diff --git a/backend/src/api/endpoints/hls_api.rs b/backend/src/api/endpoints/hls_api.rs
index ae21af8ed..4a270c4a6 100644
--- a/backend/src/api/endpoints/hls_api.rs
+++ b/backend/src/api/endpoints/hls_api.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ use crate::api::model::{ProviderAllocation, UserSession};
 use crate::auth::Fingerprint;
 use crate::model::{ConfigInput, InputSource};
 use crate::model::{ConfigTarget, ProxyUserCredentials};
+use crate::model::ConfigInputFlags;
 use crate::processing::parser::hls::{
     get_hls_session_token_and_url_from_token, rewrite_hls, RewriteHlsProps,
 };
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ use shared::model::{PlaylistItemType, StreamChannel, TargetType, UserConnectionP
 use shared::utils::{is_hls_url, replace_url_extension, sanitize_sensitive_info, Internable, CUSTOM_VIDEO_PREFIX, HLS_EXT};
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use crate::utils::request::is_file_url;
+use url::Url;
 
 const PLAYLIST_TEMPLATE: &str = r"#EXTM3U
 #EXT-X-VERSION:3
@@ -49,6 +51,31 @@ fn hls_response(hls_content: String) -> impl IntoResponse + Send {
         .body(hls_content))
 }
 
+fn normalize_xtream_live_hls_url(hls_url: &str, input: &ConfigInput) -> String {
+    if !input.input_type.is_xtream() || !input.has_flag(ConfigInputFlags::XtreamLiveStreamUsePrefix) {
+        return hls_url.to_string();
+    }
+
+    let (Some(username), Some(password)) = (input.username.as_deref(), input.password.as_deref()) else {
+        return hls_url.to_string();
+    };
+
+    let Ok(mut parsed) = Url::parse(hls_url) else {
+        return hls_url.to_string();
+    };
+    let Some(segments) = parsed.path_segments() else {
+        return hls_url.to_string();
+    };
+
+    let parts: Vec<&str> = segments.collect();
+    if parts.len() >= 3 && parts[0] == username && parts[1] == password {
+        parsed.set_path(&format!("/live/{}", parts.join("/")));
+        return parsed.to_string();
+    }
+
+    hls_url.to_string()
+}
+
 #[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments, clippy::too_many_lines)]
 pub(in crate::api) async fn handle_hls_stream_request(
     fingerprint: &Fingerprint,
@@ -65,7 +92,15 @@ pub(in crate::api) async fn handle_hls_stream_request(
         return axum::http::StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST.into_response();
     }
 
-    let url = replace_url_extension(hls_url, HLS_EXT);
+    let normalized_hls_url = normalize_xtream_live_hls_url(hls_url, input);
+    if normalized_hls_url != hls_url {
+        debug_if_enabled!(
+            "Normalized xtream hls url from {} to {}",
+            sanitize_sensitive_info(hls_url),
+            sanitize_sensitive_info(&normalized_hls_url)
+        );
+    }
+    let url = replace_url_extension(&normalized_hls_url, HLS_EXT);
     let server_info = app_state.app_config.get_user_server_info(user);
 
     let (request_url, session_token) = match user_session {
diff --git a/backend/src/model/config/input.rs b/backend/src/model/config/input.rs
index 339d3f48d..1494e1adf 100644
--- a/backend/src/model/config/input.rs
+++ b/backend/src/model/config/input.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ use std::borrow::Cow;
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::fmt;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
-use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::sync::{Arc, LazyLock};
 use url::Url;
 
 create_bitset!(
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@ impl ConfigInputOptions {
     pub fn has_all_flags(&self, flags: ConfigInputFlagsSet) -> bool {
         self.flags.contains_all(flags)
     }
+
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn defaults() -> &'static Self { &DEFAULT_CONFIG_INPUT_OPTIONS }
 }
 impl From<&ConfigInputOptionsDto> for ConfigInputOptions {
     fn from(dto: &ConfigInputOptionsDto) -> Self {
@@ -116,6 +119,9 @@ impl From<&ConfigInputOptionsDto> for ConfigInputOptions {
     }
 }
 
+static DEFAULT_CONFIG_INPUT_OPTIONS: LazyLock<ConfigInputOptions> =
+    LazyLock::new(|| ConfigInputOptions::from(&ConfigInputOptionsDto::default()));
+
 pub struct InputUserInfo {
     pub base_url: String,
     pub username: String,
@@ -236,35 +242,54 @@ pub struct ConfigInput {
 impl ConfigInput {
     #[inline]
     pub fn has_flag(&self, flag: ConfigInputFlags) -> bool {
-        self.options.as_ref().is_some_and(|o| o.has_flag(flag))
+        self.has_flag_or(flag, false)
     }
 
     #[inline]
+    /// Returns `default` when `self.options` is `None`; unlike `has_flag`, which returns
+    /// `false` for missing options. For `ConfigInput::default()` without `prepare()`, use
+    /// this `_or` variant when an explicit fallback is required.
     pub fn has_flag_or(&self, flag: ConfigInputFlags, default: bool) -> bool {
         self.options.as_ref().map_or(default, |o| o.has_flag(flag))
     }
 
