diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b5e366e..0c7ed6d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ Certain values can be set via environment variables, using the `-e` parameter on
 * __ALLOW_PRIVATE_ADDRESSES__: Whether to allow downloads from private, loopback, link-local and other non-global addresses. Defaults to `false`, which protects against SSRF by refusing URLs that resolve to internal hosts. Set to `true` only in trusted environments — for example when routing traffic through a proxy/VPN client in Fake-IP mode (sing-box, Clash, Mihomo), which resolves hosts to the `198.18.0.0/15` range. Enabling this disables the SSRF protection entirely, so only use it when you control the network.
 * __YTDL_NIGHTLY_UPDATE_TIME__: If set, will cause MeTube to use [nightly yt-dlp builds](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp-nightly-builds) instead of the stable releases. Set to the time (`HH:MM`, 24-hour) when you want the daily upgrades and MeTube restart to happen. Defaults to empty (disabled).
 
+Enabling `writeinfojson` or `writethumbnail` in `YTDL_OPTIONS` also writes a feed-level `.info.json` and thumbnail when you add a playlist or channel. These reuse the template of the items they belong to — `OUTPUT_TEMPLATE_CHANNEL` or `OUTPUT_TEMPLATE_PLAYLIST` — evaluated against the feed itself, so with the defaults they land in the same folder as the videos, named after the feed. Set `allow_playlist_files` to `false` in `YTDL_OPTIONS` to skip them.
+
 ### 🌐 Web Server & URLs
 
 * __HOST__: The host address the web server will bind to. Defaults to `0.0.0.0` (all interfaces).
diff --git a/app/subscriptions.py b/app/subscriptions.py
index f64e700..3c3803c 100644
--- a/app/subscriptions.py
+++ b/app/subscriptions.py
@@ -64,6 +64,12 @@ def _build_ydl_params(
         "paths": {"home": config.DOWNLOAD_DIR, "temp": config.TEMP_DIR},
         **config.YTDL_OPTIONS,
         **(extra_opts or {}),
+        # A scan is a poll, not an add: it runs on a timer and queues items
+        # through the download queue, which writes the feed metadata itself.
+        # yt-dlp emits the playlist-level infojson/description/thumbnail
+        # regardless of `download`, so without this a writeinfojson user would
+        # get those files rewritten on every check interval. See issue #1040.
+        "allow_playlist_files": False,
     }
     params = _impersonate_opt(params)
     if playlistend is not None and playlistend > 0:
diff --git a/app/tests/test_download_queue.py b/app/tests/test_download_queue.py
index 4d7c9b6..cf5b8af 100644
--- a/app/tests/test_download_queue.py
+++ b/app/tests/test_download_queue.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import copy
 import os
 import re
 import tempfile
@@ -89,7 +90,7 @@ def test_get_returns_tuple_of_lists(dq_env):
 async def test_add_single_video_goes_to_pending_when_auto_start_false(dq_env):
     notifier = AsyncMock()
 
-    def fake_extract(self, url, ytdl_options_presets=None, ytdl_options_overrides=None):
+    def fake_extract(self, url, *_args, **_kwargs):
         return {
             "_type": "video",
             "id": "vid1",
@@ -124,7 +125,7 @@ async def test_add_unsupported_url_recorded_as_failed_entry(dq_env):
     notifier = AsyncMock()
     url = "https://example.com/not-a-video"
 
-    def boom(self, url, ytdl_options_presets=None, ytdl_options_overrides=None):
+    def boom(self, url, *_args, **_kwargs):
         raise ytdl.yt_dlp.utils.YoutubeDLError(f'Unsupported URL: {url}')
 
     dq = DownloadQueue(dq_env, notifier)
@@ -167,7 +168,7 @@ async def test_add_ssrf_rejected_url_recorded_as_failed_entry(dq_env):
 async def test_cancel_removes_from_pending(dq_env):
     notifier = AsyncMock()
 
