Fix LOG_LEVEL being ignored and Z-Library 503 cookie gate (#1188)

LOG_LEVEL never reached the app logger: env.py hardcoded the level to
DEBUG or INFO, so INFO lines kept appearing under LOG_LEVEL=error. Read
it from the env var and advanced settings, normalize unknown values to
INFO, and expose it as a setting. entrypoint.sh now normalizes
gunicorn's level too, so a typo falls back to info instead of stopping
the container from booting.

Z-Library gates the first hit on /md5/<hash> with a 503 whose only
payload is a Set-Cookie; echoing that cookie back returns the 302 to the
real page. html_get_page dropped it and re-ran the same rejected request
on every retry, ending in "No download URL resolved". Retry once with
the
cookies the 503 issued.

Fixes #1185
Fixes #1187

docs/environment-variables.md

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ This document lists all configuration options that can be set via environment va
   - [Hardcover](#metadata-providers-hardcover)
   - [Open Library](#metadata-providers-open-library)
   - [Google Books](#metadata-providers-google-books)
+  - [Moly.hu](#metadata-providers-moly.hu)
 - [Direct Download](#direct-download)
   - [Download Sources](#direct-download-download-sources)
   - [Cloudflare Bypass](#direct-download-cloudflare-bypass)
@@ -1046,6 +1047,7 @@ Comma-separated hosts to bypass proxy (e.g., localhost,127.0.0.1,10.*,*.local)
 |----------|-------------|------|---------|
 | `URL_BASE` | Optional URL path prefix. Use a path like /shelfmark (no hostname). Leave blank for root. | string | _none_ |
 | `DEBUG` | Enable verbose logging to console and file. Not recommended for normal use. | boolean | `false` |
+| `LOG_LEVEL` | Lowest severity written to the console and log file. Ignored while Debug Mode is on, which forces Debug. | string (choice) | `INFO` |
 | `MAIN_LOOP_SLEEP_TIME` | How often the download queue is checked for new items. | number | `5` |
 | `DOWNLOAD_PROGRESS_UPDATE_INTERVAL` | How often download progress is broadcast to the UI. | number | `1` |
 | `CUSTOM_SCRIPT` | Path to a script to run after each successful download. Must be executable. | string | _none_ |
@@ -1082,6 +1084,17 @@ Enable verbose logging to console and file. Not recommended for normal use.
 - **Default:** `false`
 - **Requires restart:** Yes
 
+#### `LOG_LEVEL`
+
+**Log Level**
+
+Lowest severity written to the console and log file. Ignored while Debug Mode is on, which forces Debug.
+
+- **Type:** string (choice)
+- **Default:** `INFO`
+- **Requires restart:** Yes
+- **Options:** `DEBUG` (Debug), `INFO` (Info), `WARNING` (Warning), `ERROR` (Error), `CRITICAL` (Critical)
+
 #### `MAIN_LOOP_SLEEP_TIME`
 
 **Queue Check Interval (seconds)**
@@ -1508,6 +1521,8 @@ How long to keep cached search results before they expire.
 | Variable | Description | Type | Default |
 |----------|-------------|------|---------|
 | `PROWLARR_TORRENT_CLIENT` | Choose which torrent client to use | string (choice) | _empty string_ |
+| `ALLDEBRID_API_KEY` | AllDebrid API Key (apiv4) from your AllDebrid account settings | string (secret) | _none_ |
+| `REALDEBRID_API_KEY` | Real-Debrid API Key (Secret Token) from your Real-Debrid account settings | string (secret) | _none_ |
 | `QBITTORRENT_URL` | Web UI URL of your qBittorrent instance | string | _none_ |
 | `QBITTORRENT_USERNAME` | qBittorrent Web UI username | string | _none_ |
 | `QBITTORRENT_PASSWORD` | qBittorrent Web UI password | string (secret) | _none_ |
@@ -1559,7 +1574,25 @@ Choose which torrent client to use
 
 - **Type:** string (choice)
 - **Default:** _empty string_
-- **Options:** `""` (None), `qbittorrent` (qBittorrent), `transmission` (Transmission), `deluge` (Deluge), `rtorrent` (rTorrent)
+- **Options:** `""` (None), `alldebrid` (AllDebrid), `qbittorrent` (qBittorrent), `realdebrid` (Real-Debrid), `transmission` (Transmission), `deluge` (Deluge), `rtorrent` (rTorrent)
+
+#### `ALLDEBRID_API_KEY`
+
+**API Key**
+
+AllDebrid API Key (apiv4) from your AllDebrid account settings
+
+- **Type:** string (secret)
+- **Default:** _none_
+
+#### `REALDEBRID_API_KEY`
+
+**API Key**
+
+Real-Debrid API Key (Secret Token) from your Real-Debrid account settings
+
+- **Type:** string (secret)
+- **Default:** _none_
 
 #### `QBITTORRENT_URL`
 
@@ -2064,6 +2097,26 @@ Default sort order for Google Books search results.
 
