diff --git a/core/youtube_client.py b/core/youtube_client.py
index df910e59..bd72e674 100644
--- a/core/youtube_client.py
+++ b/core/youtube_client.py
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ class YouTubeClient(DownloadSourcePlugin):
 
         # Initialize production matching engine for parity with Soulseek
         self.matching_engine = MusicMatchingEngine()
+
         logger.info("Initialized production MusicMatchingEngine")
 
         # NOTE: deliberately don't call `_check_ffmpeg()` here. That call
@@ -216,6 +217,23 @@ class YouTubeClient(DownloadSourcePlugin):
         # Optional progress callback for UI updates
         self.progress_callback = None
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def _escape_ytsearch_query(query: str) -> str:
+        """Escape yt-dlp search terms that begin with a dash.
+
+        YouTube video IDs may start with ``-``. When passed through
+        ``ytsearchN:<query>``, yt-dlp treats that leading dash as search
+        syntax unless it is escaped. Preserve already-escaped input so
+        users who worked around the issue manually keep the same result.
+        """
+        if not isinstance(query, str):
+            return query
+        stripped = query.lstrip()
+        leading_ws_len = len(query) - len(stripped)
+        if stripped.startswith('-'):
+            return f"{query[:leading_ws_len]}\\{stripped}"
+        return query
+
     def is_available(self) -> bool:
         """
         Check if YouTube client is available (yt-dlp installed and ffmpeg available).
@@ -698,8 +716,9 @@ class YouTubeClient(DownloadSourcePlugin):
                 if cookies_browser:
                     ydl_opts['cookiesfrombrowser'] = (cookies_browser,)
 
+                search_query = self._escape_ytsearch_query(query)
                 with yt_dlp.YoutubeDL(ydl_opts) as ydl:
-                    data = ydl.extract_info(f"ytsearch{max_results}:{query}", download=False)
+                    data = ydl.extract_info(f"ytsearch{max_results}:{search_query}", download=False)
                     if not data or 'entries' not in data:
                         return []
 
@@ -777,9 +796,10 @@ class YouTubeClient(DownloadSourcePlugin):
                 if cookies_browser:
                     ydl_opts['cookiesfrombrowser'] = (cookies_browser,)
 
+                search_query = self._escape_ytsearch_query(query)
                 with yt_dlp.YoutubeDL(ydl_opts) as ydl:
                     # Search YouTube (max 50 results)
-                    search_results = ydl.extract_info(f"ytsearch50:{query}", download=False)
+                    search_results = ydl.extract_info(f"ytsearch50:{search_query}", download=False)
 
                     if not search_results or 'entries' not in search_results:
                         return []
diff --git a/tests/test_youtube_search_dash_query.py b/tests/test_youtube_search_dash_query.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a2e0318d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_youtube_search_dash_query.py
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+"""Regression tests for YouTube searches whose query starts with ``-``.
+
+YouTube video IDs can start with a dash. yt-dlp's ``ytsearchN:`` parser
+interprets a leading dash as search syntax unless escaped, so manual
+searches for those IDs used to fan out into unrelated results.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import asyncio
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+
+from core import youtube_client
+from core.youtube_client import YouTubeClient
+
+
+def test_escape_ytsearch_query_handles_leading_dash():
+    assert YouTubeClient._escape_ytsearch_query("-4WUHJRhvrM") == r"\-4WUHJRhvrM"
+    assert YouTubeClient._escape_ytsearch_query(r"\-4WUHJRhvrM") == r"\-4WUHJRhvrM"
+    assert YouTubeClient._escape_ytsearch_query("Yo-Yo Ma") == "Yo-Yo Ma"
+
+
+def test_search_escapes_leading_dash_before_yt_dlp(monkeypatch):
+    captured = []
+
+    class _FakeYoutubeDL:
+        def __init__(self, opts):
+            self.opts = opts
+
+        def __enter__(self):
+            return self
+
+        def __exit__(self, exc_type, exc, tb):
+            return False
+
+        def extract_info(self, search_query, download=False):
+            captured.append(search_query)
+            return {"entries": [{"id": "-4WUHJRhvrM", "title": "Unaccompanied Cello"}]}
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(youtube_client.yt_dlp, "YoutubeDL", _FakeYoutubeDL)
+
+    client = YouTubeClient.__new__(YouTubeClient)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(client, "_get_best_audio_format", lambda formats: None)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        client,
+        "_youtube_to_track_result",
+        lambda entry, best_audio: SimpleNamespace(filename=entry["title"]),
+    )
+
+    tracks, albums = asyncio.run(client.search("-4WUHJRhvrM"))
+
+    assert captured == [r"ytsearch50:\-4WUHJRhvrM"]
+    assert len(tracks) == 1
+    assert albums == []
+
+
+def test_search_videos_escapes_leading_dash_before_yt_dlp(monkeypatch):
+    captured = []
+
+    class _FakeYoutubeDL:
+        def __init__(self, opts):
+            self.opts = opts
+
+        def __enter__(self):
+            return self
+
+        def __exit__(self, exc_type, exc, tb):
+            return False
+
+        def extract_info(self, search_query, download=False):
+            captured.append(search_query)
+            return {
+                "entries": [{
+                    "id": "-4WUHJRhvrM",
+                    "title": "Unaccompanied Cello",
+                    "duration": 152,
+                    "uploader": "Yo-Yo Ma",
+                }]
+            }
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(youtube_client.yt_dlp, "YoutubeDL", _FakeYoutubeDL)
+    client = YouTubeClient.__new__(YouTubeClient)
+
+    results = asyncio.run(client.search_videos("-4WUHJRhvrM", max_results=8))
+
+    assert captured == [r"ytsearch8:\-4WUHJRhvrM"]
+    assert [r.video_id for r in results] == ["-4WUHJRhvrM"]