diff --git a/crabidy-server/src/cli.rs b/crabidy-server/src/cli.rs
index bd79739..073750b 100644
--- a/crabidy-server/src/cli.rs
+++ b/crabidy-server/src/cli.rs
@@ -235,6 +235,8 @@ async fn scan_file(
         artist: String::new(),
         duration: None,
         album: None,
+        // A scanned local file has no provider-internal id.
+        provider_item_id: None,
         playable,
     };
     tokio::fs::write(&sidecar, track_file.to_toml()?).await?;
diff --git a/fsdy/src/lib.rs b/fsdy/src/lib.rs
index bcbcf96..443f336 100644
--- a/fsdy/src/lib.rs
+++ b/fsdy/src/lib.rs
@@ -81,6 +81,14 @@ pub struct TrackFile {
     /// Optional album metadata.
     #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
     pub album: Option<AlbumMeta>,
+    /// Provider-internal id of the source item (`Track.provider_item_id`),
+    /// preserved so it survives a link/queue/bookmark round trip. Without it
+    /// a later capture of a linked track cannot de-duplicate by provider id
+    /// *before* downloading — it falls back to hashing the fetched bytes
+    /// (architecture/crabidy-store.md D3/D4). Omitted when the source has
+    /// none (e.g. a local `/fs` file).
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+    pub provider_item_id: Option<String>,
     /// The playable reference; exactly one of its fields must be set.
     pub playable: PlayableSpec,
 }
@@ -218,9 +226,10 @@ impl TrackFile {
                 release_date: a.release_date.clone(),
             }),
             is_skipped: matches!(playable, Ok(Playable::Skipped)),
-            // The provider that owns a link target sets this at its end; a
-            // local file/store/skipped track has no provider-internal id.
-            provider_item_id: String::new(),
+            // Restored from the toml when present (a link/queue/bookmark keeps
+            // the source's provider id so a later capture can de-dup by id);
+            // empty when the source had none.
+            provider_item_id: self.provider_item_id.clone().unwrap_or_default(),
             // A store-backed track is captured by construction; other
             // playables are marked (or not) by the server's store index.
             is_captured: matches!(playable, Ok(Playable::Store(_))),
@@ -264,6 +273,10 @@ impl TrackFile {
                 title: a.title.clone(),
                 release_date: a.release_date.clone(),
             }),
+            // Keep the source's provider id so a capture of this saved entry
+            // can de-dup by id before downloading (crabidy-store.md D4).
+            provider_item_id: (!track.provider_item_id.is_empty())
+                .then(|| track.provider_item_id.clone()),
             playable,
         }
     }
@@ -1503,6 +1516,33 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(restored, track);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn link_files_preserve_the_provider_item_id() {
+        // A streamed track (e.g. Tidal) carries a provider id; a link save
+        // (queue/bookmark) must keep it so a later capture of that save can
+        // de-duplicate by id before downloading (crabidy-store.md D4).
+        let track = Track {
+            path: "/tidal/albums/1/125169484".to_string(),
+            artist: "Efence".to_string(),
+            title: "Bay of Lost Dreams".to_string(),
+            duration: Some(216),
+            album: None,
+            is_skipped: false,
+            provider_item_id: "125169484".to_string(),
+            is_captured: false,
+        };
+        let toml_text = TrackFile::from_track(&track).to_toml().expect("serialize");
+        assert!(
+            toml_text.contains("provider_item_id = \"125169484\""),
+            "the id is written to the link toml: {toml_text}"
+        );
+        let restored = TrackFile::parse(&toml_text)
+            .expect("reparse")
+            .to_track("/crabidy/current/0001 Bay of Lost Dreams.cbd-track.toml");
+        assert_eq!(restored.provider_item_id, "125169484");
+        assert_eq!(restored, track);
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn from_track_with_file_plays_the_relative_sibling() {
         let track = Track {