 </details>
 
+### Metadata Providers: Moly.hu
+
+| Variable | Description | Type | Default |
+|----------|-------------|------|---------|
+| `MOLY_ENABLED` | Enable Moly.hu as a metadata provider for book searches | boolean | `false` |
+
+<details>
+<summary>Detailed descriptions</summary>
+
+#### `MOLY_ENABLED`
+
+**Enable Moly.hu**
+
+Enable Moly.hu as a metadata provider for book searches
+
+- **Type:** boolean
+- **Default:** `false`
+
+</details>
+
 ## Direct Download
 
 ### Direct Download: Download Sources

entrypoint.sh

@@ -484,7 +484,18 @@ fi
 # Always run Gunicorn (even when DEBUG=true) to ensure Socket.IO WebSocket
 # upgrades work reliably on customer machines.
 # Map app LOG_LEVEL (often DEBUG/INFO/...) to gunicorn's --log-level (lowercase).
-gunicorn_loglevel=$([ "$DEBUG" = "true" ] && echo debug || echo "${LOG_LEVEL:-info}" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')
+# Gunicorn rejects anything outside its own list, so normalize and fall back to
+# info rather than letting a typo stop the container from booting.
+if [ "$DEBUG" = "true" ]; then
+    gunicorn_loglevel=debug
+else
+    gunicorn_loglevel=$(echo "${LOG_LEVEL:-info}" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')
+    [ "$gunicorn_loglevel" = "warn" ] && gunicorn_loglevel=warning
+    case "$gunicorn_loglevel" in
+        debug|info|warning|error|critical) ;;
+        *) gunicorn_loglevel=info ;;
+    esac
+fi
 command="${GUNICORN_BIN} --log-level ${gunicorn_loglevel} --access-logfile - --error-logfile - --worker-class geventwebsocket.gunicorn.workers.GeventWebSocketWorker --workers 1 -t 300 -b ${FLASK_HOST:-0.0.0.0}:${FLASK_PORT:-8084} shelfmark.main:app"
 
 # If DEBUG and not using an external bypass

readme.md

@@ -260,7 +260,10 @@ Logs are available via:
 - `docker logs <container-name>`
 - `/var/log/shelfmark/` inside the container (when `ENABLE_LOGGING=true`)
 
-Log level is configurable via Settings or `LOG_LEVEL` environment variable.
+Log level is configurable under Settings → Advanced or via the `LOG_LEVEL` environment
+variable (`DEBUG`, `INFO`, `WARNING`, `ERROR`, `CRITICAL`; case-insensitive, defaults to
+`INFO`). The environment variable wins over the setting, and `DEBUG=true` forces `DEBUG`
+regardless of either. Changes take effect on restart.
 
 ## Development
 

shelfmark/config/env.py

@@ -6,34 +6,78 @@ import shutil
 import tempfile
 from pathlib import Path
 
+LOG_LEVELS = ("DEBUG", "INFO", "WARNING", "ERROR", "CRITICAL")
+
 
 def string_to_bool(s: str) -> bool:
     """Convert string to boolean."""
     return s.lower() in ["true", "yes", "1", "y"]
 
 
+def _read_advanced_config(key: str) -> object | None:
+    """Read a key from the advanced settings file (import-time safe)."""
+    config_dir = Path(os.getenv("CONFIG_DIR", "/config"))
+    config_file = config_dir / "plugins" / "advanced.json"
+
+    if config_file.exists():
+        try:
+            with config_file.open() as f:
+                config = json.load(f)
+                if key in config:
+                    return config[key]
+        except json.JSONDecodeError, OSError:
+            pass
+
+    return None
+
+
 def _read_debug_from_config() -> bool:
     """Read DEBUG from env var or config file (import-time safe)."""
     env_debug = os.environ.get("DEBUG")
     if env_debug is not None:
         return string_to_bool(env_debug)
 
