diff --git a/lib/screens/video_player/video_player.dart b/lib/screens/video_player/video_player.dart
index e751dace7..52f827fca 100644
--- a/lib/screens/video_player/video_player.dart
+++ b/lib/screens/video_player/video_player.dart
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import 'package:flutter_riverpod/flutter_riverpod.dart';
 import 'package:fladder/models/media_playback_model.dart';
 import 'package:fladder/models/playback/playback_model.dart';
 import 'package:fladder/models/playback/tv_playback_model.dart';
-import 'package:fladder/providers/pip_provider.dart';
 import 'package:fladder/providers/settings/video_player_settings_provider.dart';
 import 'package:fladder/providers/video_player_provider.dart';
 import 'package:fladder/screens/video_player/components/video_player_guide_wrapper.dart';
@@ -30,27 +29,16 @@ class _VideoPlayerState extends ConsumerState<VideoPlayer> with WidgetsBindingOb
   double lastScale = 0.0;
 
   bool errorPlaying = false;
-  bool playing = false;
 
   late PlaybackModel? currentPlaybackModel = ref.read(playBackModel);
 
   @override
   void didChangeAppLifecycleState(AppLifecycleState state) {
-    //Don't pause on desktop focus loss
+    //Don't manage the wakelock on desktop focus loss
     if (!(AdaptiveLayout.of(context).isDesktop || kIsWeb)) {
-      // Don't pause when entering PiP — playback must continue.
-      final inPip = ref.read(pipStateProvider).asData?.value ?? false;
-      switch (state) {
-        case AppLifecycleState.resumed:
-          if (playing) ref.read(videoPlayerProvider).play();
-          break;
-        case AppLifecycleState.hidden:
-        case AppLifecycleState.paused:
-        case AppLifecycleState.detached:
-          if (playing && !inPip) ref.read(videoPlayerProvider).pause();
-          break;
-        default:
-          break;
+      if (state == AppLifecycleState.resumed) {
+        // Android drops the keep-screen-on flag on resume; re-apply it.
+        ref.read(videoPlayerProvider).reassertWakelock();
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/lib/wrappers/media_control_wrapper.dart b/lib/wrappers/media_control_wrapper.dart
index c9372b07c..54ea00aef 100644
--- a/lib/wrappers/media_control_wrapper.dart
+++ b/lib/wrappers/media_control_wrapper.dart
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@ class MediaControlsWrapper extends BaseAudioHandler implements VideoPlayerContro
   bool _isAudioQueueMode = false;
   bool _audioQueueTransitioning = false;
 
+  /// Last requested wakelock state; used to skip redundant calls during steady playback.
+  bool _wakelockEnabled = false;
+
   AudioPrefetchBuffer? _prefetchBuffer;
   List<ItemBaseModel> _mpvPlaylistItems = [];
   int _mpvPlaylistCurrentIndex = 0;
@@ -259,6 +262,7 @@ class MediaControlsWrapper extends BaseAudioHandler implements VideoPlayerContro
       ));
       smtc?.setPosition(value.position);
       smtc?.setPlaybackStatus(value.playing ? PlaybackStatus.playing : PlaybackStatus.paused);
+      _applyWakelock(_shouldKeepScreenOn(value.playing));
       if (value.completed && !_audioQueueTransitioning) {
         _onAudioTrackCompleted();
       }
@@ -308,6 +312,32 @@ class MediaControlsWrapper extends BaseAudioHandler implements VideoPlayerContro
     return loadPreviousVideo();
   }
 
+  /// Video needs the screen awake; audio can keep playing with the screen off.
+  bool _shouldKeepScreenOn(bool playing) {
+    final item = ref.read(playBackModel.select((value) => value?.item));
+    return playing && item is! AudioModel;
+  }
+
+  /// Single source of truth for the wakelock. Idempotent during steady
+  /// playback; pass [force] to re-apply even when [_wakelockEnabled] already
+  /// matches (needed after Android silently clears the window flag on resume).
+  Future<void> _applyWakelock(bool shouldEnable, {bool force = false}) async {
+    if (!force && shouldEnable == _wakelockEnabled) return;
+    _wakelockEnabled = shouldEnable;
+    if (shouldEnable) {
+      await WakelockPlus.enable();
+    } else {
+      await WakelockPlus.disable();
+    }
+  }
+
+  /// Re-applies the wakelock based on the current playback state. Called when
+  /// the app returns to the foreground, because Android drops the
+  /// keep-screen-on window flag across a background→foreground cycle and
+  /// nothing else restores it while playback continues.
+  Future<void> reassertWakelock() async =>
+      _applyWakelock(_shouldKeepScreenOn(_player?.lastState.playing ?? false), force: true);
+
   @override
   Future<void> pause() async {
     await _player?.pause();
@@ -317,7 +347,7 @@ class MediaControlsWrapper extends BaseAudioHandler implements VideoPlayerContro
       updatePosition: position,
       controls: [MediaControl.play],
     ));
-    await WakelockPlus.disable();
+    await _applyWakelock(false);
     final playerState = _player;
     if (playerState != null) {
       final model = ref.read(playBackModel);
@@ -331,14 +361,12 @@ class MediaControlsWrapper extends BaseAudioHandler implements VideoPlayerContro
 
   @override
   Future<void> play() async {
-    // Only enable wakelock for video; audio can continue with screen off
-    final playBackItem = ref.read(playBackModel.select((value) => value?.item));
-    if (playBackItem is! AudioModel) {
-      await WakelockPlus.enable();
-    }
+    await _applyWakelock(_shouldKeepScreenOn(true));
 
     await _player?.play();
 
+    final playBackItem = ref.read(playBackModel.select((value) => value?.item));
+
     final currentPosition = await ref.read(playBackModel.select((value) => value?.startDuration()));
     if (_isNewPlayback || !playbackState.value.playing) {
       _isNewPlayback = false;
@@ -446,7 +474,7 @@ class MediaControlsWrapper extends BaseAudioHandler implements VideoPlayerContro
     if (playbackModel == null) return;
 
     ref.read(mediaPlaybackProvider.notifier).update((state) => state.copyWith(state: VideoPlayerState.disposed));
-    WakelockPlus.disable();
+    _applyWakelock(false);
     _player?.stop();
     ref.read(windowTitleProvider.notifier).setPlayTitle(null);
 
@@ -497,15 +525,7 @@ class MediaControlsWrapper extends BaseAudioHandler implements VideoPlayerContro
       controls: [playing ? MediaControl.pause : MediaControl.play],
     ));
 
-    if (playing) {
-      // Only enable wakelock for video; audio can continue with screen off
-      final playBackItem = ref.read(playBackModel.select((value) => value?.item));
-      if (playBackItem is! AudioModel) {
-        await WakelockPlus.enable();
-      }
-    } else {
-      await WakelockPlus.disable();
-    }
+    await _applyWakelock(_shouldKeepScreenOn(playing));
 
     final playerState = _player;
     if (playerState != null) {