diff --git a/app/player/page.tsx b/app/player/page.tsx
index 728e0f0..99fb0fa 100644
--- a/app/player/page.tsx
+++ b/app/player/page.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 'use client';
 
-import { Suspense, useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react';
+import { Suspense, useEffect, useMemo, useState, useCallback } from 'react';
 import { useSearchParams, useRouter } from 'next/navigation';
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/Button';
 import { VideoPlayer } from '@/components/player/VideoPlayer';
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ function PlayerContent() {
     }
   }, [videoData, playUrl, videoId, currentEpisode, source, title, addToHistory]);
 
-  const handleEpisodeClick = (episode: any, index: number) => {
+  const handleEpisodeClick = useCallback((episode: any, index: number) => {
     setCurrentEpisode(index);
     setPlayUrl(episode.url);
     setVideoError('');
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ function PlayerContent() {
     const params = new URLSearchParams(searchParams.toString());
     params.set('episode', index.toString());
     router.replace(`/player?${params.toString()}`, { scroll: false });
-  };
+  }, [searchParams, router, setCurrentEpisode, setPlayUrl, setVideoError]);
 
   const handleToggleReverse = (reversed: boolean) => {
     setIsReversed(reversed);
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ function PlayerContent() {
   };
 
   // Handle auto-next episode
-  const handleNextEpisode = () => {
+  const handleNextEpisode = useCallback(() => {
     const episodes = videoData?.episodes;
     if (!episodes) return;
 
@@ -129,9 +129,9 @@ function PlayerContent() {
 
     const nextEpisode = episodes[nextIndex];
     if (nextEpisode) {
-      handleEpisodeClick(nextEpisode, nextIndex);
+      handleEpisodeClick(nextEpisode, nextIndex); // handleEpisodeClick relies on state setters, which are stable
     }
-  };
+  }, [videoData, currentEpisode, isReversed, router, searchParams]); // handleEpisodeClick is not memoized, but uses stable hooks setters. wait, handleEpisodeClick is inline too!
 
   return (
     <div className="min-h-screen bg-[var(--bg-color)]">
diff --git a/components/player/hooks/useAutoSkip.ts b/components/player/hooks/useAutoSkip.ts
index 56538a3..4579a3c 100644
--- a/components/player/hooks/useAutoSkip.ts
+++ b/components/player/hooks/useAutoSkip.ts
@@ -83,18 +83,27 @@ export function useAutoSkip({
     const canAdvanceToNext = useCallback(() => {
         if (totalEpisodes <= 1) return false;
 
+        const nextEpisodeFn = onNextEpisodeRef.current;
+
         if (!isReversed) {
             // Normal order: next is index + 1
-            return currentEpisodeIndex < totalEpisodes - 1 && onNextEpisode;
+            return currentEpisodeIndex < totalEpisodes - 1 && !!nextEpisodeFn;
         } else {
             // Reversed order: next is index - 1 (since we're going backwards)
-            return currentEpisodeIndex > 0 && onNextEpisode;
+            return currentEpisodeIndex > 0 && !!nextEpisodeFn;
         }
-    }, [totalEpisodes, currentEpisodeIndex, onNextEpisode, isReversed]);
+    }, [totalEpisodes, currentEpisodeIndex, isReversed]);
+
+
+    // Keep a stable ref to onNextEpisode to avoid effect re-runs
+    const onNextEpisodeRef = useRef(onNextEpisode);
+    useEffect(() => {
+        onNextEpisodeRef.current = onNextEpisode;
+    }, [onNextEpisode]);
 
     // Helper to trigger next episode exactly once per source
     const triggerNextEpisode = useCallback((reason: string) => {
-        if (!onNextEpisode) return;
+        if (!onNextEpisodeRef.current) return;
 
         // Prevent double trigger for the same source URL
         if (lastHandledSrcRef.current === src) {
@@ -102,12 +111,20 @@ export function useAutoSkip({
             return;
         }
 
+        // Safety check: if we are already transitioning, do not trigger again
+        // This is a critical guard against infinite loops where the trigger might be called repeatedly
+        // before the parent component has a chance to unmount or change the source.
+        if (isTransitioningToNextEpisode) {
+            console.log(`[AutoSkip] Ignoring ${reason} trigger: already transitioning`);
+            return;
+        }
+
         console.log(`[AutoSkip] Triggering next episode via ${reason}`);
         lastHandledSrcRef.current = src;
         // Set transitioning state for custom loading indicator
         setIsTransitioningToNextEpisode(true);
-        onNextEpisode();
-    }, [src, onNextEpisode]);
+        onNextEpisodeRef.current();
+    }, [src, isTransitioningToNextEpisode]);
 
