diff --git a/backend/Cargo.lock b/backend/Cargo.lock
index a222205..2d4352c 100644
--- a/backend/Cargo.lock
+++ b/backend/Cargo.lock
@@ -1470,7 +1470,7 @@ checksum = "c41e0c4fef86961ac6d6f8a82609f55f31b05e4fce149ac5710e439df7619ba4"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "mangalord"
-version = "0.35.0"
+version = "0.35.1"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "argon2",
diff --git a/backend/Cargo.toml b/backend/Cargo.toml
index 1682be4..10022ab 100644
--- a/backend/Cargo.toml
+++ b/backend/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "mangalord"
-version = "0.35.0"
+version = "0.35.1"
 edition = "2021"
 default-run = "mangalord"
 
diff --git a/backend/src/crawler/pipeline.rs b/backend/src/crawler/pipeline.rs
index e2b08a9..f8afd4b 100644
--- a/backend/src/crawler/pipeline.rs
+++ b/backend/src/crawler/pipeline.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 //! that fan out chapter-content work. Shared between the daemon (cron tick)
 //! and the CLI (`bin/crawler.rs`) so behavior stays in lockstep.
 
+use std::collections::HashSet;
+
 use anyhow::Context;
 use sqlx::PgPool;
 use uuid::Uuid;
@@ -105,6 +107,14 @@ pub async fn run_metadata_pass(
         .context("discover failed")?;
 
     let mut stats = MetadataStats::default();
+    // Run-scoped dedup of `source_manga_key`s already processed this pass.
+    // Backfill: the walker may append displaced refs that also appear on
+    // the page we're about to visit naturally; skipping the dup avoids
+    // redundant fetch_manga + upsert. Incremental: a shift causes the
+    // slot-last item of the page we just read to reappear at slot 0 of
+    // the next page; skipping it preserves the consecutive_unchanged
+    // streak math instead of inflating it with a re-confirm.
+    let mut seen: HashSet<String> = HashSet::new();
     let mut consecutive_unchanged: usize = 0;
     let mut walked_to_completion = false;
     let mut hit_limit = false;
@@ -124,6 +134,23 @@ pub async fn run_metadata_pass(
                 tracing::info!(cap = ?max_refs, "max_results reached; halting walk");
                 break 'outer;
             }
+            // Skip refs we've already *successfully* processed this pass.
+            // Checking `contains` here (rather than `insert`) keeps the key
+            // out of `seen` on failure paths below, so a transient fetch or
+            // upsert error gets a second chance if the ref reappears via the
+            // backfill boundary re-check or another batch. Done *before*
+            // counting toward `stats.discovered` (the skipped ref did no
+            // work) and *before* touching `consecutive_unchanged` (a
+            // `continue` here preserves the streak rather than resetting or
+            // inflating it). The matching `seen.insert(...)` lives just
+            // after the successful upsert below.
+            if seen.contains(&r.source_manga_key) {
+                tracing::debug!(
+                    key = %r.source_manga_key,
+                    "skip already-seen key in this run"
+                );
+                continue;
+            }
             stats.discovered += 1;
             tracing::info!(
                 idx = stats.discovered,
@@ -161,6 +188,10 @@ pub async fn run_metadata_pass(
                 }
             };
             stats.upserted += 1;
+            // Record success in the dedup set. Cover and chapter-sync
+            // failures below are non-fatal and don't roll this back —
+            // metadata is the durable source of truth for the dedup.
+            seen.insert(r.source_manga_key.clone());
             tracing::info!(
                 key = %manga.source_manga_key,
                 manga_id = %upsert.manga_id,
@@ -473,4 +504,31 @@ mod tests {
         };
         assert!(should_stop(mode, 0));
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn run_scoped_seen_set_skips_duplicate_source_manga_keys() {
+        // Pins the per-ref loop contract: `contains` gates whether work
+        // runs, and `insert` only fires on the success path (after upsert).
+        // A failed ref that reappears later in the same pass must get a
+        // second chance — that's why the loop uses contains-then-insert
+        // instead of insert-and-skip-on-collision.