     #[inline]
     pub fn has_any_flags(&self, flags: ConfigInputFlagsSet) -> bool {
-        self.options.as_ref().is_some_and(|o| o.has_any_flags(flags))
+        self.has_any_flags_or(flags, false)
     }
 
     #[inline]
+    /// Returns `default` when `self.options` is `None`; unlike `has_any_flags`, which returns
+    /// `false` for missing options. For `ConfigInput::default()` without `prepare()`, use
+    /// this `_or` variant when an explicit fallback is required.
     pub fn has_any_flags_or(&self, flags: ConfigInputFlagsSet, default: bool) -> bool {
         self.options.as_ref().map_or(default, |o| o.has_any_flags(flags))
     }
 
     #[inline]
     pub fn has_all_flags(&self, flags: ConfigInputFlagsSet) -> bool {
-        self.options.as_ref().is_some_and(|o| o.has_all_flags(flags))
+        self.options
+            .as_ref()
+            .unwrap_or(ConfigInputOptions::defaults())
+            .has_all_flags(flags)
     }
 
     #[inline]
+    /// Returns `default` when `self.options` is `None`; unlike `has_all_flags`, which uses
+    /// `ConfigInputOptions::defaults()`. For `ConfigInput::default()` without `prepare()`,
+    /// prefer this `_or` variant when an explicit fallback is required.
     pub fn has_all_flags_or(&self, flags: ConfigInputFlagsSet, default: bool) -> bool {
         self.options.as_ref().map_or(default, |o| o.has_all_flags(flags))
     }
 
     pub fn prepare(&mut self, provider_configs: &[Arc<ConfigProvider>]) -> Result<Option<PathBuf>, TuliproxError> {
+        // Defensive fallback: From<&ConfigInputDto> for ConfigInput sets options, but ConfigInput can
+        // still be built via Default::default(), batch/internal/test paths, so prepare() normalizes
+        // missing options with ConfigInputOptions::defaults().
+        if self.options.is_none() {
+            self.options = Some(ConfigInputOptions::defaults().clone());
+        }
+
         let mut used_provider_configs: Vec<Arc<ConfigProvider>> = vec![];
         let batch_file_path = self.prepare_batch();
         self.name = self.name.trim().intern();
@@ -487,6 +512,11 @@ impl ConfigInput {
 macros::from_impl!(ConfigInput);
 impl From<&ConfigInputDto> for ConfigInput {
     fn from(dto: &ConfigInputDto) -> Self {
+        let options = dto
+            .options
+            .as_ref()
+            .map_or_else(|| ConfigInputOptions::defaults().clone(), ConfigInputOptions::from);
+
         Self {
             id: dto.id,
             name: dto.name.clone(),
@@ -498,7 +528,7 @@ impl From<&ConfigInputDto> for ConfigInput {
             password: dto.password.clone(),
             persist: dto.persist.clone(),
             enabled: dto.enabled,
-            options: dto.options.as_ref().map(ConfigInputOptions::from),
+            options: Some(options),
             aliases: dto.aliases.as_ref().map(|list| list.iter().map(ConfigInputAlias::from).collect()),
             priority: dto.priority,
             max_connections: dto.max_connections,
diff --git a/backend/src/processing/parser/xtream.rs b/backend/src/processing/parser/xtream.rs
index bb047b669..e57e74dcd 100644
--- a/backend/src/processing/parser/xtream.rs
+++ b/backend/src/processing/parser/xtream.rs
@@ -244,15 +244,8 @@ where
         input.username.as_deref().unwrap_or("").to_string(),
         input.password.as_deref().unwrap_or("").to_string(),
     );
-    let (live_stream_use_prefix, live_stream_without_extension) = input.options.as_ref().map_or(
-        (false, false),
-        |o| {
-            (
-                o.has_flag(ConfigInputFlags::XtreamLiveStreamUsePrefix),
-                o.has_flag(ConfigInputFlags::XtreamLiveStreamWithoutExtension),
-            )
-        },
-    );
+    let live_stream_use_prefix = input.has_flag(ConfigInputFlags::XtreamLiveStreamUsePrefix);
+    let live_stream_without_extension = input.has_flag(ConfigInputFlags::XtreamLiveStreamWithoutExtension);
 
     // Map categories for lookup
     let group_map: IndexMap<u32, Arc<str>> = xtream_categories.iter().map(|c| (c.category_id, c.category_name.clone())).collect();
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/components/particle_flow_background.rs b/frontend/src/app/components/particle_flow_background.rs
index d25428d8a..30d069a04 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/components/particle_flow_background.rs
+++ b/frontend/src/app/components/particle_flow_background.rs
@@ -611,7 +611,7 @@ pub fn ParticleFlowBackground() -> Html {
                 }));
 
             let theme_observer = win.document().and_then(|doc| {
-                MutationObserver::new(on_theme_change.as_ref().unchecked_ref()).ok().and_then(|observer| {
+                MutationObserver::new(on_theme_change.as_ref().unchecked_ref()).ok().inspect(|observer| {
                     let options = MutationObserverInit::new();
                     options.set_attributes(true);
                     let attribute_filter = Array::new();
@@ -625,7 +625,6 @@ pub fn ParticleFlowBackground() -> Html {
                     if let Some(body) = doc.body() {
                         let _ = observer.observe_with_options(&body, &options);
                     }
-                    Some(observer)
                 })
             });