diff --git a/core/metadata/art_apply.py b/core/metadata/art_apply.py
index e267a3e5..fe79d266 100644
--- a/core/metadata/art_apply.py
+++ b/core/metadata/art_apply.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ Two jobs, both reusing the post-processing standard so the user's
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import contextlib
+import errno
 import os
 from typing import Iterable
 
@@ -111,13 +112,34 @@ def apply_art_to_album_files(
     musicbrainz_release_id). Existing tags are preserved — only art is added.
 
     Returns counts; never raises (unwritable/read-only files are skipped).
+    ``read_only_fs`` is True when the target filesystem itself rejects writes
+    (EROFS — a docker ``:ro`` volume mount; chmod can't fix that) so callers
+    can tell the user the actual cure instead of a generic failure.
     """
-    result = {"embedded": 0, "failed": 0, "skipped": 0, "cover_written": False}
+    result = {"embedded": 0, "failed": 0, "skipped": 0, "cover_written": False,
+              "read_only_fs": False}
     symbols = get_mutagen_symbols()
     paths = [p for p in (file_paths or []) if p]
     if not symbols:
         return result
 
+    # Pre-flight: if the mount is read-only, every save below would fail with
+    # EROFS one by one (Tim's report: a wall of per-file warnings and a 777
+    # chmod that couldn't help). statvfs asks the kernel without writing.
+    probe_dir = folder or (os.path.dirname(paths[0]) if paths else None)
+    if probe_dir:
+        try:
+            if os.statvfs(probe_dir).f_flag & os.ST_RDONLY:
+                logger.warning(
+                    "Art apply skipped: %s is on a READ-ONLY filesystem "
+                    "(docker ':ro' volume mount — chmod cannot fix this)",
+                    probe_dir)
+                result["read_only_fs"] = True
+                result["failed"] = len(paths)
+                return result
+        except OSError:
+            pass  # statvfs unavailable/odd fs — fall through to per-file handling
+
     for fp in paths:
         if not os.path.isfile(fp):
             result["skipped"] += 1
@@ -144,6 +166,8 @@ def apply_art_to_album_files(
                 result["failed"] += 1
         except Exception as exc:
             # Read-only mounts / permission errors land here — skip, don't crash.
+            if getattr(exc, "errno", None) == errno.EROFS:
+                result["read_only_fs"] = True
             logger.warning("Could not embed art into %s: %s", fp, exc)
             result["failed"] += 1
 
@@ -153,5 +177,7 @@ def apply_art_to_album_files(
             download_cover_art(album_info, target_dir, context)
             result["cover_written"] = folder_has_cover_sidecar(target_dir)
         except Exception as exc:
+            if getattr(exc, "errno", None) == errno.EROFS:
+                result["read_only_fs"] = True
             logger.warning("cover.jpg write failed for %s: %s", target_dir, exc)
     return result
diff --git a/core/repair_worker.py b/core/repair_worker.py
index 74d3a634..88d698d0 100644
--- a/core/repair_worker.py
+++ b/core/repair_worker.py
@@ -1349,11 +1349,23 @@ class RepairWorker:
         art_result = apply_art_to_album_files(resolved, metadata, album_info, folder=folder)
 
         embedded = art_result.get('embedded', 0)
+        if art_result.get('read_only_fs'):
+            # Tim's report: a docker ':ro' volume — every write fails EROFS,
+            # the user chmod 777's in vain, and a soft "(read-only?)" hint
+            # wasn't loud enough. Fail the fix with the actual cure.
+            return {'success': False, 'action': 'applied_cover_art',
+                    'error': ('Your music folder is mounted READ-ONLY — the container '
+                              'cannot write to it, and chmod cannot change that. '
+                              "Remove ':ro' from the volume mapping in your docker "
+                              "compose/run (e.g. '/music:/music:ro' → '/music:/music') "
+                              'and recreate the container. (Database thumbnail was '
+                              'still updated.)'),
+                    'art_result': art_result}
         msg = f'Applied cover art: embedded into {embedded}/{len(resolved)} file(s)'
         if art_result.get('cover_written'):
             msg += ' + wrote cover.jpg'
         if embedded == 0 and not art_result.get('cover_written'):
-            # DB updated but nothing reached disk (e.g. read-only mount).
+            # DB updated but nothing reached disk (e.g. permissions).
             msg = 'Updated database thumbnail, but could not write art to files (read-only?)'
         return {'success': True, 'action': 'applied_cover_art', 'message': msg, 'art_result': art_result}
 
