diff --git a/internal/api/handlers/items.go b/internal/api/handlers/items.go
index ffa4ffe5..e99f0c51 100644
--- a/internal/api/handlers/items.go
+++ b/internal/api/handlers/items.go
@@ -996,16 +996,11 @@ func featuredPosterPath(path string) string {
 }
 
 // featuredBackdropPath converts an S3 backdrop path from original to w1920 for
-// featured/hero contexts (displayed at full viewport width).
-// Full URLs (TMDB/TVDB) and plugin-prefixed paths are returned as-is.
+// featured/hero contexts (displayed at full viewport width). Episode stills
+// used as backdrops lack a w1920 variant and clamp to their largest cached
+// size. Full URLs (TMDB/TVDB) and plugin-prefixed paths are returned as-is.
 func featuredBackdropPath(path string) string {
-	if strings.HasPrefix(path, "http://") || strings.HasPrefix(path, "https://") {
-		return path
-	}
-	if strings.Contains(path, "://") {
-		return path
-	}
-	return strings.Replace(path, "/original.", "/w1920.", 1)
+	return catalog.BackdropVariantPath(path, "w1920")
 }
 
 // presignURL resolves an image path to a usable URL, delegating to the
diff --git a/internal/api/handlers/sections.go b/internal/api/handlers/sections.go
index 5ae1cb9e..3441b026 100644
--- a/internal/api/handlers/sections.go
+++ b/internal/api/handlers/sections.go
@@ -1359,15 +1359,7 @@ func (h *SectionHandler) toSectionItemResponse(sectionType sections.SectionType,
 // uses the cached w1280 backdrop for Continue Watching / Next Up rows.
 func sectionBackdropPath(sectionType sections.SectionType, path string) string {
 	if sectionType == sections.SectionContinueWatching || sectionType == sections.SectionNextUp {
-		if strings.HasPrefix(path, "http://") || strings.HasPrefix(path, "https://") {
-			return path
-		}
-		// Plugin-prefixed paths pass through; the resolver still receives the
-		// existing "featured" semantic variant.
-		if strings.Contains(path, "://") {
-			return path
-		}
-		return strings.Replace(path, "/original.", "/w1280.", 1)
+		return catalog.BackdropVariantPath(path, "w1280")
 	}
 	return featuredBackdropPath(path)
 }
diff --git a/internal/api/handlers/sections_test.go b/internal/api/handlers/sections_test.go
index a46f5d2b..982e565c 100644
--- a/internal/api/handlers/sections_test.go
+++ b/internal/api/handlers/sections_test.go
@@ -52,6 +52,18 @@ func TestSectionBackdropPathUsesExpectedVariants(t *testing.T) {
 			path:        "/tmdb/shows/1399/backdrop/original.jpg",
 			want:        "/tmdb/shows/1399/backdrop/w1920.jpg",
 		},
+		{
+			name:        "continue watching episode still clamps to w500",
+			sectionType: sections.SectionContinueWatching,
+			path:        "tvdb/series/73141/seasons/22/episodes/9/still/original.webp",
+			want:        "tvdb/series/73141/seasons/22/episodes/9/still/w500.webp",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "featured section episode still clamps to w500",
+			sectionType: sections.SectionRecentlyAdded,
+			path:        "tvdb/series/73141/seasons/22/episodes/9/still/original.webp",
+			want:        "tvdb/series/73141/seasons/22/episodes/9/still/w500.webp",
+		},
 		{
 			name:        "http paths pass through",
 			sectionType: sections.SectionContinueWatching,
diff --git a/internal/catalog/detail.go b/internal/catalog/detail.go
index c4f3c49d..5f628643 100644
--- a/internal/catalog/detail.go
+++ b/internal/catalog/detail.go
@@ -2189,6 +2189,43 @@ func cachedImageVariantPath(path, imageType, size string) string {
 	return path
 }
 
