diff --git a/backend/package.json b/backend/package.json
index 26041d9..2c5f441 100644
--- a/backend/package.json
+++ b/backend/package.json
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
     "@solana/spl-token": "^0.4.14",
     "@solana/web3.js": "^1.87.6",
     "axios": "^1.6.2",
+    "axios-cookiejar-support": "^5.0.5",
     "bcryptjs": "^2.4.3",
     "cors": "^2.8.5",
     "dotenv": "^16.3.1",
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@
     "jsonwebtoken": "^9.0.2",
     "morgan": "^1.10.0",
     "socket.io": "^4.7.3",
+    "tough-cookie": "^5.1.2",
     "tweetnacl": "^1.0.3",
     "ws": "^8.15.1"
   },
diff --git a/backend/src/services/listenarr.ts b/backend/src/services/listenarr.ts
index da7ecfe..00b5cdc 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/listenarr.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/listenarr.ts
@@ -1,18 +1,25 @@
 import axios from "axios";
+import { wrapper } from "axios-cookiejar-support";
+import { CookieJar } from "tough-cookie";
 
 const LISTENARR_URL = process.env.LISTENARR_URL || "";
 const LISTENARR_API_KEY = process.env.LISTENARR_API_KEY || "";
 
-const listenarrApi = axios.create({
-  baseURL: LISTENARR_URL,
-  timeout: 15000,
-  headers: {
-    "Content-Type": "application/json",
-    ...(LISTENARR_API_KEY ? { "X-Api-Key": LISTENARR_API_KEY } : {}),
-  },
-});
+const jar = new CookieJar();
+const listenarrApi = wrapper(
+  axios.create({
+    baseURL: LISTENARR_URL,
+    timeout: 15000,
+    headers: {
+      "Content-Type": "application/json",
+      ...(LISTENARR_API_KEY ? { "X-Api-Key": LISTENARR_API_KEY } : {}),
+    },
+    withCredentials: true,
+    jar,
+  }),
+);
 
-// ponytail: fetch CSRF token from Listenarr's /antiforgery/token endpoint
+// ponytail: fetch + cache CSRF token (cookie comes along via jar)
 let cachedCsrfToken: string | null = null;
 async function getCsrfToken(): Promise<string | null> {
   if (cachedCsrfToken) return cachedCsrfToken;
@@ -25,9 +32,7 @@ async function getCsrfToken(): Promise<string | null> {
   }
 }
 
-export async function searchAudiobooks(
-  query: string
-): Promise<any[]> {
+export async function searchAudiobooks(query: string): Promise<any[]> {
   const resp = await listenarrApi.get("/api/v1/search/audible", {
     params: { query },
   });
@@ -55,7 +60,6 @@ export async function addAudiobook(options: {
   explicit?: boolean;
   abridged?: boolean;
 }): Promise<any> {
-  // Defensive: ensure series/seriesNumber are always strings, not arrays
   const series = typeof options.series === "string" ? options.series : "";
   const seriesNumber = typeof options.seriesNumber === "string" ? options.seriesNumber : "";
 
@@ -74,8 +78,8 @@ export async function addAudiobook(options: {
       releaseDate: options.releaseDate || "",
       runtime: options.runtimeLengthMin ? options.runtimeLengthMin * 60 : 0,
       genres: options.genres || [],
-      series: series,
-      seriesNumber: seriesNumber,
+      series,
+      seriesNumber,
       isbn: Array.isArray(options.isbn) ? options.isbn : (typeof options.isbn === "string" && options.isbn ? options.isbn.split(",") : []),
       explicit: options.explicit || false,
       abridged: options.abridged || false,
@@ -93,13 +97,13 @@ export async function addAudiobook(options: {
     const resp = await listenarrApi.post("/api/v1/library/add", body, { headers });
     return resp.data;
   } catch (err: any) {
-    // ponytail: retry once on CSRF failure after refreshing token
+    // ponytail: retry once on CSRF failure after refreshing token + cookie
     if (err?.response?.status === 400 && /csrf|xsrf|antiforgery/i.test(JSON.stringify(err?.response?.data))) {
       cachedCsrfToken = null;
       const freshToken = await getCsrfToken();
       if (freshToken) {
-        const retryResp = await listenarrApi.post("/api/v1/library/add", body, { headers: { "X-XSRF-TOKEN": freshToken } });
-        return retryResp.data;
+        const resp = await listenarrApi.post("/api/v1/library/add", body, { headers: { "X-XSRF-TOKEN": freshToken } });
+        return resp.data;
       }
     }
     throw err;
@@ -112,9 +116,7 @@ export async function getListenarrStatus(): Promise<{
   error?: string;
 }> {
   try {
-    const resp = await listenarrApi.get("/api/v1/system/info", {
-      timeout: 5000,
-    });
+    const resp = await listenarrApi.get("/api/v1/system/info", { timeout: 5000 });
     return { connected: true, data: resp.data };
   } catch (error: any) {
     return {