-    def fake_extract(self, url, ytdl_options_presets=None, ytdl_options_overrides=None):
+    def fake_extract(self, url, *_args, **_kwargs):
         return {
             "_type": "video",
             "id": "vid1",
@@ -204,7 +205,7 @@ async def test_cancel_before_start_marks_download_canceled(dq_env):
     cancelling, because its ``download.canceled`` guard was never flipped."""
     notifier = AsyncMock()
 
-    def fake_extract(self, url, ytdl_options_presets=None, ytdl_options_overrides=None):
+    def fake_extract(self, url, *_args, **_kwargs):
         return {
             "_type": "video",
             "id": "vid1",
@@ -242,7 +243,7 @@ async def test_cancel_before_start_marks_download_canceled(dq_env):
 async def test_start_pending_moves_to_queue(dq_env):
     notifier = AsyncMock()
 
-    def fake_extract(self, url, ytdl_options_presets=None, ytdl_options_overrides=None):
+    def fake_extract(self, url, *_args, **_kwargs):
         return {
             "_type": "video",
             "id": "vid1",
@@ -331,7 +332,7 @@ async def test_retry_restores_playlist_output_context(dq_env):
     failed_info.status = "error"
     dq.done.put(Download(None, None, None, None, "best", "any", {}, failed_info))
 
-    def fake_extract(self, extracted_url, ytdl_options_presets=None, ytdl_options_overrides=None):
+    def fake_extract(self, extracted_url, *_args, **_kwargs):
         return {
             "_type": "video",
             "id": "vid1",
@@ -390,7 +391,7 @@ async def test_retry_keeps_playlist_context_through_url_indirection(dq_env):
     resolved = "https://example.com/resolved?v=1"
     dq.done.put(Download(None, None, None, None, "best", "any", {}, _failed_playlist_item(url)))
 
-    def fake_extract(self, extracted_url, ytdl_options_presets=None, ytdl_options_overrides=None):
+    def fake_extract(self, extracted_url, *_args, **_kwargs):
         if extracted_url == url:
             return {"_type": "url", "url": resolved, "id": "vid1"}
         return {
@@ -428,7 +429,7 @@ async def test_retry_reapplies_current_options_gates(dq_env):
     )
     dq.done.put(Download(None, None, None, None, "best", "any", {}, info))
 
-    def fake_extract(self, extracted_url, ytdl_options_presets=None, ytdl_options_overrides=None):
+    def fake_extract(self, extracted_url, *_args, **_kwargs):
         return {
             "_type": "video",
             "id": "vid1",
@@ -458,7 +459,7 @@ async def test_retry_keeps_overrides_while_still_allowed(dq_env):
     info = _failed_playlist_item(url, ytdl_options_overrides={"writesubtitles": True})
     dq.done.put(Download(None, None, None, None, "best", "any", {}, info))
 
-    def fake_extract(self, extracted_url, ytdl_options_presets=None, ytdl_options_overrides=None):
+    def fake_extract(self, extracted_url, *_args, **_kwargs):
         return {
             "_type": "video",
             "id": "vid1",
@@ -537,7 +538,7 @@ async def test_channel_download_uses_output_template_when_channel_template_empty
 
     channel_id = "UCabcd123"
 
-    def fake_extract(self, url, ytdl_options_presets=None, ytdl_options_overrides=None):
+    def fake_extract(self, url, *_args, **_kwargs):
         return {
             "_type": "playlist",
             "id": channel_id,
@@ -586,7 +587,7 @@ async def test_playlist_download_not_treated_as_channel(dq_env):
     dq_env.OUTPUT_TEMPLATE_CHANNEL = ""
     dq_env.OUTPUT_TEMPLATE_PLAYLIST = "%(playlist_title)s/%(title)s.%(ext)s"
 
-    def fake_extract(self, url, ytdl_options_presets=None, ytdl_options_overrides=None):
+    def fake_extract(self, url, *_args, **_kwargs):
         return {
             "_type": "playlist",
             "id": "PLxyz789",
@@ -633,7 +634,7 @@ async def test_add_merges_global_preset_and_override_options(dq_env):
         "Preset B": {"writesubtitles": False, "ratelimit": 1000},
     }
 
