diff --git a/frontend/app.js b/frontend/app.js
index a003b1f..96b8edf 100755
--- a/frontend/app.js
+++ b/frontend/app.js
@@ -437,7 +437,7 @@ async function resumableOpfsSave(videoId, qs, hevc, onProgress, signal) {
   return { ok: false, error: 'the server copy kept changing — try again' };
 }
 
-async function opfsDownload(videoId, { mux = false, onProgress = null, signal } = {}) {
+async function opfsDownload(videoId, { mux = false, retry = false, onProgress = null, signal } = {}) {
   if (!window.OPFS || !window.OPFS.isSupported()) {
     return { ok: false, error: 'OPFS not supported in this browser' };
   }
@@ -452,6 +452,15 @@ async function opfsDownload(videoId, { mux = false, onProgress = null, signal }
   const qs = params.toString();
   const url = `/api/download/${encodeURIComponent(videoId)}${qs ? '?' + qs : ''}`;
 
+  if (retry) {
+    try {
+      const response = await fetch(`/api/download/${encodeURIComponent(videoId)}/retry`, { method: 'POST', cache: 'no-store', signal });
+      const result = await response.json();
+      if (!response.ok || !result.ok) return { ok: false, error: result.error || 'Could not restart this save.' };
+    } catch (error) {
+      return { ok: false, paused: true, error: error.name === 'AbortError' ? 'Save paused' : 'Connection lost' };
+    }
+  }
   const resumed = await resumableOpfsSave(videoId, qs, params.get('hevc') === '1', onProgress, signal);
   if (resumed) return resumed;
 
