diff --git a/app/client/package-lock.json b/app/client/package-lock.json
index dffc7783..68bf2ef1 100644
--- a/app/client/package-lock.json
+++ b/app/client/package-lock.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "fireshare",
-  "version": "1.7.3",
+  "version": "1.7.5",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
@@ -4868,4 +4868,4 @@
       }
     }
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/client/package.json b/app/client/package.json
index 7684fa9a..138e7b4f 100644
--- a/app/client/package.json
+++ b/app/client/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "fireshare",
-  "version": "1.7.4",
+  "version": "1.7.5",
   "private": true,
   "dependencies": {
     "@emotion/react": "^11.9.0",
@@ -39,4 +39,4 @@
     "build": "vite build",
     "preview": "vite preview"
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/client/src/components/modal/VideoModal.js b/app/client/src/components/modal/VideoModal.js
index 26549b29..c43357e3 100644
--- a/app/client/src/components/modal/VideoModal.js
+++ b/app/client/src/components/modal/VideoModal.js
@@ -423,6 +423,9 @@ const VideoModal = ({
     if (!open) {
       clearInterval(cropPollRef.current)
       setCropProcessing(false)
+      // Drop the player wrapper so the unmounted <video> element it references
+      // can be garbage collected along with its decoder resources.
+      playerRef.current = null
     }
   }, [open])
 
diff --git a/app/client/src/components/player/VideoJSPlayer.js b/app/client/src/components/player/VideoJSPlayer.js
index efeaea96..1a61b0f4 100644
--- a/app/client/src/components/player/VideoJSPlayer.js
+++ b/app/client/src/components/player/VideoJSPlayer.js
@@ -70,6 +70,22 @@ function PlayerEffects({ sources, onSourceChange, onTimeUpdate, onReady, startTi
     }
   }, [media, playerWrapper])
 
+  // --- teardown: release the media element's decoder/buffers on unmount ------
+  // React only removes the <video> node from the DOM; without an explicit src
+  // detach Chrome keeps the demuxer and hardware decoder pinned until GC,
+  // which accumulates across open/close cycles and can crash the GPU process.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!media) return
+    return () => {
+      // isConnected is still true during StrictMode's simulated unmount —
+      // only tear down once the element has really left the DOM.
+      if (media.isConnected) return
+      media.pause()
+      media.removeAttribute('src')
+      media.load()
+    }
+  }, [media])
+
   // --- startTime: seek to the requested position once the player is ready ----
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!media || !startTime || startTimeApplied.current) return
diff --git a/app/server/fireshare/api/admin.py b/app/server/fireshare/api/admin.py
index 7dda4722..c518e2d8 100644
--- a/app/server/fireshare/api/admin.py
+++ b/app/server/fireshare/api/admin.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 from .. import db, logger, util
 from ..models import Video, VideoInfo, VideoView, GameMetadata, VideoGameLink, VideoTagLink, Image, ImageInfo, ImageGameLink, ImageTagLink, ImageView, TranscodeJob, MediaFolder
 from . import api
+from .helpers import cancel_pending_transcode_jobs, delete_video_files
 from .transcoding import _is_pid_running
 from .scan import _game_scan_state
 from .decorators import demo_restrict
@@ -404,6 +405,8 @@ def bulk_delete_files():
         folder_id = video.folder_id
 
         try:
+            cancel_pending_transcode_jobs(vid_id)
+
             VideoInfo.query.filter_by(video_id=vid_id).delete()
             VideoGameLink.query.filter_by(video_id=vid_id).delete()
             VideoTagLink.query.filter_by(video_id=vid_id).delete()
@@ -413,15 +416,7 @@ def bulk_delete_files():
 
             MediaFolder.cleanup_if_orphaned(folder_id, Video)
 
