diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c61ec45..7e1c32a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,6 +9,13 @@ Follows [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/) · versioned wi
 
 ---
 
+## [1.14.18] — 2026-07-09
+
+### Fixed
+- **Every retried/recast audiobook cast created a new duplicate Rehearsal Library entry** instead of overwriting the previous attempt — a fresh (non-resume) cast unconditionally nulled the in-memory link to the existing SQLite record, even when retrying or recasting a book that already had one from a prior attempt. The link is now only cleared for a genuinely first-ever cast; retries and "Recast all" overwrite the existing record instead of piling up near-duplicates.
+
+---
+
 ## [1.14.17] — 2026-07-09
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 02fd050..c442523 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.14.17
+1.14.18
diff --git a/static/index.html b/static/index.html
index 29f9d33..99db6ba 100644
--- a/static/index.html
+++ b/static/index.html
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
   <meta name="format-detection" content="telephone=no">
   <meta name="color-scheme" content="light dark">
   <meta name="theme-color" content="#2563EB">
-  <meta name="app-version" content="1.14.17">
+  <meta name="app-version" content="1.14.18">
   <link rel="manifest" href="/manifest.webmanifest">
   <link rel="icon" href="/static/icon.svg" type="image/svg+xml">
   <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/static/icon.svg">
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 
   <!-- ── Core styles (local — no CDN dependency for first paint) ────────── -->
   <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/vendor/mdi/materialdesignicons.min.css">
-  <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/style.css?v=1.14.17">
+  <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/style.css?v=1.14.18">
 
 
   <!-- ── Flag icons — non-blocking (loaded async, icons appear after JS) ── -->
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ window.toggleNavTree = function(treeId, chevronId) {
 </script>
 
 <!-- loader.js: fetches sections → loads JS modules → removes skeleton -->
-<script src="/static/loader.js?v=1.14.17"></script>
+<script src="/static/loader.js?v=1.14.18"></script>
 
 </body>
 </html>
diff --git a/static/js/audiobook.js b/static/js/audiobook.js
index bf014bf..3284b6d 100644
--- a/static/js/audiobook.js
+++ b/static/js/audiobook.js
@@ -3872,7 +3872,16 @@ async function audiobookCast(overrideUrl, overrideModel, resume) {
 
   _audiobook.cancel = false;
   if (!isResume) {
-    _audiobook.rehId = null; // fresh cast creates a new rehearsal record
+    // Deliberately does NOT null _audiobook.rehId here. It used to, on the
+    // theory that a fresh (non-resume) cast should always start a brand-new
+    // Rehearsal Library record — but "fresh cast" also covers "Recast all"
+    // and simply retrying after a failed/timed-out run for a book that
+    // already has a rehId (restored from its draft in _applyDraft above).
+    // Nulling it there meant every retry silently orphaned the previous
+    // record and created a new one, piling up near-duplicate scripts in the
+    // Rehearsal Library for the same book. Keeping whatever rehId is already
+    // known — null only for a genuinely first-ever cast — makes retries/
+    // recasts overwrite that one record instead.
     _abClearDraft();
   }
   if (typeof window.setNavCastingBadge === 'function') window.setNavCastingBadge(true);