@@ -1791,7 +1800,7 @@ function recordDeviceFile(id, res) {
 }
 
 // Download a video into the permanent offline cache. Safe to call repeatedly.
-async function preload(video, { quiet = false, mux = false } = {}) {
+async function preload(video, { quiet = false, mux = false, retry = false } = {}) {
   const id = video.id;
   // Custom (edited) videos have no YouTube source to (re)download — their
   // media is produced once by the editor. Never route them through the normal
@@ -1816,7 +1825,7 @@ async function preload(video, { quiet = false, mux = false } = {}) {
     await SaveSlots.acquire(controller.signal);
     slot = true;
     SaveQueue.progress(id, null);
-    const res = await API.cacheDownload(id, { mux, signal: controller.signal, onProgress: (p) => SaveQueue.progress(id, p) });
+    const res = await API.cacheDownload(id, { mux, retry, signal: controller.signal, onProgress: (p) => SaveQueue.progress(id, p) });
     if (res && res.paused) {
       // The partial stays on the device; SaveQueue picks it up again.
       if (!quiet) toast(`Paused “${video.title}” — it will continue when the connection is back`);
@@ -12560,7 +12569,7 @@ async function boot() {
   updateBottomChrome();
   if (window.Downloads) Downloads.configure({
     jobs: () => SaveQueue.pending().map(v => ({ ...v, status: downloading.has(v.id) ? (SaveQueue.get(v.id)?.phase === 'waiting' ? 'queued' : 'active') : v.status || 'paused', progress: SaveQueue.get(v.id) })),
-    action: (id, action) => { if (action === 'pause') SaveQueue.pause(id); else if (action === 'cancel') SaveQueue.cancel(id); else { const v = SaveQueue.pending().find(v => v.id === id); if (v) preload(v, { quiet: true }); } },
+    action: (id, action) => { if (action === 'pause') SaveQueue.pause(id); else if (action === 'cancel') SaveQueue.cancel(id); else { const v = SaveQueue.pending().find(v => v.id === id); if (v) preload(v, { quiet: true, retry: action === 'retry' }); } },
     playlists: () => data.playlists, slots: () => data.settings.parallelSaves || 4,
     files: async () => { const result = []; if (!WEB || !navigator.storage?.getDirectory) return result;
       const root = await navigator.storage.getDirectory();
diff --git a/playwright.download-retry.config.js b/playwright.download-retry.config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a38353d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playwright.download-retry.config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+const { defineConfig } = require('@playwright/test');
+module.exports = defineConfig({ ...require('./playwright.classic.config'), testMatch: /download-retry\.spec\.js/ });
diff --git a/server/download-retry.js b/server/download-retry.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dd8684f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/download-retry.js
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+// Explicit user retries bypass a failed cache row's backoff, not disk guards.
+export function registerDownloadRetryRoute(app, { media, priority, clearHints = () => {}, now = Date.now, log = console }) {
+  const recent = new Map();
+  app.post('/api/download/:videoId/retry', async c => {
+    const id = (c.req.param('videoId') || '').trim();
+    const headers = { 'Cache-Control': 'no-store' };
+    if (!/^[A-Za-z0-9_-]{11}$/.test(id)) return c.json({ ok: false, error: 'invalid video id' }, 400, headers);
+    // Already-ready and active jobs are reusable, so Retry never deletes a
+    // playable copy or spawns a second downloader for the same song.
+    const status = await media.status(id);
+    if (status.status === 'ready' || status.status === 'queued' || ['downloading', 'validating'].includes(status.status)) {
+      clearHints(id);
+      return c.json({ ok: true, state: status.status === 'ready' ? 'ready' : 'working' }, 200, headers);
+    }
+    const time = now();
+    if (recent.has(id) && time - recent.get(id) < 15_000) {
+      return c.json({ ok: false, error: 'Please wait a few seconds before trying again.' }, 429, { ...headers, 'Retry-After': '15' });
+    }
+    recent.set(id, time);
+    if (recent.size > 2000) for (const [key, at] of recent) if (time - at >= 15_000) recent.delete(key);
+    if (recent.size > 2000) recent.delete(recent.keys().next().value);
+    clearHints(id);
+    // The existing cache owns the asynchronous job and deduplicates races.
+    // Its normal USB-volume, free-space, size and validation checks still run.
+    media.ensureCached(id, { priority, force: true }).catch(error => log.warn?.(`[download retry] ${id}: ${error.message}`));
+    return c.json({ ok: true, state: 'working' }, 202, headers);
+  });
+}
diff --git a/server/download-retry.test.js b/server/download-retry.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..41970a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/download-retry.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+import { test, expect } from 'bun:test';
+import { Hono } from 'hono';
+import { registerDownloadRetryRoute } from './download-retry.js';
+function fixture(status = 'failed') {
+  const app = new Hono(), calls = [], hints = [];
+  let clock = 1000;
+  registerDownloadRetryRoute(app, {
+    media: { status: async () => ({ status }), ensureCached: async (id, options) => { calls.push([id, options]); } },
+    priority: 0, clearHints: id => hints.push(id), now: () => clock, log: { warn() {} },
+  });
+  return { app, calls, hints, advance: () => { clock += 16000; } };
+}
+const request = app => app.request('/api/download/wZzRoXymOUU/retry', { method: 'POST' });
+test('explicit retry starts a fresh guarded cache job and clears stale hints', async () => {
+  const { app, calls, hints } = fixture();
+  const response = await request(app);
+  expect(response.status).toBe(202);
+  expect(await response.json()).toEqual({ ok: true, state: 'working' });
+  expect(calls).toEqual([['wZzRoXymOUU', { priority: 0, force: true }]]);
+  expect(hints).toEqual(['wZzRoXymOUU']);
+  expect(response.headers.get('cache-control')).toBe('no-store');
+});
+test('ready and in-progress songs are reused instead of redownloaded', async () => {
+  for (const status of ['ready', 'queued', 'downloading', 'validating']) {
+    const { app, calls } = fixture(status);
+    expect((await request(app)).status).toBe(200);
+    expect(calls).toHaveLength(0);
+  }
+});
+test('failed-job retries are bounded while later deliberate retries work', async () => {
+  const f = fixture();
+  expect((await request(f.app)).status).toBe(202);
+  const blocked = await request(f.app);
+  expect(blocked.status).toBe(429);
+  expect(blocked.headers.get('retry-after')).toBe('15');
+  expect(f.calls).toHaveLength(1);
+  f.advance();
+  expect((await request(f.app)).status).toBe(202);
+  expect(f.calls).toHaveLength(2);
+});
+test('invalid ids never reach cache machinery and GET cannot force a retry', async () => {
+  const { app, calls } = fixture();
+  expect((await app.request('/api/download/bad-id/retry', { method: 'POST' })).status).toBe(400);
+  expect((await app.request('/api/download/wZzRoXymOUU/retry')).status).toBe(404);
+  expect(calls).toHaveLength(0);
+});
+test('asynchronous upstream failure is handled and remains available through status', async () => {
+  const app = new Hono(), warnings = [];
+  registerDownloadRetryRoute(app, { priority: 0, media: { status: async () => ({ status: 'failed' }), ensureCached: async () => { throw new Error('Video unavailable'); } }, log: { warn: detail => warnings.push(detail) } });
+  expect((await request(app)).status).toBe(202);
+  expect(warnings[0]).toContain('Video unavailable');
+});
diff --git a/server/media-cache.test.js b/server/media-cache.test.js
index 9e4e869..c44ffc4 100644
--- a/server/media-cache.test.js
+++ b/server/media-cache.test.js
@@ -192,6 +192,23 @@ describe('media cache jobs', () => {
     expect(calls.length).toBe(1);
   });
 
