diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c52b8d3..1bb4f52 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ services:
       #- PIPELINE_SKIP_DOWNLOADS=false
       #- PIPELINE_SKIP_DOWNLOADS_IMPORTS=false
       #- PIPELINE_FORCE_REDOWNLOAD=false
+      #- PIPELINE_FORCE_REIMPORT_EXISTING=false
       #- PIPELINE_SKIP_POSTERS=false
 
       #- PIPELINE_INCLUDE_SPECIALS=false
@@ -328,6 +329,7 @@ Here is a breakdown of key optional variables you can adjust in your
 | 🍏 `PIPELINE_SKIP_DOWNLOADS` | `false` | If `true`, skips download. Use if you only want to organize your current files. |
 | 🍏 `PIPELINE_SKIP_DOWNLOADS_IMPORTS` | `false` | If `true`, skips updating posters when updating metadata. |
 | `PIPELINE_FORCE_REDOWNLOAD` | `false` | If `true`, downloads and imports files even if already present. |
+| `PIPELINE_FORCE_REIMPORT_EXISTING` | `false` | If `true`, when an episode that already exists is downloaded again, it reimports it overwriting the file. |
 | `PIPELINE_SKIP_POSTERS` | `false` | If `true`, skips updating posters when updating metadata. |
 | --- | --- | --- |
 | `PIPELINE_INCLUDE_SPECIALS` | `false` | Set to `true` to also process specials. |
diff --git a/sample.env b/sample.env
index 07a617d..c72bbe9 100644
--- a/sample.env
+++ b/sample.env
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ PIPELINE_SKIP_DOWNLOADS=false
 PIPELINE_SKIP_DOWNLOADS_IMPORTS=false
 # If true, downloads and imports files even if already present.
 PIPELINE_FORCE_REDOWNLOAD=false
+# If true, when an episode that already exists is downloaded again, it reimports it overwriting the file.
+PIPELINE_FORCE_REIMPORT_EXISTING=false
 # If true, skips updating posters when updating metadata.
 PIPELINE_SKIP_POSTERS=false
 
