diff --git a/flutter_client/lib/player/audio_handler.dart b/flutter_client/lib/player/audio_handler.dart
index 6e39a924..6626ba40 100644
--- a/flutter_client/lib/player/audio_handler.dart
+++ b/flutter_client/lib/player/audio_handler.dart
@@ -57,6 +57,17 @@ class MinstrelAudioHandler extends BaseAudioHandler with QueueHandler, SeekHandl
   /// time the buffered-position stream emits (~200ms cadence).
   String? _cacheDirPath;
 
+  /// How long the session may sit not-actively-playing (paused, or a
+  /// finished queue) before we tear it down so the Wear tile / lock
+  /// screen / notification don't linger on a stale track. The
+  /// notification is configured ongoing (main.dart), so nothing else
+  /// ever drives the MediaSession to a terminal state.
+  static const _idleStopTimeout = Duration(minutes: 5);
+
+  /// Single-shot cleanup timer, armed while not actively playing and
+  /// cancelled the moment playback resumes or a new queue is set.
+  Timer? _idleStopTimer;
+
   /// True while _fillRemainingSources is doing backward-fill inserts
   /// at index 0..initialIndex-1. Each insert shifts the player's
   /// currentIndex (it tracks the actively-playing source through
@@ -138,6 +149,11 @@ class MinstrelAudioHandler extends BaseAudioHandler with QueueHandler, SeekHandl
     String? source,
   }) async {
     if (tracks.isEmpty) return;
+    // New playback supersedes any pending idle cleanup. play() below
+    // re-broadcasts and _reconcileIdleTimer would cancel anyway; doing
+    // it up front avoids a race during the pause→swap window.
+    _idleStopTimer?.cancel();
+    _idleStopTimer = null;
     _queueSource = source;
     final clampedInitial = initialIndex.clamp(0, tracks.length - 1);
 
@@ -503,6 +519,46 @@ class MinstrelAudioHandler extends BaseAudioHandler with QueueHandler, SeekHandl
     mediaItem.add(current.copyWith(artUri: Uri.file(path)));
   }
 
+  /// Drives the session to a terminal state and tears down the
+  /// foreground service so external surfaces (Wear tile, lock screen,
+  /// in-app mini bar) drop it instead of showing a stale paused track.
+  /// Called on the idle timeout and from onTaskRemoved when not playing;
+  /// no other path stops the session (the notification is ongoing).
+  @override
+  Future<void> stop() async {
+    _idleStopTimer?.cancel();
+    _idleStopTimer = null;
+    try {
+      await _player.stop();
+    } catch (_) {}
+    // Explicit terminal broadcast before super.stop() tears down the
+    // isolate/notification, so subscribers see idle even if the
+    // player's own event lags the service teardown. queue/mediaItem
+    // cleared so the in-app mini bar collapses in lockstep with the
+    // watch tile rather than lingering on the last track.
+    playbackState.add(playbackState.value.copyWith(
+      playing: false,
+      processingState: AudioProcessingState.idle,
+    ));
+    mediaItem.add(null);
+    queue.add([]);
+    await super.stop();
+  }
+
+  /// App swiped away from recents. Keep playing if audio is active
+  /// (standard media behaviour — music shouldn't die because the app
+  /// left recents); otherwise stop so the watch tile / notification
+  /// don't linger on a stale paused track.
+  @override
+  Future<void> onTaskRemoved() async {
+    if (_player.playing &&
+        _player.processingState != ProcessingState.completed) {
+      await super.onTaskRemoved();
+      return;
+    }
+    await stop();
+  }
+
   @override
   Future<void> play() => _player.play();
 
@@ -639,6 +695,39 @@ class MinstrelAudioHandler extends BaseAudioHandler with QueueHandler, SeekHandl
         LoopMode.all => AudioServiceRepeatMode.all,
       },
     ));
+    _reconcileIdleTimer();
+  }
+
+  /// Arms (or cancels) the idle-cleanup timer based on the current
+  /// player state. Driven from _broadcastState, which fires on every
+  /// play/pause/buffer/complete transition, so paused AND finished-queue
+  /// both arm it. Idle (already stopped) never re-arms — otherwise stop()
+  /// would loop every _idleStopTimeout.
+  void _reconcileIdleTimer() {
+    final ps = _player.processingState;
+    if (ps == ProcessingState.idle) {
+      _idleStopTimer?.cancel();
+      _idleStopTimer = null;
+      return;
+    }
+    final activelyPlaying =
+        _player.playing && ps != ProcessingState.completed;
+    if (activelyPlaying) {
+      _idleStopTimer?.cancel();
+      _idleStopTimer = null;
+      return;
+    }
+    _idleStopTimer ??= Timer(_idleStopTimeout, _onIdleTimeout);
+  }
+
+  void _onIdleTimeout() {
+    _idleStopTimer = null;
+    final ps = _player.processingState;
+    if (ps == ProcessingState.idle) return; // already torn down
+    if (_player.playing && ps != ProcessingState.completed) {
+      return; // resumed between arm and fire
+    }
+    unawaited(stop());
   }
 }