+        let mut seen: HashSet<String> = HashSet::new();
+
+        // First sighting of a key: not yet seen → loop proceeds.
+        assert!(!seen.contains("manga-a"), "first sighting is unseen");
+        // Simulate a failed fetch_manga: do NOT insert. Next sighting must
+        // still be considered unseen so the loop retries it.
+        assert!(!seen.contains("manga-a"), "failed key is still retryable");
+
+        // Now simulate a successful upsert — insert is called.
+        seen.insert("manga-a".to_string());
+        // Subsequent sightings of the same key are skipped.
+        assert!(seen.contains("manga-a"), "successful key is now seen");
+
+        // Distinct keys never collide.
+        assert!(!seen.contains("manga-b"), "different key independent");
+        seen.insert("manga-b".to_string());
+        assert!(seen.contains("manga-b"));
+        assert!(seen.contains("manga-a"), "first key still recorded");
+    }
 }
diff --git a/backend/src/crawler/source/target.rs b/backend/src/crawler/source/target.rs
index dba59aa..de1ed42 100644
--- a/backend/src/crawler/source/target.rs
+++ b/backend/src/crawler/source/target.rs
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ impl Source for TargetSource {
             backfill,
             pages_remaining: order,
             first_page_html: Some(first_html),
+            prev: None,
         }))
     }
 
@@ -160,6 +161,13 @@ struct TargetSourceWalker {
     backfill: bool,
     pages_remaining: VecDeque<i32>,
     first_page_html: Option<String>,
+    /// Page number and slot-0 `source_manga_key` of the previously-walked
+    /// page. Updated after every batch (cheap, unconditional) but only
+    /// *read* by the boundary re-check, which itself runs only in backfill
+    /// mode. A single `Option` so the half-set state (`page_num` known but
+    /// `key` not, or vice versa) is unrepresentable; `None` here suppresses
+    /// the next iteration's re-check (no anchor to compare against).
+    prev: Option<(i32, String)>,
 }
 
 #[async_trait]
@@ -206,10 +214,77 @@ impl DiscoverWalk for TargetSourceWalker {
             )
             .await?
         };
+        // Capture slot-0 of the page as the site presents it (newest first)
+        // *before* the backfill `.reverse()` below — after reversal slot 0
+        // is the oldest entry, which would defeat the next iteration's
+        // boundary re-check.
+        let current_first = page_refs.first().map(|r| r.source_manga_key.clone());
+
+        // Boundary re-check (backfill only). The site orders by update_date
+        // DESC, so shifts during the walk push items from low-numbered pages
+        // to high-numbered ones — into pages backfill has already finished.
+        // After fetching this page, re-fetch the *previous* iteration's page
+        // and look for items that slid past us mid-walk. Must be the last
+        // navigation of the iteration to close the within-iteration race.
+        let mut displaced: Vec<SourceMangaRef> = Vec::new();
+        if self.backfill {
+            if let Some((prev_page_num, prev_first_key)) = self.prev.clone() {
+                match recheck_prev_page(ctx, &self.base_url, prev_page_num).await {
+                    Ok(refetched) => {
+                        let (d, outcome) = detect_displaced(&prev_first_key, &refetched);
+                        match outcome {
+                            DisplacementOutcome::NoShift => {}
+                            DisplacementOutcome::Shifted(k) => {
+                                tracing::info!(
+                                    page_num,
+                                    prev_page_num,
+                                    k,
+                                    "boundary re-check: shift detected, recovering displaced refs"
+                                );
+                            }
+                            DisplacementOutcome::NotFoundFallback => {
+                                tracing::warn!(
+                                    page_num,
+                                    prev_page_num,
+                                    prev_first_key = %prev_first_key,
+                                    refetched_len = refetched.len(),
+                                    "boundary re-check: prev_first not found, falling back to full re-process"
+                                );
+                            }
+                        }
+                        displaced = d;
+                    }
+                    Err(e) => {
+                        tracing::warn!(
+                            page_num,
+                            prev_page_num,
+                            error = ?e,
+                            "boundary re-check: re-fetch failed, skipping check for this boundary"
+                        );
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        // Remember the boundary for the next iteration. An empty `page_refs`
+        // yields `None`, which intentionally suppresses the next re-check
+        // (no anchor to compare against).