+  test('force retry bypasses failed backoff, deduplicates and preserves ready copies', async () => {
+    await clearDb();
+    const { cache, calls, state } = makeCache({ fixture: 'truncated.mp4' });
+    await cache.init();
+    await expect(cache.ensureCached('retryAAAAA1', { priority: HIGH })).rejects.toThrow();
+    await expect(cache.ensureCached('retryAAAAA1')).rejects.toMatchObject({ code: 'BACKOFF' });
+    state.fixture = 'good.mp4';
+    const [first, joined] = await Promise.all([
+      cache.ensureCached('retryAAAAA1', { priority: HIGH, force: true }),
+      cache.ensureCached('retryAAAAA1', { priority: HIGH, force: true }),
+    ]);
+    expect(first.gen).toBe(joined.gen);
+    expect(calls).toHaveLength(2);
+    expect((await cache.ensureCached('retryAAAAA1', { force: true })).gen).toBe(first.gen);
+    expect(calls).toHaveLength(2);
+  });
+
   test('a faststart download with cut media data is rejected too', async () => {
     await clearDb();
     const { cache, dir } = makeCache({ fixture: 'truncated-fs.mp4' });
diff --git a/server/server.js b/server/server.js
index c695802..a27aa65 100644
--- a/server/server.js
+++ b/server/server.js
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
  * UI code works without modification in WEB mode.
  * ========================================================================== */
 
+import { registerDownloadRetryRoute } from './download-retry.js';
 import { createResilientYtdlp, BOT_CHECK_RE, DEFAULT_FALLBACK_CLIENTS } from './ytdlp-resilience.js';
 import { Hono }         from 'hono';
 import { serveStatic }  from 'hono/bun';
@@ -1600,6 +1601,9 @@ app.post('/api/media/:id/redownload', async (c) => {
 // Saves fetch the copy in byte ranges (docs/resumable-downloads-plan.md):
 // the ETag pins the generation, so a resumed save never mixes two copies.
 const prepareSkips = new Map(); // videoId → { reason, at } for /prepare
+registerDownloadRetryRoute(app, {
+  media, priority: HIGH, clearHints: id => { prepareSkips.delete(id); streamCache.delete(id); },
+});
 const DOWNLOAD_EXPOSE = 'X-Content-SHA256, Content-Range, Content-Length, ETag, Accept-Ranges';
 function cachedDownloadResponse(c, videoId, fp, row) {
   if (fp && !c.req.header('range')) recordVideoAccess(fp, { id: videoId }).catch(() => {});
diff --git a/tests/download-retry.spec.js b/tests/download-retry.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..64e4eaf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/download-retry.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+const { test, expect } = require('@playwright/test');
+const { openClassic } = require('./helpers/classic-fixture');
+const id = 'wZzRoXymOUU';
+
+for (const layout of ['classic', 'glass-stage']) for (const screen of ['downloads', 'settings']) {
+  test(`${layout} ${screen}: Retry starts a fresh server job before preparation`, async ({ page }) => {
+    await page.setViewportSize({ width: 390, height: 844 });
+    await openClassic(page, { settings: { autoPreload: false } });
+    const requests = [];
+    await page.route(`**/api/download/${id}/retry`, route => {
+      requests.push('retry:' + route.request().method());
+      return route.fulfill({ status: 202, contentType: 'application/json', body: '{"ok":true,"state":"working"}' });
+    });
+    await page.route(`**/api/download/${id}/prepare*`, route => {
+      requests.push('prepare');
+      return route.fulfill({ contentType: 'application/json', body: '{"ok":true,"state":"ready","etag":"fixture","size":4096,"ext":"mp4"}' });
+    });
+    await page.evaluate(({ layout, screen, id }) => {
+      data.settings.layout = layout; applyAppearance();
+      window.OPFS.isSupported = () => true;
+      window.OPFS.downloadVideo = async () => ({ ok: true, size: 4096 });
+      SaveQueue.add({ id, title: 'Rock Medley', channel: 'Petra - Topic' });
+      SaveQueue.state(id, 'failed', `ERROR: [youtube] ${id}: Video unavailable`);
+      view = { type: screen }; render();
+    }, { layout, screen, id });
+    if (screen === 'settings') await page.locator('[data-section="downloads-storage"]').click();
+    await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Retry Rock Medley', exact: true }).click();
+    await expect.poll(() => requests).toEqual(['retry:POST', 'prepare']);
+    await expect.poll(() => page.evaluate(id => cachedIds.has(id), id)).toBe(true);
+    expect(await page.evaluate(() => SaveQueue.pending().length)).toBe(0);
+  });
+}
+
+test('normal resumptions do not force the server to restart a cache job', async ({ page }) => {
+  await openClassic(page, { settings: { autoPreload: false } });
+  let retries = 0;
+  await page.route(`**/api/download/${id}/retry`, route => { retries++; return route.fulfill({ contentType: 'application/json', body: '{"ok":true}' }); });
+  await page.route(`**/api/download/${id}/prepare*`, route => route.fulfill({ contentType: 'application/json', body: '{"ok":true,"state":"ready","etag":"fixture","size":4096}' }));
+  await page.evaluate(async id => {
+    window.OPFS.isSupported = () => true;
+    window.OPFS.downloadVideo = async () => ({ ok: true, size: 4096 });
+    await preload({ id, title: 'Rock Medley' }, { quiet: true });
+  }, id);
+  expect(retries).toBe(0);
+  expect(await page.evaluate(id => cachedIds.has(id), id)).toBe(true);
+});