-    # Try to read from config file
+    value = _read_advanced_config("DEBUG")
-    config_dir = Path(os.getenv("CONFIG_DIR", "/config"))
+    if value is not None:
-    config_file = config_dir / "plugins" / "advanced.json"
+        return bool(value)
-
-    if config_file.exists():
-        try:
-            with config_file.open() as f:
-                config = json.load(f)
-                if "DEBUG" in config:
-                    return bool(config["DEBUG"])
-        except json.JSONDecodeError, OSError:
-            pass
 
     return False
 
 
+def normalize_log_level(raw: str | None) -> str:
+    """Normalize a log level name, falling back to INFO when unrecognized."""
+    if raw is None:
+        return "INFO"
+
+    normalized = raw.strip().upper()
+    # "WARN" is a logging alias, but gunicorn only accepts "warning".
+    if normalized == "WARN":
+        normalized = "WARNING"
+
+    if normalized not in LOG_LEVELS:
+        return "INFO"
+
+    return normalized
+
+
+def _read_log_level_from_config(debug: bool) -> str:
+    """Resolve the app log level from DEBUG, env var, or config file.
+
+    DEBUG wins when enabled, mirroring how entrypoint.sh picks gunicorn's level.
+    Otherwise LOG_LEVEL is read from the env var, then the settings file, and
+    falls back to INFO when unset or unrecognized.
+    """
+    if debug:
+        return "DEBUG"
+
+    raw = os.environ.get("LOG_LEVEL")
+    if raw is None:
+        value = _read_advanced_config("LOG_LEVEL")
+        raw = value if isinstance(value, str) else None
+
+    return normalize_log_level(raw)
+
+
 def _is_sqlite_file(path: Path) -> bool:
     """Check if a file is a valid SQLite database by reading magic bytes."""
     try:
@@ -101,7 +145,7 @@ INGEST_DIR = Path(os.getenv("INGEST_DIR", "/books"))
 # =============================================================================
 
 DEBUG = _read_debug_from_config()
-LOG_LEVEL = "DEBUG" if DEBUG else "INFO"
+LOG_LEVEL = _read_log_level_from_config(DEBUG)
 ENABLE_LOGGING = string_to_bool(os.getenv("ENABLE_LOGGING", "true"))
 
 

shelfmark/config/settings.py

@@ -1761,6 +1761,23 @@ def advanced_settings() -> list[SettingsField]:
             default=False,
             requires_restart=True,
         ),
+        SelectField(
+            key="LOG_LEVEL",
+            label="Log Level",
+            description=(
+                "Lowest severity written to the console and log file. "
+                "Ignored while Debug Mode is on, which forces Debug."
+            ),
+            options=[
+                {"value": "DEBUG", "label": "Debug", "description": "Everything, very noisy."},
+                {"value": "INFO", "label": "Info", "description": "Normal activity (default)."},
+                {"value": "WARNING", "label": "Warning", "description": "Warnings and problems."},
+                {"value": "ERROR", "label": "Error", "description": "Failures only."},
+                {"value": "CRITICAL", "label": "Critical", "description": "Fatal errors only."},
+            ],
+            default="INFO",
+            requires_restart=True,
+        ),
         NumberField(
             key="MAIN_LOOP_SLEEP_TIME",
             label="Queue Check Interval (seconds)",

shelfmark/core/settings_registry.py

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
 
 from werkzeug.utils import secure_filename
 
+from shelfmark.config.env import normalize_log_level
 from shelfmark.core.logger import setup_logger
 from shelfmark.core.request_helpers import coerce_bool, normalize_optional_text
 
@@ -898,6 +899,9 @@ def _get_env_value_for_field(field: FieldBase) -> tuple[bool, object | None]:
             "WELIB_MIRROR_URLS",
         } and isinstance(parsed, list):
             parsed = _normalize_mirror_env_urls(parsed)
+        if field.key == "LOG_LEVEL" and isinstance(parsed, str):
+            # LOG_LEVEL is commonly set lowercase; the field options are uppercase.
+            parsed = normalize_log_level(parsed)
         return True, parsed
 
     if field.key == "AA_MIRROR_URLS":

shelfmark/download/http.py

@@ -27,9 +27,14 @@ logger = setup_logger(__name__)
 _RNG = random.SystemRandom()
 
