diff --git a/tidaldy/src/lib.rs b/tidaldy/src/lib.rs
index 846bf10..cf918d2 100644
--- a/tidaldy/src/lib.rs
+++ b/tidaldy/src/lib.rs
@@ -344,6 +344,11 @@ impl Client {
     /// Refreshes the access token if it is expired or about to expire.
     /// Without this, long-running sessions ended up with an expired token
     /// and every track fetch failed, silently stopping playback.
+    ///
+    /// A failed proactive refresh never fails the request: the current
+    /// access token may still be valid (stale `expires_after` metadata from
+    /// an old config, for example), and `make_request`'s 401-retry remains
+    /// the backstop for a token that is actually dead.
     async fn ensure_fresh_token(&self) -> Result<(), ClientError> {
         let login = self.login_snapshot();
         let Some(expires_after) = login.expires_after else {
@@ -354,7 +359,30 @@ impl Client {
             return Ok(());
         }
         info!("access token expired or expiring soon");
-        self.force_refresh_token().await
+        match self.force_refresh_token().await {
+            Ok(()) => Ok(()),
+            Err(err @ ClientError::AuthError(_)) => {
+                // The refresh token is permanently unusable. Stop trying
+                // proactively so every request doesn't hammer the endpoint;
+                // a new device login (server restart) is the only cure once
+                // the access token dies.
+                warn!(
+                    "stored refresh token was rejected and can never work; \
+                     continuing with the current access token — restart the \
+                     server to re-login once it expires: {err}"
+                );
+                let mut login = match self.login.write() {
+                    Ok(login) => login,
+                    Err(poisoned) => poisoned.into_inner(),
+                };
+                login.expires_after = None;
+                Ok(())
+            }
+            Err(err) => {
+                warn!("token refresh failed transiently, continuing with the current token: {err}");
+                Ok(())
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     /// Performs an authenticated GET against the hifi API.
@@ -689,12 +717,20 @@ impl Client {
         if status.is_success() {
             let res = req.json::<RefreshResponse>().await?;
             Ok(res)
-        } else {
+        } else if status.is_client_error() {
+            // A 4xx means the endpoint understood us and rejected the token
+            // (e.g. it was issued by a client that no longer exists). This
+            // cannot succeed on retry — only a new device login helps.
             let body = req.text().await.unwrap_or_default();
             let snippet: String = body.chars().take(300).collect();
             Err(ClientError::AuthError(format!(
                 "token refresh returned {status}: {snippet}"
             )))
+        } else {
+            let body = req.text().await.unwrap_or_default();
+            let snippet: String = body.chars().take(300).collect();
+            error!("token refresh returned {status}: {snippet}");
+            Err(ClientError::ApiError(status.as_u16()))
         }
     }
     #[instrument(skip(self))]