-    def fake_extract(self, url, ytdl_options_presets=None, ytdl_options_overrides=None):
+    def fake_extract(self, url, *_args, **_kwargs):
         return {
             "_type": "video",
             "id": "vid2",
@@ -756,11 +757,191 @@ async def test_extract_info_metube_extract_keys_win_over_preset(dq_env):
     assert captured_params[0]["noplaylist"] is True
 
 
+def _feed_extract(feed):
+    """Patch for __extract_info that returns a playlist/channel feed dict."""
+
+    def fake_extract(self, url, *_args, **_kwargs):
+        return copy.deepcopy(feed)
+
+    return fake_extract
+
+
+_CHANNEL_FEED = {
+    "_type": "playlist",
+    "id": "UC123",
+    "title": "Vanessa - Videos",
+    "channel": "Vanessa",
+    "channel_id": "UC123",
+    "uploader": "Vanessa",
+    "extractor": "youtube:tab",
+    "extractor_key": "YoutubeTab",
+    "webpage_url": "https://example.com/@vanessa/videos",
+    "entries": [
+        {"id": "v1", "title": "One", "url": "https://example.com/v1",
+         "webpage_url": "https://example.com/v1", "_type": "url"},
+    ],
+}
+
+_PLAYLIST_FEED = {
+    "_type": "playlist",
+    "id": "PL123",
+    "title": "My Playlist",
+    "extractor": "generic",
+    "extractor_key": "Generic",
+    "webpage_url": "https://example.com/playlist?list=PL123",
+    "entries": [
+        {"id": "v1", "title": "One", "url": "https://example.com/v1",
+         "webpage_url": "https://example.com/v1", "_type": "url"},
+    ],
+}
+
+
+def _written_files(root):
+    found = []
+    for dirpath, _dirs, files in os.walk(root):
+        for f in files:
+            found.append(os.path.relpath(os.path.join(dirpath, f), root))
+    return sorted(found)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_channel_feed_metadata_lands_beside_its_items(dq_env):
+    """Issues #660/#1040: the feed-level .info.json follows the same template
+    the items use, so it sits in the channel's own folder rather than in
+    DOWNLOAD_DIR under yt-dlp's pl_* default name."""
+    dq_env.YTDL_OPTIONS = {"writeinfojson": True}
+    dq_env.OUTPUT_TEMPLATE_CHANNEL = "%(channel)s/%(title)s.%(ext)s"
+
+    dq = DownloadQueue(dq_env, AsyncMock())
+    with patch.object(DownloadQueue, "_DownloadQueue__extract_info", _feed_extract(_CHANNEL_FEED)), \
+         patch.object(DownloadQueue, "_DownloadQueue__start_download", new=AsyncMock()):
+        result = await dq.add(
+            "https://example.com/@vanessa/videos", "video", "auto", "any", "best",
+            "", "", 0, auto_start=False,
+        )
+
+    assert result["status"] == "ok"
+    assert _written_files(dq_env.DOWNLOAD_DIR) == [
+        os.path.join("Vanessa", "Vanessa - Videos.info.json")
+    ]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_playlist_feed_metadata_uses_the_playlist_template(dq_env):
+    dq_env.YTDL_OPTIONS = {"writeinfojson": True}
+    dq_env.OUTPUT_TEMPLATE_PLAYLIST = "%(playlist_title)s/%(title)s.%(ext)s"
+
+    dq = DownloadQueue(dq_env, AsyncMock())
+    with patch.object(DownloadQueue, "_DownloadQueue__extract_info", _feed_extract(_PLAYLIST_FEED)), \
+         patch.object(DownloadQueue, "_DownloadQueue__start_download", new=AsyncMock()):
+        await dq.add(
+            "https://example.com/playlist?list=PL123", "video", "auto", "any", "best",
+            "", "", 0, auto_start=False,
+        )
+
+    assert _written_files(dq_env.DOWNLOAD_DIR) == [
+        os.path.join("My Playlist", "My Playlist.info.json")
+    ]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_feed_metadata_honours_custom_folder(dq_env):
+    dq_env.YTDL_OPTIONS = {"writeinfojson": True}
+    dq_env.OUTPUT_TEMPLATE_PLAYLIST = "%(playlist_title)s/%(title)s.%(ext)s"
+
+    dq = DownloadQueue(dq_env, AsyncMock())