diff --git a/tests/test_art_apply.py b/tests/test_art_apply.py
index 8e240e41..a7661ef3 100644
--- a/tests/test_art_apply.py
+++ b/tests/test_art_apply.py
@@ -145,3 +145,61 @@ def test_apply_counts_failures_without_raising(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     res = aa.apply_art_to_album_files([str(f1)], {'album': 'B'}, {'album_name': 'B'}, folder=str(tmp_path))
     assert res['embedded'] == 0
     assert res['failed'] == 1       # save() raised (read-only) — counted, not crashed
+
+
+# ── read-only filesystem detection (Tim: docker ':ro' mount, Errno 30) ──
+
+
+def test_apply_short_circuits_on_read_only_mount(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """statvfs says the mount is RO -> bail before touching any file, flag
+    read_only_fs so the caller can name the actual cure (remove ':ro')."""
+    f = tmp_path / 'a.mp3'
+    f.write_bytes(b'')
+    audio = SimpleNamespace(pictures=[], tags=None)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(aa, 'get_mutagen_symbols', lambda: _fake_symbols(audio))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(aa.os, 'statvfs',
+                        lambda p: SimpleNamespace(f_flag=aa.os.ST_RDONLY))
+    called = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(aa, 'download_cover_art', lambda *a, **k: called.append(a))
+
+    res = aa.apply_art_to_album_files([str(f)], {}, {}, folder=str(tmp_path))
+
+    assert res['read_only_fs'] is True
+    assert res['embedded'] == 0 and res['failed'] == 1
+    assert called == []                      # cover.jpg write never attempted
+
+
+def test_apply_flags_erofs_from_save(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """statvfs passes (overlay quirk) but the save itself raises EROFS ->
+    per-file detection still sets read_only_fs."""
+    import errno as _errno
+    f = tmp_path / 'a.mp3'
+    f.write_bytes(b'')
+
+    def _boom():
+        raise OSError(_errno.EROFS, 'Read-only file system')
+    audio = SimpleNamespace(pictures=[], tags={'ok': 1}, save=_boom)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(aa, 'get_mutagen_symbols', lambda: _fake_symbols(audio))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(aa, 'embed_album_art_metadata', lambda *a, **k: True)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(aa, 'download_cover_art', lambda *a, **k: None)
+
+    res = aa.apply_art_to_album_files([str(f)], {}, {}, folder=str(tmp_path))
+
+    assert res['read_only_fs'] is True
+    assert res['failed'] == 1
+
+
+def test_apply_normal_failure_not_flagged_read_only(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    def _boom():
+        raise PermissionError(13, 'Permission denied')
+    f = tmp_path / 'a.mp3'
+    f.write_bytes(b'')
+    audio = SimpleNamespace(pictures=[], tags={'ok': 1}, save=_boom)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(aa, 'get_mutagen_symbols', lambda: _fake_symbols(audio))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(aa, 'embed_album_art_metadata', lambda *a, **k: True)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(aa, 'download_cover_art', lambda *a, **k: None)
+
+    res = aa.apply_art_to_album_files([str(f)], {}, {}, folder=str(tmp_path))
+
+    assert res['read_only_fs'] is False      # EACCES is chmod-able, EROFS is not
+    assert res['failed'] == 1