diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 8f2b55e..c2d1137 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -79,4 +79,4 @@ jobs:
         run: cmake --build ui/build -j2
 
       - name: Run UI smoke tests
-        run: ctest --test-dir ui/build --output-on-failure
+        run: ctest --test-dir ui/build --output-on-failure -V
diff --git a/ui/src/MprisController.cpp b/ui/src/MprisController.cpp
index 0290e8c..1390a74 100644
--- a/ui/src/MprisController.cpp
+++ b/ui/src/MprisController.cpp
@@ -623,7 +623,18 @@ QVariantMap MprisController::buildMetadata() const {
     if (year.isValid() && !year.isNull()) {
         out.insert(QStringLiteral("xesam:contentCreated"), QString::number(year.toInt()));
     }
-    const QString artUrl = m_bridge->currentTrackCoverPath().trimmed();
+    // currentTrackCoverPath() may return an internal image://covers/ URL
+    // (from the async QML image provider). MPRIS consumers need file:// URLs.
+    QString artUrl = m_bridge->currentTrackCoverPath().trimmed();
+    if (artUrl.startsWith(QStringLiteral("image://covers/"))) {
+        QString localPath = artUrl.mid(QStringLiteral("image://covers/").size());
+        // Strip any fragment (nonce for QML cache busting)
+        const int hashPos = localPath.indexOf(QLatin1Char('#'));
+        if (hashPos >= 0) {
+            localPath.truncate(hashPos);
+        }
+        artUrl = QUrl::fromLocalFile(localPath).toString(QUrl::FullyEncoded);
+    }
     if (!artUrl.isEmpty()) {
         out.insert(QStringLiteral("mpris:artUrl"), artUrl);
     }
diff --git a/ui/tests/tst_bridge_client.cpp b/ui/tests/tst_bridge_client.cpp
index f77a7ed..08a9794 100644
--- a/ui/tests/tst_bridge_client.cpp
+++ b/ui/tests/tst_bridge_client.cpp
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ private slots:
     void mprisPublishesPlaybackStateOnPlaybackSignal();
     void mprisCanPauseOnlyWhilePlaying();
     void mprisControllerConstructionDoesNotCrash();
+    void mprisArtUrlConvertsImageProviderToFileUrl();
     void spectrogramOverlaySettingsApplyFromSnapshot();
     void spectrogramOverlaySettingsDecodeFromBinaryPayload();
     void testSoloChannelCommandEncoding();
@@ -704,6 +705,38 @@ void BridgeClientTest::mprisControllerConstructionDoesNotCrash() {
 }
 
 
+void BridgeClientTest::mprisArtUrlConvertsImageProviderToFileUrl() {
+    BridgeClient client;
+    isolateBridgeClient(client);
+    client.m_queueLength = 1;
+    client.m_playbackState = QStringLiteral("Playing");
+    client.m_currentTrackPath = QStringLiteral("/music/track.flac");
+    // Simulate the async image provider URL that coverUrlForPath() produces.
+    client.m_currentTrackCoverPath =
+        QStringLiteral("image://covers//music/cover.jpg#w=600&r=1");
+
+    MprisController controller(&client);
+    controller.m_serviceRegistered = true;
+    controller.m_hasPublishedPlayerState = false;
+
+    emit client.trackMetadataChanged();
+
+    QVERIFY(controller.m_hasPublishedPlayerState);
+    const QVariantMap meta = controller.m_lastPlayerState.metadata;
+    const QString artUrl = meta.value(QStringLiteral("mpris:artUrl")).toString();
+    // Must be a file:// URL, not an image:// URL.
+    QVERIFY2(artUrl.startsWith(QStringLiteral("file://")),
+             qPrintable(QStringLiteral("Expected file:// URL, got: ") + artUrl));
+    QVERIFY2(!artUrl.contains(QStringLiteral("image://")),
+             qPrintable(QStringLiteral("image:// leaked into MPRIS artUrl: ") + artUrl));
+    // Fragment (nonce) must be stripped.
+    QVERIFY2(!artUrl.contains(QLatin1Char('#')),
+             qPrintable(QStringLiteral("Fragment not stripped: ") + artUrl));
+
+    controller.m_serviceRegistered = false;
+    controller.m_objectRegistered = false;
+}
+
 void BridgeClientTest::spectrogramOverlaySettingsApplyFromSnapshot() {
     BridgeClient client;
     isolateBridgeClient(client);