--- a/src/gui/pages/now_playing.cc	Thu Nov 06 03:16:55 2025 -0500
+++ b/src/gui/pages/now_playing.cc	Thu Nov 06 07:10:58 2025 -0500
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "gui/widgets/poster.h"
 #include "gui/widgets/text.h"
 #include "services/services.h"
+#include "core/session.h"
 
 #include <QHBoxLayout>
 #include <QLabel>
@@ -12,9 +13,14 @@
 #include <QVBoxLayout>
 #include <QWidget>
 
+#include <iostream>
+
 #include "anitomy/anitomy.h"
 
 namespace NowPlayingPages {
+// TODO the "now playing" logic should NOT be located here; this should
+// only be a frontent. THAT logic should at the very least be in the
+// "core" subdirectory
 
 Default::Default(QWidget *parent) : QWidget(parent)
 {
@@ -94,17 +100,27 @@
 	stack_.addWidget(&default_);
 	stack_.addWidget(&playing_);
 	layout->addWidget(&stack_);
-	timer_.setSingleShot(true);
-
-	QObject::connect(&timer_, &QTimer::timeout, this, &NowPlayingPage::TimerDone);
 
 	SetDefault();
 }
 
 void NowPlayingPage::SetDefault()
 {
-	/* stop any timer */
-	timer_.stop();
+	/* 'timer_' is the time elapsed since we were set to the 'playing'
+	 * mode. Otherwise it is -1. */
+	if (timer_ != -1) {
+		std::int64_t elapsed = session.uptime() - timer_;
+
+		/* FIXME hardcoding the interval length is a hack at best
+		 * (18 * 60 * 1000), is 18 minutes. */
+		if (elapsed > (18ll * 60ll * 1000ll)) {
+			/* Episode has finished playing */
+			TimerDone();
+		}
+
+		/* Reset the timer */
+		timer_ = -1;
+	}
 
 	stack_.setCurrentIndex(static_cast<int>(Subpages::Default));
 }
@@ -116,18 +132,11 @@
 
 void NowPlayingPage::SetPlaying(const Anime::Anime &anime, const anitomy::Elements &info)
 {
-	/* ok */
-	timer_.stop();
-
 	playing_.SetPlayingAnime(anime, info);
 	stack_.setCurrentIndex(static_cast<int>(Subpages::Playing));
 	updateGeometry();
 
-	/* now, start the timer
-	 * FIXME hardcoding the interval length is a hack at best
-	 * (12 * 60 * 1000) == 720000 msec, which is 12 minutes. */
-	timer_.setInterval(12 * 60 * 1000);
-	timer_.start();
+	timer_ = session.uptime();
 }
 
 void NowPlayingPage::TimerDone(void)