-            try:
-                if file_path.exists():
-                    file_path.unlink()
-                if link_path.exists() or link_path.is_symlink():
-                    link_path.unlink()
-                if derived_path.exists():
-                    shutil.rmtree(derived_path)
-            except OSError as e:
-                logging.error(f"Error deleting files for video {vid_id}: {e}")
+            delete_video_files(vid_id, file_path, link_path, derived_path)
 
             results['deleted'].append(vid_id)
         except Exception as e:
diff --git a/app/server/fireshare/api/game.py b/app/server/fireshare/api/game.py
index 58d60b47..ec27b259 100644
--- a/app/server/fireshare/api/game.py
+++ b/app/server/fireshare/api/game.py
@@ -11,7 +11,12 @@
 from ..models import Video, VideoInfo, VideoView, GameMetadata, VideoGameLink, Image, ImageInfo, ImageGameLink, ImageView
 from ..steamgrid import SteamGridDBClient
 from . import api
-from .helpers import get_steamgriddb_api_key, login_required_unless_public_game_tag
+from .helpers import (
+    cancel_pending_transcode_jobs,
+    delete_video_files,
+    get_steamgriddb_api_key,
+    login_required_unless_public_game_tag,
+)
 
 
 def find_asset_with_extensions(asset_dir, base_name):
@@ -513,25 +518,15 @@ def delete_game(steamgriddb_id):
             link_path = paths['processed'] / 'video_links' / f"{video.video_id}{video.extension}"
             derived_path = paths['processed'] / 'derived' / video.video_id
 
+            cancel_pending_transcode_jobs(video.video_id)
+
             # Delete from database
             VideoGameLink.query.filter_by(video_id=video.video_id).delete()
             VideoView.query.filter_by(video_id=video.video_id).delete()
             VideoInfo.query.filter_by(video_id=video.video_id).delete()
             Video.query.filter_by(video_id=video.video_id).delete()
 
-            # Delete files
-            try:
-                if file_path.exists():
-                    file_path.unlink()
-                    logger.info(f"Deleted video file: {file_path}")
-                if link_path.exists() or link_path.is_symlink():
-                    link_path.unlink()
-                    logger.info(f"Deleted link file: {link_path}")
-                if derived_path.exists():
-                    shutil.rmtree(derived_path)
-                    logger.info(f"Deleted derived directory: {derived_path}")
-            except OSError as e:
-                logger.error(f"Error deleting files for video {video.video_id}: {e}")
+            delete_video_files(video.video_id, file_path, link_path, derived_path)
     else:
         # Just unlink videos from the game
         for link in video_links:
diff --git a/app/server/fireshare/api/helpers.py b/app/server/fireshare/api/helpers.py
index 5c1c753a..45bb6c0c 100644
--- a/app/server/fireshare/api/helpers.py
+++ b/app/server/fireshare/api/helpers.py
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 import json
 import os
 import re
+import secrets
+import shutil
+import time
 from functools import wraps
 from flask import current_app
-from .. import logger
-from ..models import Video
+from .. import db, logger
+from ..models import TranscodeJob, Video
 
 
 def secure_filename(filename):
@@ -12,6 +15,118 @@ def secure_filename(filename):
     return clean
 
