diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/com/audiobookshelf/app/player/MediaSessionCallback.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/com/audiobookshelf/app/player/MediaSessionCallback.kt
index f7e3c89a..fb83402c 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/com/audiobookshelf/app/player/MediaSessionCallback.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/com/audiobookshelf/app/player/MediaSessionCallback.kt
@@ -116,15 +116,16 @@ class MediaSessionCallback(var playerNotificationService:PlayerNotificationServi
 
     if (mediaId.isNullOrEmpty()) {
       libraryItemWrapper = playerNotificationService.mediaManager.getFirstItem()
-    } else if (mediaId.startsWith("ep_") || mediaId.startsWith("local_ep_")) { // Playing podcast episode
-      val libraryItemWithEpisode = playerNotificationService.mediaManager.getPodcastWithEpisodeByEpisodeId(mediaId)
-      libraryItemWrapper = libraryItemWithEpisode?.libraryItemWrapper
-      podcastEpisode = libraryItemWithEpisode?.episode
     } else {
-      libraryItemWrapper = playerNotificationService.mediaManager.getById(mediaId)
-
-      if (libraryItemWrapper == null) {
-        Log.e(tag, "onPlayFromMediaId: Media item not found $mediaId")
+      val libraryItemWithEpisode = playerNotificationService.mediaManager.getPodcastWithEpisodeByEpisodeId(mediaId)
+      if (libraryItemWithEpisode != null) {
+        libraryItemWrapper = libraryItemWithEpisode.libraryItemWrapper
+        podcastEpisode = libraryItemWithEpisode.episode
+      } else {
+        libraryItemWrapper = playerNotificationService.mediaManager.getById(mediaId)
+        if (libraryItemWrapper == null) {
+          Log.e(tag, "onPlayFromMediaId: Media item not found $mediaId")
+        }
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/com/audiobookshelf/app/player/MediaSessionPlaybackPreparer.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/com/audiobookshelf/app/player/MediaSessionPlaybackPreparer.kt
index c53a0830..bc59d041 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/com/audiobookshelf/app/player/MediaSessionPlaybackPreparer.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/com/audiobookshelf/app/player/MediaSessionPlaybackPreparer.kt
@@ -49,10 +49,10 @@ class MediaSessionPlaybackPreparer(var playerNotificationService:PlayerNotificat
     val libraryItemWrapper: LibraryItemWrapper?
     var podcastEpisode: PodcastEpisode? = null
 
-    if (mediaId.startsWith("ep_") || mediaId.startsWith("local_ep_")) { // Playing podcast episode
-      val libraryItemWithEpisode = playerNotificationService.mediaManager.getPodcastWithEpisodeByEpisodeId(mediaId)
-      libraryItemWrapper = libraryItemWithEpisode?.libraryItemWrapper
-      podcastEpisode = libraryItemWithEpisode?.episode
+    val libraryItemWithEpisode = playerNotificationService.mediaManager.getPodcastWithEpisodeByEpisodeId(mediaId)
+    if (libraryItemWithEpisode != null) {
+      libraryItemWrapper = libraryItemWithEpisode.libraryItemWrapper
+      podcastEpisode = libraryItemWithEpisode.episode
     } else {
       libraryItemWrapper = playerNotificationService.mediaManager.getById(mediaId)
     }