diff --git a/src/environment.ts b/src/environment.ts
index 35950ce..542808b 100644
--- a/src/environment.ts
+++ b/src/environment.ts
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ export default {
 	PIPELINE_FORCE_REDOWNLOAD: /true/i.test(
 		process.env.PIPELINE_FORCE_REDOWNLOAD || 'false',
 	),
+	PIPELINE_FORCE_REIMPORT_EXISTING: /true/i.test(
+		process.env.PIPELINE_FORCE_REIMPORT_EXISTING || 'false',
+	),
 	PIPELINE_SKIP_POSTERS: /true/i.test(
 		process.env.PIPELINE_SKIP_POSTERS || process.env.SKIP_POSTERS || 'false',
 	),
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index de33291..52df556 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ const startApp = async () => {
 			PIPELINE_SKIP_DOWNLOADS_IMPORTS:
 				environment.PIPELINE_SKIP_DOWNLOADS_IMPORTS,
 			PIPELINE_FORCE_REDOWNLOAD: environment.PIPELINE_FORCE_REDOWNLOAD,
+			PIPELINE_FORCE_REIMPORT_EXISTING:
+				environment.PIPELINE_FORCE_REIMPORT_EXISTING,
 			PIPELINE_SKIP_POSTERS: environment.PIPELINE_SKIP_POSTERS,
 			PIPELINE_INCLUDE_SPECIALS: environment.PIPELINE_INCLUDE_SPECIALS,
 			PIPELINE_PREFER_EXTENDED: environment.PIPELINE_PREFER_EXTENDED,
diff --git a/src/pipeline/pipeline.model.ts b/src/pipeline/pipeline.model.ts
index d856fbe..9488ec5 100644
--- a/src/pipeline/pipeline.model.ts
+++ b/src/pipeline/pipeline.model.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ export type PipelineControllerConfig = {
 	PIPELINE_SKIP_DOWNLOADS: boolean
 	PIPELINE_SKIP_DOWNLOADS_IMPORTS: boolean
 	PIPELINE_FORCE_REDOWNLOAD: boolean
+	PIPELINE_FORCE_REIMPORT_EXISTING: boolean
 	PIPELINE_SKIP_POSTERS: boolean
 	PIPELINE_INCLUDE_SPECIALS: boolean
 	PIPELINE_PREFER_EXTENDED: boolean
diff --git a/src/torrent/torrent.controller.test.ts b/src/torrent/torrent.controller.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..36d379d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/torrent/torrent.controller.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+import {
+	linkSync,
+	mkdirSync,
+	mkdtempSync,
+	rmSync,
+	statSync,
+	writeFileSync,
+} from 'node:fs'
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
+import path from 'node:path'
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import environment from '../environment.js'
+import type { LibraryController } from '../library/library.controller.js'
+import type { TargetLibraryFile } from '../library/library.model.js'
+import type { EpisodeMetadata } from '../metadata/metadata.model.js'
+import type { MetadataController } from '../metadata/metadata.controller.js'
+import type { PipelineController } from '../pipeline/pipeline.controller.js'
+import { Context } from '../util/context.js'
+import type { ITorrentController, Torrent } from './torrent.model.js'
+import { TorrentController } from './torrent.controller.js'
+
+const CRC32 = 'ABCD1234'
+const DESTINATION_NAME = 'One Pace - S01E01.mkv'
+const SOURCE_NAME = `One Pace - S01E01 [${CRC32}].mkv`
+
+describe('Torrent import', () => {
+	let root: string
+	let downloads: string
+	let library: string
+	let source: string
+	let destination: string
+
+	let controller: TorrentController
+	let updatemetadata: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>
+	let updateTorrentCategory: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>
+
+	const torrent: Torrent = {
+		hash: 'torrent-hash',
+		content_path: '',
+		name: SOURCE_NAME,
+	}
+
+	const episode = {
+		arc: 1,
+		episode: 1,
+		title: 'Romance Dawn',
+	} as EpisodeMetadata
+
+	beforeEach(() => {
+		root = mkdtempSync(path.join(tmpdir(), 'onepacerr-import-'))
+		downloads = path.join(root, 'downloads')
+		library = path.join(root, 'library')
+		source = path.join(downloads, SOURCE_NAME)
+		destination = path.join(library, DESTINATION_NAME)
+
+		mkdirSync(downloads, { recursive: true })
+		mkdirSync(library, { recursive: true })
+
+		torrent.content_path = downloads
+
+		environment.MOUNT_DOWNLOADS_TORRENT = ''
+		environment.MOUNT_DOWNLOADS_ONEPACERR = ''
+		environment.MOUNT_LIBRARY_MEDIA_SERVER = ''
+		environment.MOUNT_LIBRARY_ONEPACERR = ''
+		environment.LIBRARY_USE_HARDLINKS = true
+		environment.PIPELINE_SKIP_DOWNLOADS = false
+		environment.PIPELINE_SKIP_DOWNLOADS_IMPORTS = false
+
+		updatemetadata = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined)
+		Context.pipeline = {
+			updatemetadata,
+		} as unknown as PipelineController
+
+		Context.metadata = {
+			findEpisodeByCRC32: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(episode),
+			findCRC32: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(CRC32),
+		} as unknown as MetadataController
+
+		Context.library = {
+			getTargetLibraryEpisodeFile: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+				path: `${library}${path.sep}`,
+				filename: DESTINATION_NAME,
+			} as TargetLibraryFile),
+		} as unknown as LibraryController
+
+		updateTorrentCategory = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined)
+		const client = {
+			torrentClient: 'qbittorrent',
+			updateTorrentCategory,
+		} as unknown as ITorrentController
+
+		controller = new TorrentController()
+		;(controller as unknown as { client: ITorrentController }).client = client
+	})
+
+	afterEach(() => {
+		rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true })
+		vi.clearAllMocks()
+	})
+
+	const importTorrent = () =>
+		(
+			controller as unknown as {
+				importTorrentFiles: (torrent: Torrent) => Promise<void>
+			}
+		).importTorrentFiles(torrent)
+
+	it('Does not recreate an episode that is already imported', async () => {
+		writeFileSync(source, 'episode payload')
+		linkSync(source, destination) // the episode was imported on a previous run
+		const importedAt = statSync(destination).ctimeMs
+
+		await importTorrent()
+
+		expect(statSync(destination).ctimeMs).toBe(importedAt)
+		expect(updatemetadata).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+		expect(updateTorrentCategory).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+			torrent,
+			environment.TORRENT_CATEGORY_ONCE_COMPLETED,
+		)
+	})
+})
diff --git a/src/torrent/torrent.controller.ts b/src/torrent/torrent.controller.ts
index d7ace55..c3be0a7 100644
--- a/src/torrent/torrent.controller.ts
+++ b/src/torrent/torrent.controller.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 import { Logger } from 'ez-ts-logger'
-import { existsSync, mkdirSync, readdirSync, unlinkSync } from 'node:fs'
+import {
+	existsSync,
+	mkdirSync,
+	readdirSync,
+	statSync,
+	unlinkSync,
+} from 'node:fs'
 import path from 'node:path'
 import environment from '../environment.js'
 import { TargetLibraryFile } from '../library/library.model.js'
@@ -27,6 +33,30 @@ import {
 	TorrentConnectionError,
 } from './torrent.model.js'
 
+/**
+ * Reports whether the source file is already present in the library.
+ *
+ * Importing is not idempotent: a re-run would delete and recreate the library
+ * file, touching it and making the media server rescan and regenerate
+ * trickplay/chapter images on every pass. When the destination is already the
+ * same hardlink, or an identical-size copy if hardlinks are disabled, the file
+ * can be treated as imported and left untouched.
+ */
+function isAlreadyImported(source: string, destination: string): boolean {
+	try {
+		const sourceStat = statSync(source)
+		const destinationStat = statSync(destination)
+		if (environment.LIBRARY_USE_HARDLINKS)
+			return (
+				sourceStat.ino === destinationStat.ino &&
+				sourceStat.dev === destinationStat.dev
+			)
+		return sourceStat.size === destinationStat.size
+	} catch {
+		return false
+	}
+}
+
 export class TorrentController {
 	private client: ITorrentController
 
@@ -354,6 +384,18 @@ export class TorrentController {
 			Logger.debug(
 				`File for S${String(episode.arc).padStart(2, '0')}-${String(episode.episode).padStart(2, '0')} detected`,
 			)
+
+			if (
+				!environment.PIPELINE_FORCE_REIMPORT_EXISTING &&
+				isAlreadyImported(source, destination)
+			) {
+				Logger.debug(
+					`File for S${String(episode.arc).padStart(2, '0')}-${String(episode.episode).padStart(2, '0')} already imported, skipping re-import`,
+				)
+				processed = true
+				continue
+			}
+
 			if (!environment.PIPELINE_SKIP_DOWNLOADS_IMPORTS) {
 				if (previousLibraryFileName) {
 					const toDelete = path.resolve(