diff --git a/src/mpv/event.rs b/src/mpv/event.rs
index 2617ce4..cebe92f 100644
--- a/src/mpv/event.rs
+++ b/src/mpv/event.rs
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ pub struct PropertyEvent {
 pub enum PropertyEventValue {
     Int64(i64),
     Double(f64),
+    String(String),
 }
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
diff --git a/src/mpv/handle.rs b/src/mpv/handle.rs
index e55e6b6..aada46d 100644
--- a/src/mpv/handle.rs
+++ b/src/mpv/handle.rs
@@ -165,6 +165,18 @@ impl Handle {
         })
     }
 
+    pub fn observe_property_string(&self, reply_userdata: u64, name: &str) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        let name = CString::new(name).expect("null bytes in property name");
+        Error::from_return_code(unsafe {
+            ffi::mpv_observe_property(
+                self.inner.as_ptr(),
+                reply_userdata,
+                name.as_ptr(),
+                ffi::mpv_format_MPV_FORMAT_STRING,
+            )
+        })
+    }
+
     pub fn unobserve_property(&self, registered_reply_userdata: u64) -> Result<u32, Error> {
         let rc =
             unsafe { ffi::mpv_unobserve_property(self.inner.as_ptr(), registered_reply_userdata) };
@@ -281,6 +293,12 @@ impl Handle {
                                 *(data.data as *mut f64)
                             }))
                         }
+                        ffi::mpv_format_MPV_FORMAT_STRING => {
+                            let value = unsafe { CStr::from_ptr(*(data.data as *mut *mut c_char)) };
+                            Some(PropertyEventValue::String(
+                                String::from_utf8_lossy(value.to_bytes()).into_owned(),
+                            ))
+                        }
                         _ => todo!(),
                     },
                 }))
diff --git a/src/ui/window.rs b/src/ui/window.rs
index aaadc01..61a961b 100644
--- a/src/ui/window.rs
+++ b/src/ui/window.rs
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ mod imp {
             mpv.set_property("vid", false).unwrap();
             mpv.set_property("prefetch-playlist", true).unwrap();
 
+            mpv.observe_property_string(0, "path").unwrap();
             mpv.observe_property_int64(3, "playlist-pos").unwrap();
             mpv.observe_property(4, "idle-active").unwrap();
             mpv.observe_property(6, "playlist-count").unwrap();
@@ -473,12 +474,15 @@ mod imp {
         }
 
         fn idle_active(&self) -> bool {
-            self.mpv.get_property("idle-active").unwrap()
+            match self.state.get() {
+                State::Idle => true,
+                _ => false,
+            }
         }
 
         fn playlist_count(&self) -> i64 {
             let count = self.mpv.get_property::<i64>("playlist-count").unwrap();
-            assert_eq!(count as u32, self.playlist_model.n_items());
+            assert_eq!(count as u32, self.playlist_model.n_items()); // sanity check
             count
         }
 
@@ -530,6 +534,18 @@ mod imp {
             use crate::mpv::event::PropertyEventValue;
 
             match event.reply_userdata {
+                0 => {
+                    /* FIXME: can happen before playlist-pos is updated
+                    assert_eq!(event.name, "path");
+                    match event.value {
+                        None => {}
+                        Some(PropertyEventValue::String(s)) => {
+                            // sanity check
+                            assert_eq!(self.obj().song().unwrap().stream_url(), s);
+                        }
+                        _ => unreachable!(),
+                    }*/
+                }
                 3 => {
                     assert_eq!(event.name, "playlist-pos");
                     let value = match event.value {
@@ -567,6 +583,17 @@ mod imp {
                     self.duration.set(value);
                     event!(Level::TRACE, "duration is now {value} (from mpv)");
                     self.obj().notify("duration");
+
+                    {
+                        let left = value as i64;
+                        let right = self.song().unwrap().duration();
+                        if left != right {
+                            event!(
+                                Level::WARN,
+                                "mpv duration {left:?} doesn not match subsonic duration {right:?}"
+                            );
+                        }
+                    }
                 }
 
                 _ => unreachable!(),
@@ -707,23 +734,6 @@ mod imp {
             self.state.set(State::FileLoaded);
 
             event!(Level::INFO, "FileLoaded");
-            // sanity check
-            // i think "path" is only available after this event is dispatched
-            assert_eq!(
-                self.mpv.get_property::<String>("path").unwrap(),
-                self.obj().song().unwrap().stream_url()
-            );
-            // same with "duration"
-            {
-                let left = self.mpv.get_property::<f64>("duration").unwrap() as i64;
-                let right = self.song().unwrap().duration();
-                if left != right {
-                    event!(
-                        Level::WARN,
-                        "mpv duration {left:?} doesn not match subsonic duration {right:?}"
-                    );
-                }
-            }
         }
 
         fn on_seek(&self) {