+        self.prev = current_first.map(|key| (page_num, key));
+
         if self.backfill {
             page_refs.reverse();
         }
-        tracing::info!(page_num, count = page_refs.len(), "page walked");
+        // Append displaced refs to the end of the batch. Order doesn't
+        // affect backfill semantics (no `consecutive_unchanged` streak in
+        // this mode), and the pipeline-level dedup set handles any overlap.
+        let displaced_count = displaced.len();
+        page_refs.extend(displaced);
+        tracing::info!(
+            page_num,
+            count = page_refs.len(),
+            displaced = displaced_count,
+            "page walked"
+        );
         Ok(Some(page_refs))
     }
 }
@@ -592,6 +667,67 @@ fn compute_metadata_hash(m: &SourceManga) -> String {
     format!("{:x}", h.finalize())
 }
 
+/// Outcome of a boundary re-check, surfaced for telemetry + tests. The
+/// caller's recovery action is determined by the returned `Vec`; this enum
+/// only labels which branch fired so logging and assertions can distinguish
+/// "site is stable" from "we papered over a shift" from "we fell back".
+#[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
+enum DisplacementOutcome {
+    /// `prev_first` is still at slot 0 of the re-fetched page — no shift
+    /// happened between the prior iteration and this one's re-check.
+    NoShift,
+    /// `prev_first` slid down to slot `K`; the first `K` entries are items
+    /// that used to live on the page we just walked.
+    Shifted(usize),
+    /// `prev_first` is gone from the re-fetched page — multiple pages-worth
+    /// of shifts happened, or it was bumped to page 1. Treat all refetched
+    /// entries as potentially displaced; the pipeline-level dedup absorbs
+    /// the noise.
+    NotFoundFallback,
+}
+
+/// Compare a previously-walked page's slot-0 key against a fresh fetch of
+/// that page. Returns the entries that appear *ahead* of `prev_first` in
+/// the re-fetched page — items that slid in from the page the caller is
+/// currently processing.
+fn detect_displaced(
+    prev_first: &str,
+    refetched: &[SourceMangaRef],
+) -> (Vec<SourceMangaRef>, DisplacementOutcome) {
+    let Some(k) = refetched
+        .iter()
+        .position(|r| r.source_manga_key == prev_first)
+    else {
+        return (refetched.to_vec(), DisplacementOutcome::NotFoundFallback);
+    };
+    if k == 0 {
+        (Vec::new(), DisplacementOutcome::NoShift)
+    } else {
+        (refetched[..k].to_vec(), DisplacementOutcome::Shifted(k))
+    }
+}
+
+/// Re-fetch a previously-walked listing page to feed [`detect_displaced`].
+/// Uses the same retry chain as the primary page fetch in `next_batch` so
+/// a transient hiccup doesn't tank an entire backfill walk.