+    with patch.object(DownloadQueue, "_DownloadQueue__extract_info", _feed_extract(_PLAYLIST_FEED)), \
+         patch.object(DownloadQueue, "_DownloadQueue__start_download", new=AsyncMock()):
+        await dq.add(
+            "https://example.com/playlist?list=PL123", "video", "auto", "any", "best",
+            "Music", "", 0, auto_start=False,
+        )
+
+    assert _written_files(dq_env.DOWNLOAD_DIR) == [
+        os.path.join("Music", "My Playlist", "My Playlist.info.json")
+    ]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_no_feed_metadata_without_writeinfojson(dq_env):
+    """Nothing new appears for users who never asked for these files."""
+    dq_env.YTDL_OPTIONS = {}
+
+    dq = DownloadQueue(dq_env, AsyncMock())
+    with patch.object(DownloadQueue, "_DownloadQueue__extract_info", _feed_extract(_PLAYLIST_FEED)), \
+         patch.object(DownloadQueue, "_DownloadQueue__start_download", new=AsyncMock()):
+        await dq.add(
+            "https://example.com/playlist?list=PL123", "video", "auto", "any", "best",
+            "", "", 0, auto_start=False,
+        )
+
+    assert _written_files(dq_env.DOWNLOAD_DIR) == []
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_feed_metadata_can_be_turned_off_by_the_user(dq_env):
+    dq_env.YTDL_OPTIONS = {"writeinfojson": True, "allow_playlist_files": False}
+
+    dq = DownloadQueue(dq_env, AsyncMock())
+    with patch.object(DownloadQueue, "_DownloadQueue__extract_info", _feed_extract(_PLAYLIST_FEED)), \
+         patch.object(DownloadQueue, "_DownloadQueue__start_download", new=AsyncMock()):
+        await dq.add(
+            "https://example.com/playlist?list=PL123", "video", "auto", "any", "best",
+            "", "", 0, auto_start=False,
+        )
+
+    assert _written_files(dq_env.DOWNLOAD_DIR) == []
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_feed_metadata_failure_does_not_fail_the_add(dq_env):
+    dq_env.YTDL_OPTIONS = {"writeinfojson": True}
+
+    dq = DownloadQueue(dq_env, AsyncMock())
+    with patch.object(DownloadQueue, "_DownloadQueue__extract_info", _feed_extract(_PLAYLIST_FEED)), \
+         patch.object(DownloadQueue, "_DownloadQueue__start_download", new=AsyncMock()), \
+         patch.object(
+             DownloadQueue, "_DownloadQueue__write_feed_metadata_sync",
+             side_effect=OSError("read-only filesystem"),
+         ):
+        result = await dq.add(
+            "https://example.com/playlist?list=PL123", "video", "auto", "any", "best",
+            "", "", 0, auto_start=False,
+        )
+
+    assert result["status"] == "ok"
+    assert dq.pending.exists("https://example.com/v1")
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_extraction_pass_never_writes_feed_metadata(dq_env):
+    """The classification pass must not produce files: it runs before the add is
+    known to succeed, and yt-dlp writes playlist files regardless of `download`."""
+    dq_env.YTDL_OPTIONS = {"writeinfojson": True, "allow_playlist_files": True}
+    captured: list = []
+
+    class FakeYoutubeDL:
+        def __init__(self, params=None):
+            captured.append(params)
+
+        def extract_info(self, url, download=False):
+            return {"_type": "video", "id": "v", "title": "V", "url": url, "webpage_url": url}
+
+    dq = DownloadQueue(dq_env, AsyncMock())
+    with patch("ytdl.yt_dlp.YoutubeDL", FakeYoutubeDL):
+        await dq.add(
+            "https://example.com/watch?v=1", "video", "auto", "any", "best",
+            "", "", 0, auto_start=False,
+        )
+
+    assert captured[0]["allow_playlist_files"] is False
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_add_sets_clip_bounds_on_download_info(dq_env):
     notifier = AsyncMock()
 
