diff --git a/shell/services/MprisService.qml b/shell/services/MprisService.qml
index 5c3ea0a..b4eeff2 100644
--- a/shell/services/MprisService.qml
+++ b/shell/services/MprisService.qml
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ QtObject {
     // Track which player played most recently (by identity)
     property var _lastPlayedTime: ({})
 
+    // Track previous playing state per player to detect transitions
+    property var _wasPlaying: ({})
+
     onPlayerChanged: {
         if (player)
             _selectedIdentity = player.identity ?? "";
@@ -28,83 +31,58 @@ QtObject {
             const idx = players.findIndex(p => (p.identity ?? "") === _selectedIdentity);
             if (idx >= 0) {
                 playerIdx = idx;
-                return;
+            } else {
+                // Selected player disappeared - switch to best alternative
+                _switchToBest();
             }
-            // Selected player disappeared - switch to best alternative
-            _switchToBest();
         } else if (playerIdx >= players.length) {
             playerIdx = 0;
         }
     }
 
-    // Watch playback state changes on all players
-    property Connections _mprisConn: Connections {
-        target: Mpris
-
-        function onPlayersChanged() {
-            // Re-evaluate when the global player list changes
-            Qt.callLater(_reconnectWatchers);
-        }
+    // Poll playback states to detect transitions - Connections on dynamic
+    // targets get destroyed during list re-evaluation, losing the signal
+    property Timer _statePoll: Timer {
+        interval: 250
+        running: root.players.length > 0
+        repeat: true
+        onTriggered: root._checkStates()
     }
 
-    property var _watchedPlayers: []
+    function _checkStates() {
+        const prevWas = _wasPlaying;
+        const nextWas = {};
 
-    function _reconnectWatchers() {
-        // Clean up old watchers
-        for (const w of _watchedPlayers) {
-            if (w.conn)
-                w.conn.destroy();
-        }
-        _watchedPlayers = [];
+        for (let i = 0; i < players.length; i++) {
+            const p = players[i];
+            const identity = p.identity ?? "";
+            const isPlaying = p.playbackState === MprisPlaybackState.Playing;
+            nextWas[identity] = isPlaying;
 
-        // Watch each player's playback state
-        for (const p of players) {
-            const conn = _watcherComp.createObject(root, {
-                target: p
-            });
-            _watchedPlayers.push({
-                player: p,
-                conn: conn
-            });
-        }
-    }
+            if (isPlaying && !prevWas[identity]) {
+                // This player just started playing
+                const times = Object.assign({}, _lastPlayedTime);
+                times[identity] = Date.now();
+                _lastPlayedTime = times;
 
-    property Component _watcherComp: Component {
-        Connections {
-            function onPlaybackStateChanged() {
-                root._onPlaybackStateChanged(target);
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    function _onPlaybackStateChanged(p) {
-        if (!p)
-            return;
-
-        const identity = p.identity ?? "";
-
-        if (p.playbackState === MprisPlaybackState.Playing) {
-            // Record this as the most recently playing
-            const times = Object.assign({}, _lastPlayedTime);
-            times[identity] = Date.now();
-            _lastPlayedTime = times;
-
-            // Always switch to the newly playing player
-            if (player !== p) {
-                const idx = players.indexOf(p);
-                if (idx >= 0) {
-                    playerIdx = idx;
+                // Always switch to the newly playing player
+                if (player !== p) {
+                    playerIdx = i;
                     _selectedIdentity = identity;
                 }
             }
-        } else if (p.playbackState === MprisPlaybackState.Paused && p === player) {
-            // Current player paused - switch to a playing one if available
+        }
+
+        // Check if current player just paused
+        const curIdentity = player?.identity ?? "";
+        if (prevWas[curIdentity] && !nextWas[curIdentity]) {
             _switchToPlaying();
         }
+
+        _wasPlaying = nextWas;
     }
 
     function _switchToPlaying() {
-        // Find a playing player, prefer most recently started
         let best = -1;
         let bestTime = 0;
         for (let i = 0; i < players.length; i++) {
@@ -123,7 +101,6 @@ QtObject {
     }
 
     function _switchToBest() {
-        // Switch to playing player, or most recently played
         let best = -1;
         let bestTime = 0;
         let bestPlaying = -1;
@@ -155,6 +132,4 @@ QtObject {
         if (players[idx])
             _selectedIdentity = players[idx].identity ?? "";
     }
-
-    Component.onCompleted: Qt.callLater(_reconnectWatchers)
 }