+async fn recheck_prev_page(
+    ctx: &FetchContext<'_>,
+    base_url: &str,
+    page_num: i32,
+) -> Result<Vec<SourceMangaRef>, PageError> {
+    retry_on_transient(
+        || async {
+            let url = page_url(base_url, page_num);
+            let html = navigate(ctx, &url).await?;
+            let doc = scraper::Html::parse_document(&html);
+            parse_manga_list_from(&doc)
+        },
+        PAGE_TRANSIENT_RETRY_ATTEMPTS,
+        PAGE_TRANSIENT_RETRY_DELAY,
+    )
+    .await
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
@@ -990,4 +1126,100 @@ mod tests {
         let incremental = build_page_order(Some(1), false);
         assert_eq!(Vec::from(incremental), vec![1]);
     }
+
+    fn make_ref(key: &str) -> SourceMangaRef {
+        SourceMangaRef {
+            source_manga_key: key.to_string(),
+            title: key.to_string(),
+            url: format!("https://target.example/manga/{key}"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn detect_displaced_no_shift_when_prev_first_still_at_slot_zero() {
+        let refetched = vec![make_ref("A"), make_ref("B"), make_ref("C")];
+        let (displaced, outcome) = detect_displaced("A", &refetched);
+        assert!(displaced.is_empty());
+        assert_eq!(outcome, DisplacementOutcome::NoShift);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn detect_displaced_one_shift_returns_single_intruder() {
+        let refetched = vec![make_ref("X"), make_ref("A"), make_ref("B")];
+        let (displaced, outcome) = detect_displaced("A", &refetched);
+        assert_eq!(displaced.len(), 1);
+        assert_eq!(displaced[0].source_manga_key, "X");
+        assert_eq!(outcome, DisplacementOutcome::Shifted(1));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn detect_displaced_multi_shift_returns_all_intruders() {
+        let refetched = vec![
+            make_ref("X1"),
+            make_ref("X2"),
+            make_ref("X3"),
+            make_ref("A"),
+            make_ref("B"),
+            make_ref("C"),
+        ];
+        let (displaced, outcome) = detect_displaced("A", &refetched);
+        let keys: Vec<&str> = displaced
+            .iter()
+            .map(|r| r.source_manga_key.as_str())
+            .collect();
+        assert_eq!(keys, vec!["X1", "X2", "X3"]);
+        assert_eq!(outcome, DisplacementOutcome::Shifted(3));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn detect_displaced_full_page_shift_returns_all_but_last() {
+        // `prev_first` at the last slot — every preceding entry is an
+        // intruder shifted in from the page the caller is processing.
+        let mut refetched: Vec<_> = (0..9).map(|i| make_ref(&format!("X{i}"))).collect();
+        refetched.push(make_ref("A"));
+        let (displaced, outcome) = detect_displaced("A", &refetched);
+        assert_eq!(displaced.len(), 9);
+        assert_eq!(outcome, DisplacementOutcome::Shifted(9));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn detect_displaced_not_found_returns_full_page_for_conservative_recovery() {
+        // > page-worth of shifts (or `prev_first` itself was bumped to
+        // page 1): can't pinpoint K, fall back to "process everything";
+        // pipeline dedup absorbs the noise.
+        let refetched = vec![make_ref("Y"), make_ref("Z")];
+        let (displaced, outcome) = detect_displaced("A", &refetched);
+        let keys: Vec<&str> = displaced
+            .iter()
+            .map(|r| r.source_manga_key.as_str())
+            .collect();
+        assert_eq!(keys, vec!["Y", "Z"]);
+        assert_eq!(outcome, DisplacementOutcome::NotFoundFallback);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn detect_displaced_empty_page_returns_empty_with_fallback_outcome() {
+        // Re-fetch came back empty (transient mimicry or last-page tail).
+        // No anchor means we can't classify; fall back is the safe label.
+        let (displaced, outcome) = detect_displaced("A", &[]);
+        assert!(displaced.is_empty());
+        assert_eq!(outcome, DisplacementOutcome::NotFoundFallback);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn detect_displaced_takes_first_occurrence_when_key_repeats() {
+        // Defensive: if the source ever returns the same key twice on a
+        // page, anchoring on the first match keeps the displaced slice
+        // bounded and deterministic.
+        let refetched = vec![
+            make_ref("X"),
+            make_ref("A"),
+            make_ref("Y"),
+            make_ref("A"),
+        ];
+        let (displaced, outcome) = detect_displaced("A", &refetched);
+        assert_eq!(displaced.len(), 1);
+        assert_eq!(displaced[0].source_manga_key, "X");
+        assert_eq!(outcome, DisplacementOutcome::Shifted(1));
+    }
 }
diff --git a/frontend/package.json b/frontend/package.json
index 6a36df7..0d0ad92 100644
--- a/frontend/package.json
+++ b/frontend/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "mangalord-frontend",
-  "version": "0.35.0",
+  "version": "0.35.1",
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {