diff --git a/lib/services/image_cache_service.dart b/lib/services/image_cache_service.dart
index 7ea1c246..1ce0b94a 100644
--- a/lib/services/image_cache_service.dart
+++ b/lib/services/image_cache_service.dart
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import 'package:cached_network_image_ce/cached_network_image.dart' show FileResp
 // behind a narrower unsupported-platform stub.
 // ignore: implementation_imports
 import 'package:cached_network_image_ce/src/cache/default_cache_manager.dart' as ce_cache;
+import 'package:flutter/foundation.dart' show visibleForTesting;
 import 'package:http/http.dart' as http;
 import 'package:path_provider/path_provider.dart';
 
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ class PlexImageCacheManager extends ce_cache.DefaultCacheManager {
     : super(
         stalePeriod: const Duration(days: 14),
         maxNrOfCacheObjects: 3000,
-        httpClientFactory: () => _SharedHttpClient(_artworkHttpClient.inner),
+        httpClientFactory: () => _SharedHttpClient(_artworkHttpClient.inner, _artworkRequestLimiter),
         cacheDirectoryProvider: getApplicationCacheDirectory,
       );
 
@@ -57,12 +58,13 @@ class PlexImageCacheManager extends ce_cache.DefaultCacheManager {
 /// transferring ownership of its lifecycle, and cap artwork fan-out globally.
 class _SharedHttpClient extends http.BaseClient {
   final http.Client _inner;
+  final _RequestLimiter _limiter;
 
-  _SharedHttpClient(this._inner);
+  _SharedHttpClient(this._inner, this._limiter);
 
   @override
   Future<http.StreamedResponse> send(http.BaseRequest request) async {
-    final permit = await _artworkRequestLimiter.acquire();
+    final permit = await _limiter.acquire();
     var released = false;
 
     void release() {
@@ -73,6 +75,29 @@ class _SharedHttpClient extends http.BaseClient {
 
     try {
       final response = await _inner.send(request);
+
+      // CE's cache manager throws for any status other than 200/202 without
+      // listening to the body, so _releaseWhenDone would never fire and the
+      // permit would leak; six stale-thumb 404s then wedge all artwork loading
+      // until restart (#1473). Release now, drain the (tiny) error body in the
+      // background so the platform client reclaims the connection, and hand CE
+      // an empty body it never reads anyway. Status set mirrors CE 4.6.4
+      // _downloadFile; recheck if the pinned dep is ever bumped.
+      if (response.statusCode != 200 && response.statusCode != 202) {
+        release();
+        unawaited(response.stream.drain<void>().catchError((_) {}));
+        return http.StreamedResponse(
+          const Stream<List<int>>.empty(),
+          response.statusCode,
+          contentLength: 0,
+          request: response.request,
+          headers: response.headers,
+          isRedirect: response.isRedirect,
+          persistentConnection: response.persistentConnection,
+          reasonPhrase: response.reasonPhrase,
+        );
+      }
+
       return http.StreamedResponse(
         _releaseWhenDone(response.stream, release),
         response.statusCode,
@@ -93,6 +118,11 @@ class _SharedHttpClient extends http.BaseClient {
   void close() {}
 }
 
+/// Test hook: builds the throttled artwork client with an isolated limiter.
+@visibleForTesting
+http.Client createArtworkHttpClientForTest(http.Client inner, {int maxConcurrent = 6}) =>
+    _SharedHttpClient(inner, _RequestLimiter(maxConcurrent));
+
 Stream<List<int>> _releaseWhenDone(Stream<List<int>> stream, void Function() release) async* {
   try {
     await for (final chunk in stream) {
diff --git a/test/services/image_cache_service_test.dart b/test/services/image_cache_service_test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d2525158
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/services/image_cache_service_test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+import 'dart:async';
+
+import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
+import 'package:http/http.dart' as http;
+import 'package:http/testing.dart';
+import 'package:plezy/services/image_cache_service.dart';
+
+/// Pins the artwork request limiter's permit lifecycle. CE's cache manager
+/// abandons non-200/202 responses without listening to the body, so the
+/// wrapper must release those slots itself or the limiter wedges after a
+/// handful of stale-thumb 404s (#1473).
+void main() {
+  const timeout = Duration(seconds: 5);
+
+  http.Request get(String path) => http.Request('GET', Uri.parse('https://example.invalid$path'));
+
+  MockClient mixedClient() => MockClient((request) async {
+    if (request.url.path.contains('missing')) {
+      return http.Response('not found', 404, headers: {'x-marker': 'err'});
+    }
+    return http.Response('poster-bytes', 200);
+  });
+
+  test('error burst does not wedge the limiter (#1473)', () async {
+    final client = createArtworkHttpClientForTest(mixedClient(), maxConcurrent: 2);
+
+    // More failures than permits, bodies deliberately never read — mirrors
+    // CE throwing on the status without listening to the stream.
+    for (var i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
+      final response = await client.send(get('/missing/$i')).timeout(timeout);
+      expect(response.statusCode, 404);
+      expect(response.headers['x-marker'], 'err');
+    }
+
+    final ok = await client.send(get('/poster')).timeout(timeout);
+    expect(ok.statusCode, 200);
+    expect(await ok.stream.bytesToString().timeout(timeout), 'poster-bytes');
+  });
+
+  test('successful downloads still hold a slot until the body is drained', () async {
+    final client = createArtworkHttpClientForTest(mixedClient(), maxConcurrent: 1);
+
+    final first = await client.send(get('/poster')).timeout(timeout);
+    var secondDone = false;
+    final second = client.send(get('/poster')).then((response) async {
+      secondDone = true;
+      await response.stream.drain<void>();
+    });
+
+    await pumpEventQueue();
+    expect(secondDone, isFalse, reason: 'slot must stay held while the first body is unread');
+
+    await first.stream.drain<void>();
+    await second.timeout(timeout);
+    expect(secondDone, isTrue);
+  });
+
+  test('error bodies are drained so the transport can reclaim the connection', () async {
+    final listened = Completer<void>();
+    final body = StreamController<List<int>>(onListen: () => listened.complete());
+    unawaited(body.close());
+    final client = createArtworkHttpClientForTest(
+      MockClient.streaming((request, _) async => http.StreamedResponse(body.stream, 404)),
+      maxConcurrent: 2,
+    );
+
+    final response = await client.send(get('/missing')).timeout(timeout);
+    expect(response.statusCode, 404);
+    await listened.future.timeout(timeout);
+  });
+
+  test('a throwing send releases its slot', () async {
+    var failures = 0;
+    final client = createArtworkHttpClientForTest(
+      MockClient((request) async {
+        if (failures < 2) {
+          failures++;
+          throw http.ClientException('boom');
+        }
+        return http.Response('poster-bytes', 200);
+      }),
+      maxConcurrent: 1,
+    );
+
+    for (var i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
+      await expectLater(client.send(get('/poster')).timeout(timeout), throwsA(isA<http.ClientException>()));
+    }
+
+    final ok = await client.send(get('/poster')).timeout(timeout);
+    expect(ok.statusCode, 200);
+  });
+
+  test('cancelling a successful body releases its slot', () async {
+    final client = createArtworkHttpClientForTest(mixedClient(), maxConcurrent: 1);
+
+    final first = await client.send(get('/poster')).timeout(timeout);
+    final subscription = first.stream.listen((_) {});
+    await subscription.cancel();
+
+    final ok = await client.send(get('/poster')).timeout(timeout);
+    expect(ok.statusCode, 200);
+    await ok.stream.drain<void>();
+  });
+}