diff --git a/components/settings/OtherSettings.tsx b/components/settings/OtherSettings.tsx
index fcca2498..f61b00e4 100644
--- a/components/settings/OtherSettings.tsx
+++ b/components/settings/OtherSettings.tsx
@@ -204,7 +204,10 @@ export const OtherSettings: React.FC = () => {
             }
           />
         </ListItem>
-        <ListItem title={t("home.settings.other.max_auto_play_episode_count")}>
+        <ListItem
+          title={t("home.settings.other.max_auto_play_episode_count")}
+          disabled={pluginSettings?.maxAutoPlayEpisodeCount?.locked}
+        >
           <PlatformDropdown
             groups={autoPlayEpisodeOptions}
             trigger={
diff --git a/components/settings/PlaybackControlsSettings.tsx b/components/settings/PlaybackControlsSettings.tsx
index ad6a215e..17ee5367 100644
--- a/components/settings/PlaybackControlsSettings.tsx
+++ b/components/settings/PlaybackControlsSettings.tsx
@@ -229,7 +229,10 @@ export const PlaybackControlsSettings: React.FC = () => {
 
         <ListItem
           title={t("home.settings.other.max_auto_play_episode_count")}
-          disabled={!settings.autoPlayNextEpisode}
+          disabled={
+            !settings.autoPlayNextEpisode ||
+            pluginSettings?.maxAutoPlayEpisodeCount?.locked
+          }
         >
           <PlatformDropdown
             groups={autoPlayEpisodeOptions}
diff --git a/utils/atoms/settings.ts b/utils/atoms/settings.ts
index 28f7d1b4..a147b7e1 100644
--- a/utils/atoms/settings.ts
+++ b/utils/atoms/settings.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {
   type SortOrder,
   SubtitlePlaybackMode,
 } from "@jellyfin/sdk/lib/generated-client";
+import { t } from "i18next";
 import { atom, useAtom, useAtomValue } from "jotai";
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo } from "react";
 import { BITRATES, type Bitrate } from "@/components/BitrateSelector";
@@ -121,6 +122,46 @@ export interface MaxAutoPlayEpisodeCount {
   value: number;
 }
 
+/**
+ * The plugin may send object-typed settings as plain primitives.
+ * Resolve to the proper option object from the available choices.
+ */
+const normalizePluginValue = (
+  settingsKey: keyof Settings,
+  value: unknown,
+): unknown => {
+  if (typeof value !== "object" || value === null) {
+    const defaultVal = defaultValues[settingsKey];
+    if (
+      typeof defaultVal === "object" &&
+      defaultVal !== null &&
+      "key" in defaultVal &&
+      "value" in defaultVal
+    ) {
+      // defaultBitrate needs a lookup because its keys are human-readable
+      // (e.g. "8 Mb/s") that can't be derived from the raw value (e.g. 8000000).
+      // Other { key, value } settings like maxAutoPlayEpisodeCount work with
+      // the fallback because their keys are just String(value) (e.g. "5").
+      if (settingsKey === "defaultBitrate") {
+        const match = BITRATES.find(
+          (b) => b.key === value || b.value === value,
+        );
+        if (match) return match;
+      }
+      // maxAutoPlayEpisodeCount: 0 is invalid (breaks autoplay), clamp to -1
+      // -1 key must match the translated dropdown label so the UI shows "Disabled"
+      if (
+        settingsKey === "maxAutoPlayEpisodeCount" &&
+        (value === 0 || value === -1)
+      ) {
+        return { key: t("home.settings.other.disabled"), value: -1 };
+      }
+      return { key: String(value), value };
+    }
+  }
+  return value;
+};
+
 export type HomeSectionLatestResolver = {
   parentId?: string;
   limit?: number;
@@ -362,7 +403,7 @@ export const useSettings = () => {
   );
 
   const refreshStreamyfinPluginSettings = useCallback(
-    async (forceOverride = false) => {
+    async (_forceOverride = false) => {
       if (!api) {
         return;
       }
@@ -375,20 +416,17 @@ export const useSettings = () => {
       );
       setPluginSettings(newPluginSettings);
 
-      // Apply plugin values to settings
+      // Apply locked plugin values to settings (unlocked values are handled
+      // by the settings memo, which respects user customizations)
       if (newPluginSettings && _settings) {
         const updates: Partial<Settings> = {};
         for (const [key, setting] of Object.entries(newPluginSettings)) {
-          if (setting && !setting.locked && setting.value !== undefined) {
+          if (setting?.locked) {
             const settingsKey = key as keyof Settings;
-            // Apply if forceOverride is true, or if user hasn't explicitly set this value
-            if (
-              forceOverride ||
-              _settings[settingsKey] === undefined ||
-              _settings[settingsKey] === ""
-            ) {
-              (updates as any)[settingsKey] = setting.value;
-            }
+            (updates as any)[settingsKey] = normalizePluginValue(
+              settingsKey,
+              setting.value,
+            );
           }
         }
 
@@ -440,26 +478,31 @@ export const useSettings = () => {
   // If admin sets locked to false but provides a value,
   // use user settings first and fallback on admin setting if required.
   const settings: Settings = useMemo(() => {
-    const unlockedPluginDefaults: Partial<Settings> = {};
+    const _unlockedPluginDefaults: Partial<Settings> = {};
     const overrideSettings = Object.entries(pluginSettings ?? {}).reduce<
       Partial<Settings>
     >((acc, [key, setting]) => {
       if (setting) {
-        const { value, locked } = setting;
+        let { value } = setting;
+        const { locked } = setting;
         const settingsKey = key as keyof Settings;
 
-        // Make sure we override default settings with plugin settings when they are not locked.
-        if (
-          !locked &&
-          value !== undefined &&
-          _settings?.[settingsKey] !== value
-        ) {
-          (unlockedPluginDefaults as any)[settingsKey] = value;
-        }
+        // Normalize object-typed settings from plugin (plain primitive → { key, value })
+        value = normalizePluginValue(settingsKey, value);
+
+        // For unlocked settings: use plugin value unless user explicitly
+        // customized (their saved value differs from the default)
+        const userVal = _settings?.[settingsKey];
+        const defaultVal = defaultValues[settingsKey];
+        const userCustomized =
+          userVal !== undefined &&
+          JSON.stringify(userVal) !== JSON.stringify(defaultVal);
 
         (acc as any)[settingsKey] = locked
           ? value
-          : (_settings?.[settingsKey] ?? value);
+          : userCustomized
+            ? userVal
+            : value;
       }
       return acc;
     }, {});