 
+# Path separators and control characters are never valid in a folder name. Spaces
+# and punctuation are, because auto-sorted uploads are filed under the game's name
+# ("Zenless Zone Zero"), and rejecting those would silently drop the upload back
+# into the default folder.
+_INVALID_FOLDER_CHARS = re.compile(r"[/\\\x00-\x1F\x7F]")
+
+
+def sanitize_upload_folder(name):
+    """Reduce a user-supplied upload folder to a safe single-level directory name.
+
+    Returns the cleaned name, or None when nothing usable is left and the caller
+    should fall back to the configured default folder.
+    """
+    folder = _INVALID_FOLDER_CHARS.sub('-', name or '').strip()
+    # Leading dots would both escape the media root ("..") and hide the folder from
+    # the upload folder listing, which skips dotfiles.
+    folder = folder.lstrip('.').strip()
+    return folder or None
+
+
+def remove_derived_dir(derived_path, attempts=4, delay=0.25):
+    """Remove a derived/<id> directory, tolerating jobs that are still writing into it.
+
+    Poster generation and ffmpeg transcodes create files under derived/<id> while a
+    delete is in flight, so a plain rmtree can lose the race between its final rmdir
+    and a file created just after the directory was listed, failing with ENOTEMPTY.
+    Retry a few times, then move the tree aside so the original path is freed either
+    way. Anything left behind is reported by the orphaned-derived cleanup in the
+    admin file manager.
+
+    Returns None on success, or an error string when the directory could not be
+    removed or moved aside.
+    """
+    if not derived_path.exists():
+        return None
+
+    last_error = None
+    for attempt in range(attempts):
+        try:
+            shutil.rmtree(derived_path)
+            return None
+        except OSError as e:
+            last_error = e
+            if attempt < attempts - 1:
+                time.sleep(delay)
+
+    staged_path = derived_path.with_name(f"{derived_path.name}.deleting-{secrets.token_hex(4)}")
+    try:
+        derived_path.rename(staged_path)
+    except OSError as e:
+        return f"derived directory {derived_path}: {last_error or e}"
+
+    shutil.rmtree(staged_path, ignore_errors=True)
+    if staged_path.exists():
+        logger.warning(
+            f"Derived directory {derived_path} was still being written to ({last_error}); "
+            f"moved it to {staged_path}, which can be removed via the orphaned derived cleanup"
+        )
+    return None
+
+
+def delete_video_files(video_id, file_path, link_path, derived_path):
+    """Remove every on-disk artifact for a video.
+
+    Each target is deleted independently so that a failure on one - most often the
+    derived directory, which background jobs may still be writing into - does not
+    skip the others. Returns a list of error strings (empty when everything was
+    removed).
+    """
+    errors = []
+
+    try:
+        if file_path.exists():
+            file_path.unlink()
+            logger.info(f"Deleted video file: {file_path}")
+    except OSError as e:
+        errors.append(f"video file {file_path}: {e}")
+
+    try:
+        if link_path.exists() or link_path.is_symlink():
+            link_path.unlink()
+            logger.info(f"Deleted link file: {link_path}")
+    except OSError as e:
+        errors.append(f"link file {link_path}: {e}")
+
+    had_derived = derived_path.exists()
+    derived_error = remove_derived_dir(derived_path)
+    if derived_error:
+        errors.append(derived_error)
+    elif had_derived:
+        logger.info(f"Deleted derived directory: {derived_path}")
+
+    for error in errors:
+        logger.error(f"Error deleting files for video {video_id}: {error}")
+    return errors
+
+
+def cancel_pending_transcode_jobs(video_id):
+    """Drop any queued transcode job for a video that is being deleted.
+
+    A job left in the queue would start ffmpeg for a video that no longer exists,
+    recreating the derived directory we just removed. Left uncommitted so it lands
+    with the caller's own delete transaction.
+    """
+    removed = TranscodeJob.query.filter(
+        TranscodeJob.video_id == video_id,
+        TranscodeJob.status == 'pending',
+    ).delete(synchronize_session=False)
+    if removed:
+        logger.info(f"Clearing {removed} queued transcode job(s) for deleted video {video_id}")
+
+
 def add_cache_headers(response, cache_key, max_age=604800):
     """Add cache headers for static assets (default: 7 days)."""
     response.headers['Cache-Control'] = f'public, max-age={max_age}, must-revalidate'
diff --git a/app/server/fireshare/api/image.py b/app/server/fireshare/api/image.py
index 103b2b75..f510e7c4 100644
--- a/app/server/fireshare/api/image.py
+++ b/app/server/fireshare/api/image.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 from .. import db, logger, util
 from ..models import Image, ImageInfo, ImageView, ImageGameLink, ImageTagLink, GameMetadata, MediaFolder
 from . import api
-from .helpers import secure_filename
+from .helpers import sanitize_upload_folder, secure_filename
 from .decorators import demo_restrict
 
 
@@ -60,8 +60,8 @@ def upload_image():
         return Response(status=500, response='Invalid config file.')
 
     upload_folder = config['app_config'].get('admin_upload_folder_name', 'uploads')
-    requested_folder = request.form.get('folder', '').strip()
-    if requested_folder and '/' not in requested_folder and '..' not in requested_folder:
+    requested_folder = sanitize_upload_folder(request.form.get('folder'))
+    if requested_folder:
         upload_folder = requested_folder
 
     if 'file' not in request.files:
@@ -121,9 +121,9 @@ def upload_image_public():
         return Response(status=401)
 
     upload_folder = config['app_config'].get('public_upload_folder_name', 'public uploads')
-    requested_folder = request.form.get('folder', '').strip()
-    if requested_folder and '/' not in requested_folder and '..' not in requested_folder:
-        if config['app_config'].get('allow_public_folder_selection', False):
+    if config['app_config'].get('allow_public_folder_selection', False):
+        requested_folder = sanitize_upload_folder(request.form.get('folder'))
+        if requested_folder:
             upload_folder = requested_folder
 
