diff --git a/src-tauri/src/lib.rs b/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
index 2abd0f5..949d88f 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
@@ -1110,8 +1110,13 @@ fn append_ytdlp_config_option(config: &mut String, option: &str, value: &str) {
     let safe_value = sanitize_ytdlp_config_value(value);
     if !safe_value.is_empty() {
         config.push_str(option);
-        config.push('\n');
-        config.push_str(&safe_value);
+        config.push(' ');
+        // yt-dlp parses one configuration line at a time. Quoting keeps
+        // whitespace and cookie delimiters inside this option's single value,
+        // rather than turning them into additional input URLs.
+        config.push('\'');
+        config.push_str(&safe_value.replace('\'', "'\\''"));
+        config.push('\'');
         config.push('\n');
     }
 }
@@ -4676,7 +4681,8 @@ fn set_extension_frontend_ready(state: tauri::State<'_, AppState>, ready: bool)
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::{
-        aggregate_media_fraction, append_ytdlp_http_headers, build_media_format_options,
+        aggregate_media_fraction, append_ytdlp_config_option, append_ytdlp_http_headers,
+        build_media_format_options,
         collect_download_uris, drain_media_output_lines, filename_from_content_disposition,
         filename_from_url_disposition_query, filename_from_url_path, is_excluded_yt_dlp_format,
         is_browser_cookie_extraction_error, json_lower, media_metadata_cache_key,
@@ -4731,12 +4737,22 @@ mod tests {
         append_ytdlp_http_headers(
             &mut config,
             Some("Referer: https://example.com/video"),
-            Some("session=abc\r\n--proxy=http://bad.invalid"),
+            Some("session=abc; preference=high\r\n--proxy=http://bad.invalid"),
         )
         .unwrap();
 
-        assert!(config.contains("--add-header\nReferer: https://example.com/video\n"));
-        assert!(config.contains("--add-header\nCookie: session=abc--proxy=http://bad.invalid\n"));
+        assert_eq!(
+            config,
+            "--add-header 'Referer: https://example.com/video'\n--add-header 'Cookie: session=abc; preference=high--proxy=http://bad.invalid'\n"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn ytdlp_config_options_quote_embedded_single_quotes() {
+        let mut config = String::new();
+        append_ytdlp_config_option(&mut config, "--username", "sam's account");
+
+        assert_eq!(config, "--username 'sam'\\''s account'\n");
     }
 
     #[test]
diff --git a/src/components/AddDownloadsModal.tsx b/src/components/AddDownloadsModal.tsx
index 9e299f0..00296c6 100644
--- a/src/components/AddDownloadsModal.tsx
+++ b/src/components/AddDownloadsModal.tsx
@@ -791,6 +791,10 @@ export const AddDownloadsModal = () => {
     : 'Unknown';
   const canSubmit = canSubmitMetadataRows(parsedItems);
   const failedMetadataCount = parsedItems.filter(item => item.status === 'metadata-error').length;
+  const failedMediaMetadataCount = parsedItems.filter(
+    item => item.status === 'metadata-error' && item.isMedia
+  ).length;
+  const fallbackMetadataCount = failedMetadataCount - failedMediaMetadataCount;
 
   return (
     <>
@@ -844,7 +848,7 @@ export const AddDownloadsModal = () => {
                 />
                 <div className="flex justify-between items-center px-1">
                   <span className="text-[11px] text-text-muted font-medium">
-                    {parsedItems.filter(item => item.status === 'ready').length} ready, {failedMetadataCount} fallback
+                    {parsedItems.filter(item => item.status === 'ready').length} ready, {fallbackMetadataCount} fallback, {failedMediaMetadataCount} media retry
                   </span>
                     <button
                       type="button"
@@ -910,7 +914,7 @@ export const AddDownloadsModal = () => {
                                 </div>
                               ) : (
                                 item.status === 'metadata-error'
-                                  ? 'Fallback'
+                                  ? item.isMedia ? 'Metadata failed' : 'Fallback'
                                   : item.status === 'invalid'
                                     ? 'Invalid'
                                     : 'Ready'
@@ -987,7 +991,7 @@ export const AddDownloadsModal = () => {
                   </div>
                   ) : (
                     <div className="flex flex-col items-center justify-center py-4 relative z-10">
-                      <span className="text-xs text-red-400 font-medium">Metadata unavailable. Default media format will be used.</span>
+                      <span className="text-xs text-red-400 font-medium">Metadata unavailable. Refresh metadata before adding this media.</span>
                     </div>
                   )}
                 </section>
diff --git a/src/utils/addDownloadMetadata.test.ts b/src/utils/addDownloadMetadata.test.ts
index deafceb..fd1afbd 100644
--- a/src/utils/addDownloadMetadata.test.ts
+++ b/src/utils/addDownloadMetadata.test.ts
@@ -187,11 +187,15 @@ describe('add download metadata workflow', () => {
     expect(updated[0]).toBe(current);
   });
 
-  it('allows ready and failed rows but blocks loading and invalid rows', () => {
+  it('allows normal-download fallback but blocks unresolved explicit media', () => {
     expect(canSubmitMetadataRows([
       row(),
       row({ id: 'fallback', status: 'metadata-error' })
     ])).toBe(true);
+    expect(canSubmitMetadataRows([
+      row(),
+      row({ id: 'media-fallback', status: 'metadata-error', isMedia: true })
+    ])).toBe(false);
     expect(canSubmitMetadataRows([row({ status: 'loading' })])).toBe(false);
     expect(canSubmitMetadataRows([row({ status: 'invalid' })])).toBe(false);
   });
@@ -246,6 +250,9 @@ describe('add download metadata workflow', () => {
     expect(metadataSummaryMessage([
       row({ status: 'metadata-error' })
     ])).toContain('can still be added');
+    expect(metadataSummaryMessage([
+      row({ status: 'metadata-error', isMedia: true })
+    ])).toContain('Refresh metadata before adding');
     expect(metadataSummaryMessage([
       row({ status: 'invalid' })
     ])).toContain('Correct or remove 1 invalid URL');
diff --git a/src/utils/addDownloadMetadata.ts b/src/utils/addDownloadMetadata.ts
index 96ef3ef..d63874e 100644
--- a/src/utils/addDownloadMetadata.ts
+++ b/src/utils/addDownloadMetadata.ts
@@ -146,7 +146,10 @@ export const refreshFailedMetadataRows = (
 
 export const canSubmitMetadataRows = (rows: AddDownloadDraftRow[]): boolean =>
   rows.length > 0
-  && rows.every(row => row.status === 'ready' || row.status === 'metadata-error');
+  && rows.every(row =>
+    row.status === 'ready'
+    || (!row.isMedia && row.status === 'metadata-error')
+  );
 
 export const mediaFormatSelectorForRow = (
   row: AddDownloadDraftRow
@@ -203,7 +206,11 @@ export const metadataSummaryMessage = (rows: AddDownloadDraftRow[]): string => {
   }
 
   const failed = rows.filter(row => row.status === 'metadata-error').length;
+  const failedMedia = rows.filter(row => row.status === 'metadata-error' && row.isMedia).length;
   const ready = rows.filter(row => row.status === 'ready').length;
+  if (failedMedia > 0) {
+    return `Media metadata is unavailable for ${failedMedia} item${failedMedia === 1 ? '' : 's'}. Refresh metadata before adding.`;
+  }
   if (failed === rows.length) {
     return 'Metadata is unavailable. Downloads can still be added using fallback details.';
   }