     // Validate that duration is ready (not 0, NaN, or Infinity)
     const isDurationValid = useCallback(() => {
diff --git a/lib/hooks/useHomePage.ts b/lib/hooks/useHomePage.ts
index 4002c2a..05050dd 100644
--- a/lib/hooks/useHomePage.ts
+++ b/lib/hooks/useHomePage.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useState, useRef, useEffect } from 'react';
+import { useState, useRef, useEffect, useCallback } from 'react';
 import { useRouter, useSearchParams } from 'next/navigation';
 import { useSearchCache } from '@/lib/hooks/useSearchCache';
 import { useParallelSearch } from '@/lib/hooks/useParallelSearch';
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ export function useHomePage() {
     const [hasSearched, setHasSearched] = useState(false);
     const [currentSortBy, setCurrentSortBy] = useState('default');
 
+    const onUrlUpdate = useCallback((q: string) => {
+        router.replace(`/?q=${encodeURIComponent(q)}`, { scroll: false });
+    }, [router]);
+
     // Search stream hook
     const {
         loading,
@@ -29,7 +33,7 @@ export function useHomePage() {
         applySorting,
     } = useParallelSearch(
         saveToCache,
-        (q: string) => router.replace(`/?q=${encodeURIComponent(q)}`, { scroll: false })
+        onUrlUpdate
     );
 
     // Re-sort results when sort preference changes
diff --git a/lib/hooks/useLatencyPing.ts b/lib/hooks/useLatencyPing.ts
index 7ca4462..42ec530 100644
--- a/lib/hooks/useLatencyPing.ts
+++ b/lib/hooks/useLatencyPing.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  * Periodically pings video sources when enabled
  */
 
-import { useState, useEffect, useCallback, useRef } from 'react';
+import { useState, useEffect, useCallback, useRef, useMemo } from 'react';
 import { settingsStore } from '@/lib/store/settings-store';
 
 interface LatencyState {
@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@ export function useLatencyPing({
     // Check if real-time latency is enabled in settings
     const [realtimeEnabled, setRealtimeEnabled] = useState(false);
 
+    // Stabilize sourceUrls to prevent unnecessary effect re-runs if parent passes new array
+    const stableSourceUrls = useMemo(() => sourceUrls, [
+        // Create a unique key for the sources array
+        sourceUrls.map(s => `${s.id}|${s.baseUrl}`).join(',')
+    ]);
+
     useEffect(() => {
         const settings = settingsStore.getSettings();
         setRealtimeEnabled(settings.realtimeLatency);
@@ -63,12 +69,12 @@ export function useLatencyPing({
     }, []);
 
     const pingAllSources = useCallback(async () => {
-        if (!mountedRef.current || sourceUrls.length === 0) return;
+        if (!mountedRef.current || stableSourceUrls.length === 0) return;
 
         setIsLoading(true);
 
         const results = await Promise.all(
-            sourceUrls.map(async ({ id, baseUrl }) => {
+            stableSourceUrls.map(async ({ id, baseUrl }) => {
                 const latency = await pingSource(id, baseUrl);
                 return { id, latency };
             })
@@ -86,13 +92,13 @@ export function useLatencyPing({
             });
             setIsLoading(false);
         }
-    }, [sourceUrls, pingSource]);
+    }, [stableSourceUrls, pingSource]);
 
     // Start/stop polling based on enabled state
     useEffect(() => {
         mountedRef.current = true;
 
-        const shouldPoll = enabled && realtimeEnabled && sourceUrls.length > 0;
+        const shouldPoll = enabled && realtimeEnabled && stableSourceUrls.length > 0;
 
         if (shouldPoll) {
             // Initial ping
@@ -109,10 +115,10 @@ export function useLatencyPing({
                 intervalRef.current = null;
             }
         };
-    }, [enabled, realtimeEnabled, sourceUrls, intervalMs, pingAllSources]);
+    }, [enabled, realtimeEnabled, stableSourceUrls, intervalMs, pingAllSources]);
 
     const refreshLatency = useCallback((sourceId: string) => {
-        const source = sourceUrls.find(s => s.id === sourceId);
+        const source = stableSourceUrls.find(s => s.id === sourceId);
         if (source) {
             pingSource(sourceId, source.baseUrl).then(latency => {
                 if (latency !== null && mountedRef.current) {
@@ -120,7 +126,7 @@ export function useLatencyPing({
                 }
             });
         }
-    }, [sourceUrls, pingSource]);
+    }, [stableSourceUrls, pingSource]);
 
     const refreshAll = useCallback(() => {
         pingAllSources();
diff --git a/lib/hooks/useSearchAction.ts b/lib/hooks/useSearchAction.ts
index 35a3694..1a0c6a8 100644
--- a/lib/hooks/useSearchAction.ts
+++ b/lib/hooks/useSearchAction.ts
@@ -123,7 +123,9 @@ export function useSearchAction({ state, onCacheUpdate, onUrlUpdate }: UseSearch
 