     if 'file' not in request.files:
diff --git a/app/server/fireshare/api/tag.py b/app/server/fireshare/api/tag.py
index c0c648cf..944c1b87 100644
--- a/app/server/fireshare/api/tag.py
+++ b/app/server/fireshare/api/tag.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import shutil
 import threading
 from datetime import datetime
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -10,6 +9,7 @@
 from .. import db, logger, util
 from ..models import Video, VideoInfo, VideoView, VideoGameLink, VideoTagLink, CustomTag
 from . import api
+from .helpers import cancel_pending_transcode_jobs, delete_video_files
 
 
 def _regenerate_boomerang_bg(video_id, extension, processed_directory):
@@ -134,20 +134,13 @@ def delete_tag(tag_id):
             file_path = paths['video'] / video.path
             link_path = paths['processed'] / 'video_links' / f"{video.video_id}{video.extension}"
             derived_path = paths['processed'] / 'derived' / video.video_id
+            cancel_pending_transcode_jobs(video.video_id)
             VideoTagLink.query.filter_by(video_id=video.video_id).delete()
             VideoGameLink.query.filter_by(video_id=video.video_id).delete()
             VideoView.query.filter_by(video_id=video.video_id).delete()
             VideoInfo.query.filter_by(video_id=video.video_id).delete()
             Video.query.filter_by(video_id=video.video_id).delete()
-            try:
-                if file_path.exists():
-                    file_path.unlink()
-                if link_path.exists() or link_path.is_symlink():
-                    link_path.unlink()
-                if derived_path.exists():
-                    shutil.rmtree(derived_path)
-            except OSError as e:
-                logger.error(f"Error deleting files for video {video.video_id}: {e}")
+            delete_video_files(video.video_id, file_path, link_path, derived_path)
     else:
         for link in video_links:
             db.session.delete(link)
diff --git a/app/server/fireshare/api/upload.py b/app/server/fireshare/api/upload.py
index 4385d1e1..5a2ad415 100644
--- a/app/server/fireshare/api/upload.py
+++ b/app/server/fireshare/api/upload.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 from .. import logger, util
 from ..constants import SUPPORTED_FILE_TYPES
 from . import api
-from .helpers import secure_filename
+from .helpers import sanitize_upload_folder, secure_filename
 from . import transcoding as _transcoding_mod
 
 
@@ -100,8 +100,8 @@ def public_upload_video():
 
     upload_folder = config['app_config']['public_upload_folder_name']
     if config['app_config'].get('allow_public_folder_selection', False):
-        requested_folder = request.form.get('folder', '').strip()
-        if requested_folder and '/' not in requested_folder and '..' not in requested_folder and ' ' not in requested_folder:
+        requested_folder = sanitize_upload_folder(request.form.get('folder'))
+        if requested_folder:
             upload_folder = requested_folder
 
     if 'file' not in request.files:
@@ -173,8 +173,8 @@ def public_upload_videoChunked():
         return size_err
 
     if config['app_config'].get('allow_public_folder_selection', False):
-        requested_folder = request.form.get('folder', '').strip()
-        if requested_folder and '/' not in requested_folder and '..' not in requested_folder and ' ' not in requested_folder:
+        requested_folder = sanitize_upload_folder(request.form.get('folder'))
+        if requested_folder:
             upload_folder = requested_folder
 
     upload_directory = paths['video'] / upload_folder
@@ -296,8 +296,8 @@ def upload_video():
         configfile.close()
 
     upload_folder = config['app_config']['admin_upload_folder_name']
-    requested_folder = request.form.get('folder', '').strip()
-    if requested_folder and '/' not in requested_folder and '..' not in requested_folder and ' ' not in requested_folder:
+    requested_folder = sanitize_upload_folder(request.form.get('folder'))
+    if requested_folder:
         upload_folder = requested_folder
 
     if 'file' not in request.files:
@@ -340,8 +340,8 @@ def upload_videoChunked():
         configfile.close()
 
     upload_folder = config['app_config']['admin_upload_folder_name']
-    requested_folder = request.form.get('folder', '').strip()
-    if requested_folder and '/' not in requested_folder and '..' not in requested_folder and ' ' not in requested_folder:
+    requested_folder = sanitize_upload_folder(request.form.get('folder'))
+    if requested_folder:
         upload_folder = requested_folder
 