 _MAX_REDIRECTS = 5
+# Z-Library answers the first hit with a 503 whose only real payload is a Set-Cookie; echoing
+# that cookie back returns the 302 to the real page. Two attempts cover the handshake without
+# letting a server that keeps re-issuing cookies hold us in the loop.
+_MAX_COOKIE_HANDSHAKE_RETRIES = 2
 _HTTP_STATUS_FORBIDDEN = HTTPStatus.FORBIDDEN
 _HTTP_STATUS_NOT_FOUND = HTTPStatus.NOT_FOUND
 _HTTP_STATUS_RATE_LIMITED = HTTPStatus.TOO_MANY_REQUESTS
+_HTTP_STATUS_SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE = HTTPStatus.SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE
 _HTTP_STATUS_OK = HTTPStatus.OK
 _HTTP_STATUS_RANGE_NOT_SATISFIABLE = HTTPStatus.REQUESTED_RANGE_NOT_SATISFIABLE
 _HTTP_STATUS_PARTIAL_CONTENT = HTTPStatus.PARTIAL_CONTENT
@@ -58,6 +63,18 @@ def _raise_too_many_redirects(message: str) -> NoReturn:
     raise requests.exceptions.TooManyRedirects(message)
 
 
+def _new_cookies(response: requests.Response, already_sent: dict[str, str]) -> dict[str, str]:
+    """Cookies a response set that we were not already echoing back.
+
+    Returning only the *new* ones is what makes the retry terminate: a server that keeps
+    re-issuing the same cookie yields nothing here, so we stop instead of spinning.
+    """
+    jar = getattr(response, "cookies", None)
+    if not jar:
+        return {}
+    return {name: value for name, value in jar.items() if already_sent.get(name) != value}
+
+
 def _get_internal_bypasser() -> ModuleType:
     """Lazy import of internal bypasser module."""
     global _internal_bypasser
@@ -278,6 +295,9 @@ def html_get_page(
     original_url = url
     current_url = selector.rewrite(original_url)
     use_bypasser_now = use_bypasser
+    # Survives across attempts so a cookie won once is still presented on later retries.
+    handshake_cookies: dict[str, str] = {}
+    handshake_retries = 0
 
     for attempt in range(1, retry_limit + 1):
         # Check for cancellation before each attempt
@@ -332,12 +352,31 @@ def html_get_page(
                     current_url,
                     proxies=get_proxies(current_url),
                     timeout=REQUEST_TIMEOUT,
-                    cookies=cookies,
+                    # Bypasser-derived cookies win: they came from a real solved challenge.
+                    cookies={**handshake_cookies, **cookies},
                     headers=headers,
                     allow_redirects=allow_redirects,
                     verify=get_ssl_verify(current_url),
                 )
 
+                # Z-Library gates the first hit with a 503 that carries nothing but a
+                # Set-Cookie; echoing it back yields the 302 to the real page. Without this
+                # the cookie is dropped and every retry re-runs the same rejected request.
+                if (
+                    response.status_code == _HTTP_STATUS_SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE
+                    and handshake_retries < _MAX_COOKIE_HANDSHAKE_RETRIES
+                ):
+                    issued = _new_cookies(response, handshake_cookies)
+                    if issued:
+                        handshake_cookies.update(issued)
+                        handshake_retries += 1
+                        logger.debug(
+                            "503 set %s cookie(s); retrying with them: %s",
+                            len(issued),
+                            current_url,
+                        )
+                        continue
+
                 if is_aa_url and response.is_redirect:
                     location = response.headers.get("Location", "")
                     if not location:
@@ -366,6 +405,7 @@ def html_get_page(
                             current_url = new_url
                             # Reset per-request state for the new host.
                             headers = {"User-Agent": DOWNLOAD_HEADERS["User-Agent"]}
+                            handshake_cookies.clear()
                             is_aa_url = network.should_rotate_dns_for_url(current_url)
                             allow_redirects = not is_aa_url
                             redirects_followed = 0
@@ -435,6 +475,7 @@ def html_get_page(
                 new_url = _try_rotation(original_url, current_url, selector)
                 if new_url:
                     current_url = new_url
+                    handshake_cookies.clear()
                     continue
 
