diff --git a/backend/src/services/musicBrainzService.js b/backend/src/services/musicBrainzService.js
index 925f1a4..96bf1a0 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/musicBrainzService.js
+++ b/backend/src/services/musicBrainzService.js
@@ -49,10 +49,11 @@ function normalizeRelease(release) {
     }));
   });
 
-  let coverArtUrl = null;
-  if (release['cover-art-archive'] && release['cover-art-archive'].front) {
-    coverArtUrl = `https://coverartarchive.org/release/${release.id}/front-250`;
-  }
+  // Always generate the CAA URL when an id is present; the browser/onError
+  // handles 404s for releases that have no front cover.
+  const coverArtUrl = release.id
+    ? `https://coverartarchive.org/release/${release.id}/front-250`
+    : null;
 
   return {
     mbId: String(release.id || ''),
@@ -92,7 +93,7 @@ class MusicBrainzService {
     url.searchParams.set('query', q);
     url.searchParams.set('fmt', 'json');
     url.searchParams.set('limit', '10');
-    url.searchParams.set('inc', 'artist-credits+labels+recordings+cover-art-archive');
+    url.searchParams.set('inc', 'artist-credits+labels+recordings');
 
     try {
       const data = await mbFetch(url.toString());
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/CdMetadataDialog.jsx b/frontend/src/components/CdMetadataDialog.jsx
index f99a1f0..ba757c5 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/CdMetadataDialog.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/CdMetadataDialog.jsx
@@ -7,6 +7,21 @@ import { InputText } from 'primereact/inputtext';
 import { InputNumber } from 'primereact/inputnumber';
 import { Checkbox } from 'primereact/checkbox';
 
+function CoverThumb({ url, alt }) {
+  const [failed, setFailed] = useState(false);
+  if (!url || failed) {
+    return <div className="poster-thumb-lg poster-fallback">-</div>;
+  }
+  return (
+    <img
+      src={url}
+      alt={alt}
+      className="poster-thumb-lg"
+      onError={() => setFailed(true)}
+    />
+  );
+}
+
 function formatDurationMs(ms) {
   const totalSec = Math.round((ms || 0) / 1000);
   const min = Math.floor(totalSec / 60);
@@ -135,11 +150,7 @@ export default function CdMetadataDialog({
 
   const mbTitleBody = (row) => (
     <div className="mb-result-row">
-      {row.coverArtUrl ? (
-        <img src={row.coverArtUrl} alt={row.title} className="poster-thumb-lg" />
-      ) : (
-        <div className="poster-thumb-lg poster-fallback">-</div>
-      )}
+      <CoverThumb url={row.coverArtUrl} alt={row.title} />
       <div>
         <div><strong>{row.title}</strong></div>
         <small>{row.artist}{row.year ? ` | ${row.year}` : ''}</small>