diff --git a/docker/start.sh b/docker/start.sh
index b11dddc4..6910c8ac 100644
--- a/docker/start.sh
+++ b/docker/start.sh
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ echo "[setup] Web UI available at http://localhost:${WEB_ADDR##*:}"
 
 echo "[setup] Initializing cron jobs..."
 
+# Start with a clean crontab
+: > /etc/crontabs/root
+
 # Load *_SCHEDULE and *_FLAGS from .env if not already set in the environment.
 # This allows the web UI to configure schedules by writing to the .env file.
 _cfg="${WEB_ENV_PATH:-/opt/explo/.env}"
diff --git a/src/config/config.go b/src/config/config.go
index a68b6ce3..9d1cdceb 100644
--- a/src/config/config.go
+++ b/src/config/config.go
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ type Flags struct {
 	CfgPath      string
 	CfgSet       bool
 	Playlist     string
+	PlaylistSet	 bool
 	DownloadMode string
 	ExcludeLocal bool
 	Persist      bool
diff --git a/src/config/flags.go b/src/config/flags.go
index 70593315..81e81888 100644
--- a/src/config/flags.go
+++ b/src/config/flags.go
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ func (cfg *Config) GetFlags() error {
 	}
 	persistSet := flag.Lookup("persist").Changed
 	cfgSet := flag.Lookup("config").Changed
+	playlistSet := flag.Lookup("playlist").Changed
 
 	
 	
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ func (cfg *Config) GetFlags() error {
 	cfg.Flags.CfgPath = configPath
 	cfg.Flags.CfgSet = cfgSet
 	cfg.Flags.Playlist = playlist
+	cfg.Flags.PlaylistSet = playlistSet
 	cfg.Flags.DownloadMode = downloadMode
 	cfg.Flags.ExcludeLocal = excludeLocal
 	cfg.Flags.Persist = persist
diff --git a/src/downloader/monitor.go b/src/downloader/monitor.go
index beb87a8b..79d10dee 100644
--- a/src/downloader/monitor.go
+++ b/src/downloader/monitor.go
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ func (c *DownloadClient) MonitorDownloads(tracks []*models.Track, m Monitor) err
 				track.File, path = parsePath(track.File)
 				if monCfg.MigrateDownload {
 					if err = c.MoveDownload(monCfg.FromDir, monCfg.ToDir, path, track); err != nil {
-						return fmt.Errorf("error while moving file: %w", err)
+						slog.Error("error while moving file", "err", err.Error())
 					} else {
 						slog.Info("track moved successfully", "service", monCfg.Service)
 					}
diff --git a/src/downloader/slskd.go b/src/downloader/slskd.go
index 15ec5a42..c6ff7418 100644
--- a/src/downloader/slskd.go
+++ b/src/downloader/slskd.go
@@ -445,6 +445,11 @@ func parsePath(p string) (string, string) { // parse filepath to downloaded form
 }
 
 func wildcardArtist(artist string) string {
+	prefix := ""
+	if len(artist) >= 4 && strings.EqualFold(artist[:4], "the ") {
+		prefix = artist[:4]
+		artist = strings.TrimSpace(artist[4:])
+}
     r := []rune(strings.TrimSpace(artist))
 
     if len(r) < 3 {
@@ -452,7 +457,7 @@ func wildcardArtist(artist string) string {
     }
 
     r[0] = '*'
-    return string(r)
+    return prefix + string(r)
 }
 
 // different failure states slskd has (format is "Completed,Rejected", "Errored,Cancelled" etc..)
diff --git a/src/main/main.go b/src/main/main.go
index 32ad0629..e34f64bc 100644
--- a/src/main/main.go
+++ b/src/main/main.go
@@ -138,13 +138,22 @@ func main() {
 		return
 	}
 
+	if cfg.Flags.RefreshOnly {
+		if err := client.TriggerRefresh(&cfg); err != nil {
+			slog.Error("refresh-only failed", "err", err.Error())
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
+		slog.Info("library refresh triggered")
+		return
+	}
+
 	slog.Info("Starting Explo...")
 
 	if err := os.MkdirAll(cfg.DownloadCfg.Youtube.CoversDir, 0755); err != nil {
 		slog.Error("failed making directory", "msg", err.Error())
 	}
 
-	if cfg.ServerCfg.Enabled {
+	if cfg.ServerCfg.Enabled || !cfg.Flags.PlaylistSet {
 
 		exploPath, err := os.Executable()
 		if err != nil {
@@ -156,15 +165,6 @@ func main() {
 		log.Fatal(srv.Start())
 	}
 
-	if cfg.Flags.RefreshOnly {
-		if err := client.TriggerRefresh(&cfg); err != nil {
-			slog.Error("refresh-only failed", "err", err.Error())
-			os.Exit(1)
-		}
-		slog.Info("library refresh triggered")
-		return
-	}
-
 	var tracks []*models.Track
 	var err error
 	if strings.HasPrefix(cfg.Flags.Playlist, "custom-") {
diff --git a/src/web/backend/server.go b/src/web/backend/server.go
index ffa1403c..7043f72d 100644
--- a/src/web/backend/server.go
+++ b/src/web/backend/server.go
@@ -689,7 +689,7 @@ func formatEnvValue(v string) string {
 		return v
 	}
 
-	if strings.ContainsAny(v, `"$#?' `) {
+	if strings.ContainsAny(v, `"$#?'`) {
 		// escape single quotes inside value
 		v = strings.ReplaceAll(v, `'`, `'\''`)
 		return fmt.Sprintf(`'%s'`, v)