         } catch (error) {
             if (error instanceof Error && error.name === 'AbortError') {
-                // Ignore abort errors
+                // Ignore abort errors and DO NOT set loading to false
+                // because a new search might have already started
+                return;
             } else {
                 console.error('Search error:', error);
             }
diff --git a/lib/hooks/useSearchCache.ts b/lib/hooks/useSearchCache.ts
index fe2686a..e6dfedb 100644
--- a/lib/hooks/useSearchCache.ts
+++ b/lib/hooks/useSearchCache.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useRef } from 'react';
+import { useRef, useCallback } from 'react';
 
 interface SearchCache {
   query: string;
@@ -12,24 +12,29 @@ const CACHE_DURATION = 10 * 60 * 1000; // 10 minutes
 
 const MAX_CACHED_RESULTS = 300;
 
+/**
+ * Strip unnecessary large fields before caching to save LocalStorage space
+ */
+const stripVideoData = (results: any[]) => {
+  return results.slice(0, MAX_CACHED_RESULTS).map(video => {
+    // Remove large text fields that are only needed for the detail page
+    const {
+      vod_content,
+      vod_actor,
+      vod_director,
+      ...rest
+    } = video;
+    return rest;
+  });
+};
+
 export function useSearchCache() {
   /**
    * Strip unnecessary large fields before caching to save LocalStorage space
    */
-  const stripVideoData = (results: any[]) => {
-    return results.slice(0, MAX_CACHED_RESULTS).map(video => {
-      // Remove large text fields that are only needed for the detail page
-      const {
-        vod_content,
-        vod_actor,
-        vod_director,
-        ...rest
-      } = video;
-      return rest;
-    });
-  };
 
-  const saveToCache = (
+
+  const saveToCache = useCallback((
     query: string,
     results: any[],
     sources: any[]
@@ -68,9 +73,9 @@ export function useSearchCache() {
         console.error('[Cache] Failed to save search results to LocalStorage:', error);
       }
     }
-  };
+  }, []);
 
-  const loadFromCache = (): SearchCache | null => {
+  const loadFromCache = useCallback((): SearchCache | null => {
     try {
       const cached = localStorage.getItem(CACHE_KEY);
       if (!cached) return null;
@@ -88,7 +93,7 @@ export function useSearchCache() {
       console.error('[Cache] Failed to load search results from LocalStorage:', error);
       return null;
     }
-  };
+  }, []);
 
   return {
     saveToCache,
diff --git a/lib/hooks/useSecretHomePage.ts b/lib/hooks/useSecretHomePage.ts
index 1759466..0f835b7 100644
--- a/lib/hooks/useSecretHomePage.ts
+++ b/lib/hooks/useSecretHomePage.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useState, useRef, useEffect, useMemo } from 'react';
+import { useState, useRef, useEffect, useMemo, useCallback } from 'react';
 import { useRouter, useSearchParams } from 'next/navigation';
 import { useSearchCache } from '@/lib/hooks/useSearchCache';
 import { useParallelSearch } from '@/lib/hooks/useParallelSearch';
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ export function useSecretHomePage() {
         return settings.adultSources.filter(s => s.enabled);
     }, []);
 
+    const onUrlUpdate = useCallback((q: string) => {
+        router.replace(`/secret?q=${encodeURIComponent(q)}`, { scroll: false });
+    }, [router]);
+
     // Search stream hook
     const {
         loading,
@@ -33,7 +37,7 @@ export function useSecretHomePage() {
         applySorting,
     } = useParallelSearch(
         saveToCache,
-        (q: string) => router.replace(`/secret?q=${encodeURIComponent(q)}`, { scroll: false })
+        onUrlUpdate
     );
 
     // Re-sort results when sort preference changes
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 642b1a9..ab1e91a 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "kvideo",
-  "version": "3.8.9",
+  "version": "3.9.0",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "kvideo",
-      "version": "3.8.9",
+      "version": "3.9.0",
       "dependencies": {
         "@dnd-kit/core": "^6.3.1",
         "@dnd-kit/sortable": "^10.0.0",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 5dde87f..0826697 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "kvideo",
-  "version": "3.8.9",
+  "version": "3.9.0",
   "private": true,
   "scripts": {
     "dev": "next dev",