
+      });
+      deps.logInfo('Jellyfin preview auth written.');
+      return true;
+    }
+
     if (args.jellyfinLibraries) {
       const libraries = await deps.listJellyfinLibraries(session, clientInfo);
       if (libraries.length === 0) {
@@ -79,6 +106,8 @@ export function createHandleJellyfinListCommands(deps: {
         libraryId,
         searchTerm: args.jellyfinSearch,
         limit: args.jellyfinLimit ?? 100,
+        recursive: args.jellyfinRecursive,
+        includeItemTypes: args.jellyfinIncludeItemTypes,
       });
       if (items.length === 0) {
         deps.logInfo('No Jellyfin items found for the selected library/search.');