             # Retry with backoff

tests/config/test_environment.py

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ Run with: uv run pytest tests/config/test_environment.py -v
 """
 
 import importlib
+import json
 import os
 import tempfile
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -15,6 +16,15 @@ from unittest.mock import patch
 
 import pytest
 
+
+def _restore_env(monkeypatch, name: str, value: str | None) -> None:
+    """Restore an env var to its pre-test value."""
+    if value is None:
+        monkeypatch.delenv(name, raising=False)
+    else:
+        monkeypatch.setenv(name, value)
+
+
 # =============================================================================
 # Directory Setup Tests
 # =============================================================================
@@ -436,6 +446,7 @@ class TestDebugConfiguration:
         original_debug = os.environ.get("DEBUG")
 
         try:
+            monkeypatch.delenv("LOG_LEVEL", raising=False)
             monkeypatch.setenv("DEBUG", "true")
             importlib.reload(env_module)
             assert env_module.DEBUG is True
@@ -452,6 +463,76 @@ class TestDebugConfiguration:
                 monkeypatch.setenv("DEBUG", original_debug)
             importlib.reload(env_module)
 
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        ("raw", "expected"),
+        [
+            ("error", "ERROR"),
+            ("ERROR", "ERROR"),
+            ("  Warning  ", "WARNING"),
+            ("warn", "WARNING"),
+            ("critical", "CRITICAL"),
+            ("nonsense", "INFO"),
+            ("", "INFO"),
+            (None, "INFO"),
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_normalize_log_level(self, raw, expected):
+        """Log level names are case-insensitive and fall back to INFO."""
+        from shelfmark.config.env import normalize_log_level
+
+        assert normalize_log_level(raw) == expected
+
+    def test_log_level_from_env_var(self, monkeypatch):
+        """LOG_LEVEL env var should set the app log level when DEBUG is off."""
+        import shelfmark.config.env as env_module
+
+        original_debug = os.environ.get("DEBUG")
+        original_level = os.environ.get("LOG_LEVEL")
+
+        try:
+            monkeypatch.setenv("DEBUG", "false")
+            monkeypatch.setenv("LOG_LEVEL", "error")
+            importlib.reload(env_module)
+            assert env_module.LOG_LEVEL == "ERROR"
+
+            # DEBUG wins over LOG_LEVEL, matching entrypoint.sh.
+            monkeypatch.setenv("DEBUG", "true")
+            importlib.reload(env_module)
+            assert env_module.LOG_LEVEL == "DEBUG"
+        finally:
+            _restore_env(monkeypatch, "DEBUG", original_debug)
+            _restore_env(monkeypatch, "LOG_LEVEL", original_level)
+            importlib.reload(env_module)
+
+    def test_log_level_from_config_file(self, monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+        """LOG_LEVEL should fall back to the advanced settings file."""
+        import shelfmark.config.env as env_module
+
+        original_debug = os.environ.get("DEBUG")
+        original_level = os.environ.get("LOG_LEVEL")
+        original_config_dir = os.environ.get("CONFIG_DIR")
+
+        advanced = tmp_path / "plugins" / "advanced.json"
+        advanced.parent.mkdir(parents=True)
+        advanced.write_text(json.dumps({"LOG_LEVEL": "WARNING"}))
+
+        try:
+            monkeypatch.setenv("DEBUG", "false")
+            monkeypatch.delenv("LOG_LEVEL", raising=False)
+            monkeypatch.setenv("CONFIG_DIR", str(tmp_path))
+            importlib.reload(env_module)
+            assert env_module.LOG_LEVEL == "WARNING"
+
+            # Env var takes precedence over the stored setting.
+            monkeypatch.setenv("LOG_LEVEL", "critical")
+            importlib.reload(env_module)
+            assert env_module.LOG_LEVEL == "CRITICAL"
+        finally:
+            _restore_env(monkeypatch, "DEBUG", original_debug)
+            _restore_env(monkeypatch, "LOG_LEVEL", original_level)
+            _restore_env(monkeypatch, "CONFIG_DIR", original_config_dir)
+            importlib.reload(env_module)
+
 