     required_files = ['blob']
diff --git a/app/server/fireshare/api/video.py b/app/server/fireshare/api/video.py
index 734486ee..3614939b 100644
--- a/app/server/fireshare/api/video.py
+++ b/app/server/fireshare/api/video.py
@@ -19,7 +19,13 @@
 from .. import db, logger, util
 from ..models import Video, VideoInfo, VideoView, VideoGameLink, VideoTagLink, FolderRule, MediaFolder
 from . import api
-from .helpers import get_video_path, add_cache_headers, add_poster_cache_headers
+from .helpers import (
+    add_cache_headers,
+    add_poster_cache_headers,
+    cancel_pending_transcode_jobs,
+    delete_video_files,
+    get_video_path,
+)
 from .decorators import demo_restrict
 
 
@@ -443,6 +449,8 @@ def delete_video(id):
 
         folder_id = video.folder_id
 
+        cancel_pending_transcode_jobs(id)
+
         VideoInfo.query.filter_by(video_id=id).delete()
         VideoGameLink.query.filter_by(video_id=id).delete()
         VideoTagLink.query.filter_by(video_id=id).delete()
@@ -452,19 +460,7 @@ def delete_video(id):
 
         MediaFolder.cleanup_if_orphaned(folder_id, Video)
 
-        try:
-            if file_path.exists():
-                file_path.unlink()
-                logging.info(f"Deleted video file: {file_path}")
-            if link_path.exists() or link_path.is_symlink():
-                link_path.unlink()
-                logging.info(f"Deleted link file: {link_path}")
-            if derived_path.exists():
-                shutil.rmtree(derived_path)
-                logging.info(f"Deleted derived directory: {derived_path}")
-        except OSError as e:
-            logging.error(f"Error deleting files for video {id}: {e}")
-            logging.error(f"Attempted to delete: file={file_path}, link={link_path}, derived={derived_path}")
+        delete_video_files(id, file_path, link_path, derived_path)
         return Response(status=200)
 
     else:
diff --git a/app/server/fireshare/cli.py b/app/server/fireshare/cli.py
index bf712aae..9d1da918 100755
--- a/app/server/fireshare/cli.py
+++ b/app/server/fireshare/cli.py
@@ -188,6 +188,13 @@ def _get_or_create_media_folder(folder_cache, dirname, media_type):
         db.session.add(folder)
         db.session.flush()
         logger.info(f"Created MediaFolder '{dirname}' (media_type={media_type})")
+    elif not folder.available:
+        # A folder emptied by a previous scan is marked unavailable and never
+        # revived elsewhere, which would hide it again as soon as new media lands in it.
+        folder.available = True
+        folder.updated_at = datetime.utcnow()
+        db.session.flush()
+        logger.info(f"Reactivated MediaFolder '{dirname}' (media_type={media_type})")
     folder_cache[key] = folder
     return folder
 
@@ -553,7 +560,13 @@ def scan_video(ctx, path, tag_ids, game_id, title):
                 created_at = datetime.fromtimestamp(os.path.getmtime(f"{videos_path}/{path}"))
                 updated_at = datetime.fromtimestamp(os.path.getmtime(f"{videos_path}/{path}"))
                 recorded_at = util.extract_date_from_file(video_file)
-                v = Video(video_id=video_id, extension=video_file.suffix, path=path, available=True, created_at=created_at, updated_at=updated_at, recorded_at=recorded_at)
+                # Assign the containing folder the same way scan_videos does, so an
+                # upload sorted into a game folder shows up under that folder right
+                # away instead of waiting for the next full scan.
+                dirname = os.path.dirname(path)
+                top_level = dirname.split(os.sep)[0] if dirname else None
+                folder = _get_or_create_media_folder({}, top_level, "video") if top_level else None
+                v = Video(video_id=video_id, extension=video_file.suffix, path=path, available=True, created_at=created_at, updated_at=updated_at, recorded_at=recorded_at, folder_id=folder.id if folder else None)
                 logger.info(f"Adding new Video {video_id} at {str(path)} (created {created_at.isoformat()}, updated {updated_at.isoformat()}, recorded {recorded_at.isoformat() if recorded_at else 'N/A'})")
                 db.session.add(v)
                 fd = os.open(str(video_links.absolute()), os.O_DIRECTORY)