1 files changed, 33 insertions, 8 deletions
diff --git a/Emby.Server.Implementations/Library/Validators/ArtistsValidator.cs b/Emby.Server.Implementations/Library/Validators/ArtistsValidator.cs
index fa7112eb90..690466be70 100644
--- a/Emby.Server.Implementations/Library/Validators/ArtistsValidator.cs
+++ b/Emby.Server.Implementations/Library/Validators/ArtistsValidator.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Globalization;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Threading;
@@ -61,6 +62,9 @@ public class ArtistsValidator
         var count = names.Count;
         var refreshed = 0;
 
+        var liveIds = new HashSet<Guid>();
+        var unresolved = 0;
+
         foreach (var name in names)
         {
             try
@@ -73,13 +77,20 @@ public class ArtistsValidator
 
                 // Fall back to GetArtist if not found (creates new item if needed)
                 item ??= _libraryManager.GetArtist(name);
-                var isNew = !existingArtistIds.Contains(item.Id);
-                var neverRefreshed = item.DateLastRefreshed == default;
 
-                if (isNew || neverRefreshed)
+                // A name with no item is nothing to refresh, and nothing to keep alive either.
+                if (item is not null)
                 {
-                    await item.RefreshMetadata(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
-                    refreshed++;
+                    liveIds.Add(item.Id);
+
+                    var isNew = !existingArtistIds.Contains(item.Id);
+                    var neverRefreshed = item.DateLastRefreshed == default;
+
+                    if (isNew || neverRefreshed)
+                    {
+                        await item.RefreshMetadata(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                        refreshed++;
+                    }
                 }
             }
             catch (OperationCanceledException)
@@ -88,6 +99,7 @@ public class ArtistsValidator
             }
             catch (Exception ex)
             {
+                unresolved++;
                 _logger.LogError(ex, "Error refreshing {ArtistName}", name);
             }
 
@@ -101,13 +113,26 @@ public class ArtistsValidator
 
         _logger.LogInformation("Refreshed metadata for {RefreshedCount} new artists out of {TotalCount} total", refreshed, count);
 
+        // Every name that threw is a name whose artist is missing from the live set, and deleting against
+        // a live set with holes in it deletes artists the library still refers to. Leave the sweep to a
+        // run that got a clean read of them.
+        if (unresolved > 0)
+        {
+            _logger.LogWarning(
+                "Not removing dead artists: {Count} of {TotalCount} names could not be resolved this run",
+                unresolved,
+                count);
+
+            progress.Report(100);
+            return;
+        }
+
         var deadEntities = _libraryManager.GetItemList(new InternalItemsQuery
         {
             IncludeItemTypes = [BaseItemKind.MusicArtist],
-            IsDeadArtist = true,
             IsLocked = false
-        }).Cast<MusicArtist>()
-        .Where(item => item.IsAccessedByName)
+        }).OfType<MusicArtist>()
+        .Where(item => item.IsAccessedByName && !liveIds.Contains(item.Id))
         .ToList();
 
         foreach (var item in deadEntities)