 # =============================================================================
 # Proxy and Network Configuration Tests

tests/core/test_config_access_guardrails.py

@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ _BOOTSTRAP_ENV_ACCESS_ALLOWLIST = {
 }
 _BOOTSTRAP_ENV_ACCESS_KEY_ALLOWLIST = {
     (Path("shelfmark/config/settings.py"), "USING_TOR"),
+    # Loggers are configured while settings_registry itself is still importing,
+    # so the level has to come from the bootstrap env module.
+    (Path("shelfmark/core/logger.py"), "LOG_LEVEL"),
 }
 _RAW_CONFIG_READ_ALLOWLIST = {
     Path("shelfmark/config/notifications_settings.py"),
@@ -205,7 +208,10 @@ class ConfigAccessVisitor(ast.NodeVisitor):
                 return
             for alias in node.names:
                 imported_name = alias.name
-                if imported_name in self.registered_keys:
+                if (
+                    imported_name in self.registered_keys
+                    and imported_name not in self._bootstrap_env_key_allowlist
+                ):
                     self._record_violation(
                         node,
                         "direct env-module import",

tests/download/test_http_cookie_challenge.py

@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+"""Tests for the Z-Library 503 cookie handshake."""
+
+import requests
+
+
+class _FakeResponse:
+    """Minimal stand-in for requests.Response covering what html_get_page touches."""
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        status_code: int,
+        *,
+        url: str = "https://z-lib.fm/md5/abc",
+        text: str = "",
+        cookies: dict[str, str] | None = None,
+    ) -> None:
+        self.status_code = status_code
+        self.url = url
+        self.text = text
+        self.cookies = cookies or {}
+        self.headers = {"Content-Type": "text/html;charset=utf-8"}
+        self.is_redirect = False
+
+    def raise_for_status(self) -> None:
+        if self.status_code >= 400:
+            error = requests.exceptions.HTTPError(f"{self.status_code} Error")
+            error.response = self
+            raise error
+
+
+def _neutralize_network(monkeypatch, http):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(http, "_apply_cf_bypass", lambda _url, _headers: {})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(http, "get_proxies", lambda _url: {})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(http, "get_ssl_verify", lambda _url: True)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(http.network, "should_rotate_dns_for_url", lambda _url: False)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(http.time, "sleep", lambda _seconds: None)
+
+
+def test_html_get_page_echoes_503_cookie(monkeypatch):
+    """A 503 that only sets a cookie is cleared by sending that cookie back."""
+    import shelfmark.download.http as http
+
+    _neutralize_network(monkeypatch, http)
+
+    sent_cookies: list[dict[str, str]] = []
+
+    def fake_get(_url: str, **kwargs):
+        sent_cookies.append(dict(kwargs["cookies"]))
+        if len(sent_cookies) == 1:
+            return _FakeResponse(503, cookies={"zlib_sid": "s3cr3t"})
+        return _FakeResponse(200, text="<html>real page</html>")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(http.requests, "get", fake_get)
+
+    html = http.html_get_page("https://z-lib.fm/md5/abc", retry=3, success_delay=0)
+
+    assert html == "<html>real page</html>"
+    # The first hit carries nothing; the retry echoes back exactly what the 503 issued.
+    assert sent_cookies == [{}, {"zlib_sid": "s3cr3t"}]
+
+
+def test_html_get_page_stops_echoing_when_cookie_is_reissued(monkeypatch):
+    """A server repeating the same cookie must not spin the request loop forever."""
+    import shelfmark.download.http as http
+
+    _neutralize_network(monkeypatch, http)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(http, "_is_cf_bypass_enabled", lambda: False)
+
+    sent_cookies: list[dict[str, str]] = []
+
+    def fake_get(_url: str, **kwargs):
+        sent_cookies.append(dict(kwargs["cookies"]))
+        return _FakeResponse(503, cookies={"zlib_sid": "same"})
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(http.requests, "get", fake_get)
+
+    html = http.html_get_page("https://z-lib.fm/md5/abc", retry=1, success_delay=0)
+
+    assert html == ""
+    # One initial hit plus one echo; the reissued identical cookie yields no third request.
+    assert sent_cookies == [{}, {"zlib_sid": "same"}]
+
+
+def test_html_get_page_leaves_cookieless_503_on_the_retry_path(monkeypatch):
+    """A plain overloaded-server 503 keeps its existing retry behaviour."""
+    import shelfmark.download.http as http
+
+    _neutralize_network(monkeypatch, http)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(http, "_is_cf_bypass_enabled", lambda: False)
+
+    attempts: list[dict[str, str]] = []
+
+    def fake_get(_url: str, **kwargs):
+        attempts.append(dict(kwargs["cookies"]))
+        return _FakeResponse(503)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(http.requests, "get", fake_get)
+
+    html = http.html_get_page("https://z-lib.fm/md5/abc", retry=2, success_delay=0)
+
+    assert html == ""
+    # Two ordinary attempts, no extra in-place retry and no cookies invented.
+    assert attempts == [{}, {}]