diff --git a/core/soulseek_client.py b/core/soulseek_client.py
index aa624d1e..80d7d4bc 100644
--- a/core/soulseek_client.py
+++ b/core/soulseek_client.py
@@ -1601,7 +1601,15 @@ class SoulseekClient(DownloadSourcePlugin):
         result['fallback'] = False
         completed = self._poll_album_bundle_downloads(transfer_keys, _emit)
         if not completed:
-            result['error'] = 'Soulseek album download failed or timed out'
+            # The selected folder yielded ZERO usable files — every transfer
+            # failed / aborted / stalled (a dead or unwilling peer). Don't hard-
+            # fail the batch: fall back to the per-track flow, which searches ALL
+            # sources per track and can pull each from a live peer. We reuse that
+            # proven multi-source robustness instead of looping candidate folders
+            # here. (Per-track only fires for a genuinely-missing album anyway.)
+            result['error'] = ('Soulseek album folder produced no usable files '
+                               '(peer failed/aborted/stalled) — falling back to per-track')
+            result['fallback'] = True
             return result
 
         _emit('staging', release=getattr(picked, 'album_title', folder_path) if picked else folder_path)
diff --git a/tests/test_soulseek_album_fallback.py b/tests/test_soulseek_album_fallback.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5e2cce07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_soulseek_album_fallback.py
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+"""Regression: a Soulseek album folder that yields ZERO usable files must fall
+back to the per-track flow rather than hard-failing the whole batch.
+
+The Slipknot case — the preflight-selected peer aborts/stalls every transfer (all
+tracks reported "Completed, Aborted" at 0 bytes) — makes
+``_poll_album_bundle_downloads`` return ``[]``. ``download_album_to_staging`` used
+to return that empty result with ``fallback=False``, so the dispatcher
+(``core/downloads/album_bundle_dispatch.try_dispatch``) hit its ``mark_failed``
+branch and the batch died with nothing tried elsewhere.
+
+The fix flips that branch to ``fallback=True`` so the existing, proven per-track
+flow takes over and re-searches every missing track across ALL sources/peers —
+reusing that robustness instead of looping candidate folders inside the bundle.
+The downstream "fallback=True -> per-track" routing is covered by
+``tests/test_album_bundle_dispatch.py``
+(``test_dispatch_fallback_failure_returns_false_for_per_track_flow``); these tests
+prove the empty-folder branch actually sets the flag, and that a healthy folder
+does NOT fall back.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+from core.soulseek_client import SoulseekClient
+
+
+class _Stub:
+    """Stand-in exposing only what download_album_to_staging touches on the
+    preflight-reuse path (preferred_source + preferred_tracks skip search/browse)."""
+
+    def __init__(self, poll_result):
+        self._poll_result = poll_result
+
+    def is_configured(self):
+        return True
+
+    def filter_results_by_quality_preference(self, tracks):
+        return tracks
+
+    def download(self, username, filename, size):
+        return f"dl-{filename}"          # truthy id; run_async patched to identity
+
+    def _poll_album_bundle_downloads(self, transfer_keys, emit):
+        return self._poll_result
+
+
+def _track(name):
+    return SimpleNamespace(username="deadpeer", filename=name, size=100)
+
+
+def _run(poll_result):
+    stub = _Stub(poll_result)
+    tracks = [_track("01.flac"), _track("02.flac")]
+    with patch("core.soulseek_client.run_async", lambda x: x):
+        result = SoulseekClient.download_album_to_staging(
+            stub,
+            album_name="All Hope Is Gone",
+            artist_name="Slipknot",
+            staging_dir="/tmp/staging-does-not-matter",
+            preferred_source={
+                "username": "deadpeer",
+                "folder_path": "music/Slipknot/All Hope Is Gone",
+            },
+            preferred_tracks=tracks,
+        )
+    return result, tracks
+
+
+def test_empty_folder_falls_back_to_per_track():
+    # Poll returns [] — every transfer aborted / stalled (dead peer).
+    result, _ = _run([])
+    assert result['success'] is False
+    assert result['fallback'] is True            # <-- the fix: hand off to per-track
+    assert result['files'] == []
+    assert 'per-track' in (result['error'] or '')
+
+
+def test_healthy_folder_does_not_fall_back():
+    # Positive control: the poll yields staged files and the copy succeeds, so we
+    # must NOT flip fallback — this proves the empty-branch isn't blanket-returning
+    # True. Patch the atomic copy to echo the completed paths through.
+    from pathlib import Path
+    completed = [Path("/staged/01.flac"), Path("/staged/02.flac")]
+    with patch("core.soulseek_client.copy_audio_files_atomically", lambda files, dest: list(files)):
+        stub = _Stub(completed)
+        with patch("core.soulseek_client.run_async", lambda x: x):
+            result = SoulseekClient.download_album_to_staging(
+                stub,
+                album_name="All Hope Is Gone",
+                artist_name="Slipknot",
+                staging_dir="/tmp/staging-does-not-matter",
+                preferred_source={"username": "goodpeer", "folder_path": "music/Slipknot/AHIG"},
+                preferred_tracks=[_track("01.flac"), _track("02.flac")],
+            )
+    assert result['success'] is True
+    assert result['fallback'] is False
+    assert result['partial'] is False
+    assert result['files'] == completed