diff --git a/flutter_client/lib/player/audio_handler.dart b/flutter_client/lib/player/audio_handler.dart
index 13886545..f9e2095b 100644
--- a/flutter_client/lib/player/audio_handler.dart
+++ b/flutter_client/lib/player/audio_handler.dart
@@ -1,23 +1,34 @@
+import 'dart:async';
+
 import 'package:audio_service/audio_service.dart';
 import 'package:flutter/foundation.dart';
 import 'package:just_audio/just_audio.dart';
 
 import '../models/track.dart';
+import 'album_cover_cache.dart';
 
 class MinstrelAudioHandler extends BaseAudioHandler with QueueHandler, SeekHandler {
   MinstrelAudioHandler() {
     _player.playbackEventStream.listen(_broadcastState);
+    _player.currentIndexStream.listen(_onCurrentIndexChanged);
   }
 
   final AudioPlayer _player = AudioPlayer();
   String _baseUrl = '';
   String? _token;
+  AlbumCoverCache? _coverCache;
 
-  void configure({required String baseUrl, required String? token}) {
+  void configure({
+    required String baseUrl,
+    required String? token,
+    AlbumCoverCache? coverCache,
+  }) {
     _baseUrl = baseUrl;
     _token = token;
+    if (coverCache != null) _coverCache = coverCache;
     debugPrint('audio_handler.configure: baseUrl="$baseUrl" '
-        'tokenPresent=${token != null && token.isNotEmpty}');
+        'tokenPresent=${token != null && token.isNotEmpty} '
+        'cachePresent=${_coverCache != null}');
   }
 
   Future<void> setQueueFromTracks(List<TrackRef> tracks, {int initialIndex = 0}) async {
@@ -54,6 +65,11 @@ class MinstrelAudioHandler extends BaseAudioHandler with QueueHandler, SeekHandl
       sources,
       initialIndex: initialIndex,
     );
+
+    // Kick the cover fetch for the initial item — async, doesn't block
+    // playback. Subsequent track changes are handled by the
+    // currentIndexStream listener.
+    unawaited(_loadArtForCurrentItem());
   }
 
   String _resolveStreamUrl(TrackRef t) {
@@ -73,8 +89,35 @@ class MinstrelAudioHandler extends BaseAudioHandler with QueueHandler, SeekHandl
         artist: t.artistName,
         album: t.albumTitle,
         duration: Duration(seconds: t.durationSec),
+        // Stash album_id in extras so _loadArtForCurrentItem can pull it
+        // back without re-walking the track list.
+        extras: t.albumId.isEmpty ? null : {'album_id': t.albumId},
       );
 
+  void _onCurrentIndexChanged(int? idx) {
+    if (idx == null) return;
+    unawaited(_loadArtForCurrentItem());
+  }
+
+  /// Async-fetches the cover for whichever item is currently active and
+  /// pushes a MediaItem update with artUri set. No-op if no cache is
+  /// configured, no current item, the item has no album_id in extras,
+  /// or the fetch returns null.
+  Future<void> _loadArtForCurrentItem() async {
+    final cache = _coverCache;
+    if (cache == null) return;
+    final current = mediaItem.value;
+    if (current == null) return;
+    final albumId = current.extras?['album_id'] as String?;
+    if (albumId == null || albumId.isEmpty) return;
+    if (current.artUri != null) return; // already set
+    final path = await cache.getOrFetch(albumId);
+    if (path == null) return;
+    // Discard if the user advanced to another track while we waited.
+    if (mediaItem.value?.id != current.id) return;
+    mediaItem.add(current.copyWith(artUri: Uri.file(path)));
+  }
+
   @override
   Future<void> play() => _player.play();