diff --git a/backend/src/api/api_utils.rs b/backend/src/api/api_utils.rs
index 88d0be6a2..c9633a2e2 100644
--- a/backend/src/api/api_utils.rs
+++ b/backend/src/api/api_utils.rs
@@ -282,9 +282,9 @@ pub fn get_stream_alternative_url(
         return stream_url.to_owned();
     };
 
-    let modified = stream_url.replace(&input_user_info.base_url, &alt_input_user_info.base_url);
-    let modified = modified.replace(&input_user_info.username, &alt_input_user_info.username);
-    modified.replace(&input_user_info.password, &alt_input_user_info.password)
+    let modified = stream_url.replacen(&input_user_info.base_url, &alt_input_user_info.base_url, 1);
+    let modified = modified.replacen(&input_user_info.username, &alt_input_user_info.username, 1);
+    modified.replacen(&input_user_info.password, &alt_input_user_info.password, 1)
 }
 
 async fn get_redirect_alternative_url<'a>(
@@ -1141,8 +1141,8 @@ async fn fetch_resource_with_retry(
                 let should_retry = status.is_server_error()
                     || matches!(
                         status,
-                        reqwest::StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST
-                            | reqwest::StatusCode::REQUEST_TIMEOUT
+                        // reqwest::StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST // 400 is typically client error; retrying likely won't help and adds load.
+                            reqwest::StatusCode::REQUEST_TIMEOUT
                             | reqwest::StatusCode::TOO_EARLY
                             | reqwest::StatusCode::TOO_MANY_REQUESTS
                     );
diff --git a/backend/src/api/endpoints/hls_api.rs b/backend/src/api/endpoints/hls_api.rs
index ae421a2d2..d8b0bd302 100644
--- a/backend/src/api/endpoints/hls_api.rs
+++ b/backend/src/api/endpoints/hls_api.rs
@@ -158,16 +158,8 @@ async fn get_stream_channel(app_state: &Arc<AppState>, target: &Arc<ConfigTarget
         if let Ok((pli, _)) = xtream_repository::xtream_get_item_for_stream_id(virtual_id, app_state, target, None).await {
             return Some(pli.to_stream_channel());
         }
-        // fall back to M3U if available
-        if target.has_output(TargetType::M3u) {
-            if let Ok(pli) = m3u_get_item_for_stream_id(virtual_id, app_state, target).await {
-                return Some(pli.to_stream_channel());
-            }
-        }
-        None
-    } else {
-        m3u_get_item_for_stream_id(virtual_id, app_state, target).await.ok().map(|pli| pli.to_stream_channel())
     }
+     m3u_get_item_for_stream_id(virtual_id, app_state, target).await.ok().map(|pli| pli.to_stream_channel())
 }
 
 async fn resolve_stream_channel(
@@ -222,8 +214,7 @@ async fn hls_api_stream(
         app_state.app_config.get_input_by_id(params.input_id),
         true,
         format!(
-            "Cant find input for target {target_name}, context {}, stream_id {virtual_id}",
-            XtreamCluster::Live
+            "Cant find input for target {target_name}, stream_id {virtual_id}, hls"
         )
     );
 
@@ -262,10 +253,10 @@ async fn hls_api_stream(
         };
 
         session.stream_url.clone_from(&hls_url);
+        let stream_channel = resolve_stream_channel(&app_state, &target, virtual_id, &hls_url).await;
         if session.virtual_id == virtual_id {
-            if is_seek_request(XtreamCluster::Live, &req_headers).await {
+            if is_seek_request(stream_channel.cluster, &req_headers).await {
                 // partial request means we are in reverse proxy mode, seek happened
-                let stream_channel = resolve_stream_channel(&app_state, &target, virtual_id, &hls_url).await;
                 return force_provider_stream_response(
                     &addr,
                     &app_state,
@@ -308,8 +299,6 @@ async fn hls_api_stream(
                 .into_response();
         }
 
-        let stream_channel = resolve_stream_channel(&app_state, &target, virtual_id, &hls_url).await;
-
         force_provider_stream_response(
             &addr,
             &app_state,