diff --git a/flutter_client/lib/player/audio_handler.dart b/flutter_client/lib/player/audio_handler.dart
index b59ad8f8..732bfdaa 100644
--- a/flutter_client/lib/player/audio_handler.dart
+++ b/flutter_client/lib/player/audio_handler.dart
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 import 'dart:async';
+import 'dart:io';
 
 import 'package:audio_service/audio_service.dart';
 import 'package:flutter/foundation.dart';
 import 'package:just_audio/just_audio.dart';
+import 'package:path_provider/path_provider.dart';
 
+import '../cache/audio_cache_manager.dart';
 import '../models/track.dart';
 import 'album_cover_cache.dart';
 
@@ -17,18 +20,22 @@ class MinstrelAudioHandler extends BaseAudioHandler with QueueHandler, SeekHandl
   String _baseUrl = '';
   String? _token;
   AlbumCoverCache? _coverCache;
+  AudioCacheManager? _audioCacheManager;
 
   void configure({
     required String baseUrl,
     required String? token,
     AlbumCoverCache? coverCache,
+    AudioCacheManager? audioCacheManager,
   }) {
     _baseUrl = baseUrl;
     _token = token;
     if (coverCache != null) _coverCache = coverCache;
+    if (audioCacheManager != null) _audioCacheManager = audioCacheManager;
     debugPrint('audio_handler.configure: baseUrl="$baseUrl" '
         'tokenPresent=${token != null && token.isNotEmpty} '
-        'cachePresent=${_coverCache != null}');
+        'coverCachePresent=${_coverCache != null} '
+        'audioCachePresent=${_audioCacheManager != null}');
   }
 
   Future<void> setQueueFromTracks(List<TrackRef> tracks, {int initialIndex = 0}) async {
@@ -40,7 +47,7 @@ class MinstrelAudioHandler extends BaseAudioHandler with QueueHandler, SeekHandl
 
     debugPrint('audio_handler.setQueueFromTracks: '
         '_baseUrl="$_baseUrl" trackCount=${tracks.length}');
-    final sources = tracks.map(_buildAudioSource).toList();
+    final sources = await Future.wait(tracks.map(_buildAudioSource));
 
     await _player.setAudioSources(
       sources,
@@ -64,15 +71,27 @@ class MinstrelAudioHandler extends BaseAudioHandler with QueueHandler, SeekHandl
     return '$_baseUrl${t.streamUrl}';
   }
 
-  /// Builds a single AudioSource for a track, applying URL resolution
-  /// against _baseUrl and attaching the Bearer header. Throws StateError
-  /// if the resolved URL is scheme-less (which would otherwise crash
-  /// ExoPlayer with a confusing localhost cleartext error).
-  AudioSource _buildAudioSource(TrackRef t) {
+  /// Builds an AudioSource for a track. Cache-aware:
+  /// 1. If the track is fully cached on disk, returns a file:// source.
+  /// 2. Else returns a LockCachingAudioSource that streams + caches as
+  ///    it plays (subsequent plays will hit the cache).
+  ///
+  /// Without an audio cache manager configured (e.g. in older code paths
+  /// that pre-date #357), falls back to a plain network AudioSource.uri.
+  Future<AudioSource> _buildAudioSource(TrackRef t) async {
     final headers = _token == null ? null : {'Authorization': 'Bearer $_token'};
+    final mgr = _audioCacheManager;
+
+    // 1. Cache hit: play from disk, no headers needed.
+    if (mgr != null) {
+      final path = await mgr.pathFor(t.id);
+      if (path != null) {
+        debugPrint('audio_handler: cache hit for track.id=${t.id} → file://$path');
+        return AudioSource.uri(Uri.file(path));
+      }
+    }
+
     final url = _resolveStreamUrl(t);
-    debugPrint('audio_handler: track.id=${t.id} '
-        'track.streamUrl="${t.streamUrl}" → resolved="$url"');
     final parsed = Uri.parse(url);
     if (!parsed.hasScheme || parsed.host.isEmpty) {
       throw StateError(
@@ -82,13 +101,32 @@ class MinstrelAudioHandler extends BaseAudioHandler with QueueHandler, SeekHandl
         'non-empty baseUrl before setQueueFromTracks().',
       );
     }
+
+    // 2. Cache miss WITH manager: stream + cache-as-you-play. Future
+    // plays of this track will hit the cache. If the cache write
+    // completes, we don't currently register an index row — that would
+    // require a download-complete hook from just_audio that's not
+    // exposed cleanly. Acceptable for v1: prefetcher / explicit
+    // pin / Download buttons cover the index path; LockCaching handles
+    // the network optimization.
+    if (mgr != null) {
+      final cacheDir = await getApplicationCacheDirectory();
+      final cacheFile = File('${cacheDir.path}/audio_cache/${t.id}.mp3');
+      debugPrint('audio_handler: cache miss for track.id=${t.id}, '
+          'using LockCachingAudioSource → ${cacheFile.path}');
+      return LockCachingAudioSource(parsed,
+          headers: headers, cacheFile: cacheFile);
+    }
+
+    // 3. No manager configured: plain network source (legacy path).
+    debugPrint('audio_handler: no cache manager; track.id=${t.id} → "$url"');
     return AudioSource.uri(parsed, headers: headers);
   }
 
   /// Inserts [track] right after the currently-playing item so it plays
   /// next. If nothing is playing, appends to the end.
   Future<void> playNext(TrackRef track) async {
-    final source = _buildAudioSource(track);
+    final source = await _buildAudioSource(track);
     final item = _toMediaItem(track);
     final currentIdx = _player.currentIndex;
     final insertAt = currentIdx == null ? queue.value.length : currentIdx + 1;
@@ -103,7 +141,7 @@ class MinstrelAudioHandler extends BaseAudioHandler with QueueHandler, SeekHandl
 
   /// Appends [track] to the end of the queue.
   Future<void> enqueue(TrackRef track) async {
-    final source = _buildAudioSource(track);
+    final source = await _buildAudioSource(track);
     final item = _toMediaItem(track);
     await _player.addAudioSource(source);
     queue.add([...queue.value, item]);
diff --git a/flutter_client/lib/player/player_provider.dart b/flutter_client/lib/player/player_provider.dart
index 6f09fe5e..1c00eac1 100644
--- a/flutter_client/lib/player/player_provider.dart
+++ b/flutter_client/lib/player/player_provider.dart
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import 'package:audio_service/audio_service.dart';
 import 'package:flutter_riverpod/flutter_riverpod.dart';
 
 import '../auth/auth_provider.dart';
+import '../cache/audio_cache_manager.dart';
 import '../library/library_providers.dart' show dioProvider;
 import '../models/track.dart';
 import 'album_cover_cache.dart';
@@ -37,8 +38,14 @@ class PlayerActions {
     final url   = await _ref.read(serverUrlProvider.future);
     final token = await _ref.read(secureStorageProvider).read(key: 'session_token');
     final cache = _ref.read(albumCoverCacheProvider);
+    final audioCache = _ref.read(audioCacheManagerProvider);
     final h = _ref.read(audioHandlerProvider)
-      ..configure(baseUrl: url ?? '', token: token, coverCache: cache);
+      ..configure(
+        baseUrl: url ?? '',
+        token: token,
+        coverCache: cache,
+        audioCacheManager: audioCache,
+      );
     await h.setQueueFromTracks(tracks, initialIndex: initialIndex);
     await h.play();
   }