-    def fake_extract(self, url, ytdl_options_presets=None, ytdl_options_overrides=None):
+    def fake_extract(self, url, *_args, **_kwargs):
         return {
             "_type": "video",
             "id": "vid1",
diff --git a/app/tests/test_subscriptions.py b/app/tests/test_subscriptions.py
index fbee0db..7870cf1 100644
--- a/app/tests/test_subscriptions.py
+++ b/app/tests/test_subscriptions.py
@@ -1171,6 +1171,44 @@ class SubscriptionScanExtraOptsTests(unittest.IsolatedAsyncioTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(captured_params[0].get("cookiefile"), "preset.txt")
         self.assertEqual(captured_params[0].get("extra"), "override")
 
+    async def test_scan_never_writes_playlist_sidecar_files(self):
+        """A subscription scan is a metadata probe. yt-dlp writes the
+        playlist-level infojson/description/thumbnail regardless of ``download``,
+        so without this a writeinfojson/writethumbnail user would get stray files
+        in DOWNLOAD_DIR on every check interval. Issue #1040."""
+        captured_params: list = []
+        fake_ydl = _make_scan_capturing_fake_ydl(
+            captured_params,
+            [{"id": "v1", "title": "One", "webpage_url": "https://example.com/v1"}],
+        )
+
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+            cfg = _Config(tmp)
+            cfg.YTDL_OPTIONS = {"writeinfojson": True, "writethumbnail": True}
+            mgr = SubscriptionManager(cfg, _Queue(), _Notifier())
+
+            with patch("subscriptions.yt_dlp.YoutubeDL", fake_ydl, create=True):
+                await mgr.add_subscription(
+                    "https://example.com/channel",
+                    check_interval_minutes=60,
+                    download_type="video",
+                    codec="auto",
+                    format="any",
+                    quality="best",
+                    folder="",
+                    custom_name_prefix="",
+                    auto_start=True,
+                    playlist_item_limit=0,
+                    split_by_chapters=False,
+                    chapter_template="",
+                    subtitle_language="en",
+                    subtitle_mode="prefer_manual",
+                    ytdl_options_overrides={"allow_playlist_files": True},
+                )
+
+        self.assertTrue(captured_params)
+        self.assertIs(captured_params[0].get("allow_playlist_files"), False)
+
     async def test_check_now_scan_applies_stored_subscription_presets(self):
         entries = [{"id": "v1", "title": "One", "webpage_url": "https://example.com/v1"}]
 
diff --git a/app/ytdl.py b/app/ytdl.py
index 698294d..2f51230 100644
--- a/app/ytdl.py
+++ b/app/ytdl.py
@@ -1314,6 +1314,14 @@ class DownloadQueue:
             'ignore_no_formats_error': True,
             'noplaylist': True,
             'paths': {"home": self.config.DOWNLOAD_DIR, "temp": self.config.TEMP_DIR},
+            # This is a classification pass, not a download. yt-dlp emits the
+            # feed-level infojson/description/thumbnail from
+            # __process_playlist_result without consulting `download`, so
+            # without this a writeinfojson user gets stray files here — in
+            # DOWNLOAD_DIR, under yt-dlp's pl_* names, even for an add that goes
+            # on to fail. __write_feed_metadata writes them properly once the
+            # feed is accepted. See issues #1040 and #660.
+            'allow_playlist_files': False,
         }
         imp = user_opts.get('impersonate')
         if imp is not None:
@@ -1377,6 +1385,81 @@ class DownloadQueue:
             self.pending.put(download)
         await self.notifier.added(dl)
 