+// imageTypeFromCachedPath returns the image type segment ("poster", "backdrop",
+// "logo", "still") encoded in a cached S3 image path of the form
+// ".../{imageType}/{variant}.{ext}". It returns "" for full URLs,
+// plugin-prefixed paths, or paths with no directory segment.
+func imageTypeFromCachedPath(path string) string {
+	if path == "" || strings.Contains(path, "://") {
+		return ""
+	}
+	lastSlash := strings.LastIndex(path, "/")
+	if lastSlash <= 0 {
+		return ""
+	}
+	dir := path[:lastSlash]
+	return dir[strings.LastIndex(dir, "/")+1:]
+}
+
+// BackdropVariantPath rewrites a cached "/original." image path to the
+// requested backdrop variant (e.g. "w1280" or "w1920"). Episode "backdrops"
+// are frequently the episode still, which the cache only generates at
+// w500/w300 — so requesting a backdrop width 404s. For still/poster/logo
+// paths this clamps to that type's largest cached variant instead. Full URLs,
+// plugin-prefixed paths, and non-"/original." paths pass through unchanged.
+func BackdropVariantPath(path, desiredVariant string) string {
+	if path == "" || strings.Contains(path, "://") || !strings.Contains(path, "/original.") {
+		return path
+	}
+	variant := desiredVariant
+	switch imageType := imageTypeFromCachedPath(path); imageType {
+	case "still", "poster", "logo":
+		variant = cachedImageVariantKey(imageType, "")
+	}
+	if variant == "" {
+		return path
+	}
+	return strings.Replace(path, "/original.", "/"+variant+".", 1)
+}
+
 func cachedImageVariantKey(imageType, size string) string {
 	if size == "original" {
 		return "original"
diff --git a/internal/catalog/image_variants_test.go b/internal/catalog/image_variants_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..300ae0af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/catalog/image_variants_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+package catalog
+
+import "testing"
+
+func TestImageTypeFromCachedPath(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		path string
+		want string
+	}{
+		{"episode still", "tvdb/series/73141/seasons/22/episodes/9/still/original.webp", "still"},
+		{"movie backdrop", "tmdb/movies/550/backdrop/original.webp", "backdrop"},
+		{"leading slash poster", "/tmdb/movies/550/poster/original.jpg", "poster"},
+		{"logo", "tmdb/movies/550/logo/original.png", "logo"},
+		{"http url", "https://images.example.com/backdrop/original.jpg", ""},
+		{"plugin path", "plugin://tmdb/backdrop/original.jpg", ""},
+		{"no slash", "original.webp", ""},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if got := imageTypeFromCachedPath(tt.path); got != tt.want {
+				t.Fatalf("imageTypeFromCachedPath(%q) = %q, want %q", tt.path, got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestBackdropVariantPath(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		path    string
+		desired string
+		want    string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:    "real backdrop keeps requested w1280",
+			path:    "tmdb/movies/550/backdrop/original.webp",
+			desired: "w1280",
+			want:    "tmdb/movies/550/backdrop/w1280.webp",
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "real backdrop keeps requested w1920",
+			path:    "/tmdb/shows/1399/backdrop/original.jpg",
+			desired: "w1920",
+			want:    "/tmdb/shows/1399/backdrop/w1920.jpg",
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "episode still clamps to w500 (no large variant exists)",
+			path:    "tvdb/series/73141/seasons/22/episodes/9/still/original.webp",
+			desired: "w1280",
+			want:    "tvdb/series/73141/seasons/22/episodes/9/still/w500.webp",
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "episode still clamps w1920 to w500",
+			path:    "tvdb/series/73141/seasons/22/episodes/9/still/original.webp",
+			desired: "w1920",
+			want:    "tvdb/series/73141/seasons/22/episodes/9/still/w500.webp",
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "http url passes through",
+			path:    "https://images.example.com/backdrop/original.jpg",
+			desired: "w1280",
+			want:    "https://images.example.com/backdrop/original.jpg",
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "plugin path passes through",
+			path:    "plugin://tmdb/backdrop/original.jpg",
+			desired: "w1280",
+			want:    "plugin://tmdb/backdrop/original.jpg",
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "path without original segment passes through",
+			path:    "tmdb/movies/550/backdrop/w300.webp",
+			desired: "w1280",
+			want:    "tmdb/movies/550/backdrop/w300.webp",
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if got := BackdropVariantPath(tt.path, tt.desired); got != tt.want {
+				t.Fatalf("BackdropVariantPath(%q, %q) = %q, want %q", tt.path, tt.desired, got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}