+    def __write_feed_metadata_sync(self, entry, etype, download_type, folder,
+                                   ytdl_options_presets, ytdl_options_overrides):
+        """Write the feed-level .info.json/description/thumbnail for a playlist
+        or channel add, using the same output template its items will use.
+
+        yt-dlp produces these from __process_playlist_result, which ignores
+        ``download`` — so they used to fall out of the classification pass with
+        yt-dlp's own pl_* names, in DOWNLOAD_DIR, ignoring the download's folder
+        (issue #1040) and with no way to steer them (issue #660). Doing it here
+        instead means the feed type is already known, so the file lands beside
+        the items rather than in a differently-named sibling directory.
+
+        Re-runs yt-dlp on a copy of the feed with no entries: that reaches the
+        playlist-file writing without re-extracting anything or touching
+        yt-dlp's private write helpers.
+        """
+        user_opts = self._build_ytdl_options(ytdl_options_presets, ytdl_options_overrides)
+        wants = ('writeinfojson', 'writedescription', 'writethumbnail', 'write_all_thumbnails')
+        if not any(user_opts.get(key) for key in wants):
+            return
+        # An explicit allow_playlist_files=false is the user asking for exactly
+        # this to not happen.
+        if user_opts.get('allow_playlist_files') is False:
+            return
+
+        dldirectory, error_message = self.__calc_download_path(download_type, folder)
+        if error_message is not None:
+            return
+
+        template = (
+            self.config.OUTPUT_TEMPLATE_CHANNEL if etype == 'channel'
+            else self.config.OUTPUT_TEMPLATE_PLAYLIST
+        ) or self.config.OUTPUT_TEMPLATE
+
+        debug_logging = logging.getLogger().isEnabledFor(logging.DEBUG)
+        params = {
+            **user_opts,
+            'quiet': not debug_logging,
+            'verbose': debug_logging,
+            'no_color': True,
+            'skip_download': True,
+            'extract_flat': True,
+            'allow_playlist_files': True,
+            'paths': {"home": dldirectory, "temp": self.config.TEMP_DIR},
+            # Feed-level keys only; per-item names are resolved by __add_download.
+            'outtmpl': {
+                'pl_infojson': template,
+                'pl_thumbnail': template,
+                'pl_description': template,
+            },
+        }
+        imp = user_opts.get('impersonate')
+        if imp is not None:
+            params['impersonate'] = yt_dlp.networking.impersonate.ImpersonateTarget.from_str(imp)
+
+        # A copy: process_ie_result mutates entries/requested_entries, and the
+        # caller still needs the real feed dict to queue the items.
+        feed = {k: v for k, v in entry.items() if k != 'entries'}
+        feed['entries'] = []
+        yt_dlp.YoutubeDL(params=params).process_ie_result(feed, download=False)
+
+    async def __write_feed_metadata(self, entry, etype, download_type, folder,
+                                    ytdl_options_presets, ytdl_options_overrides):
+        try:
+            await asyncio.get_running_loop().run_in_executor(
+                None,
+                partial(
+                    self.__write_feed_metadata_sync, entry, etype, download_type, folder,
+                    ytdl_options_presets, ytdl_options_overrides,
+                ),
+            )
+        except Exception as exc:
+            # Supplemental output must never fail the add.
+            log.warning(f'Could not write {etype} metadata files: {exc}')
+
     async def __add_entry(
         self,
         entry,
@@ -1453,6 +1536,10 @@ class DownloadQueue:
                 entries = list(entries)
             total_entries = len(entries)
             log.info(f'{etype} detected with {total_entries} entries')
+            await self.__write_feed_metadata(
+                entry, etype, download_type, folder,
+                ytdl_options_presets, ytdl_options_overrides,
+            )
             index_digits = len(str(total_entries))
             results = []
             if playlist_item_limit > 0: