diff --git a/pkg/service/soundtouchweb/handler.go b/pkg/service/soundtouchweb/handler.go
index 9ba89437..e8524d27 100644
--- a/pkg/service/soundtouchweb/handler.go
+++ b/pkg/service/soundtouchweb/handler.go
@@ -170,22 +170,50 @@ func NewWebApp() *WebApp {
 			CheckOrigin: checkWebSocketOrigin,
 		},
 	}
-	app.StereoPairs = stereopair.NewWithGenerationLifecyclePersistence(
-		app.stereoPairClient,
-		func(ref stereopair.GenerationRef) error {
-			return stereopair.DeleteMargeGroupGeneration(app.stereoPairPersistenceClient(), ref)
-		},
-		func(refs []stereopair.GenerationRef) error {
-			return stereopair.EnsureMargeNoGroupGenerations(app.stereoPairPersistenceClient(), refs)
-		},
-		func(ref stereopair.GenerationRef, name string) error {
-			return stereopair.RenameMargeGroupGeneration(app.stereoPairPersistenceClient(), ref, name)
-		},
-	)
+	cleanup, preflight, rename := playerStereoPairGenerationPersistence(app.stereoPairPersistenceClient)
+	app.StereoPairs = stereopair.NewWithGenerationLifecyclePersistence(app.stereoPairClient, cleanup, preflight, rename)
 
 	return app
 }
 
+// playerStereoPairGenerationPersistence wires generation-lifecycle hooks for
+// contexts with no local datastore of their own (the standalone player, and
+// the player component embedded in -service before SetStereoPairGenerationPersistence
+// overrides it): cleanup and rename are no-ops, and preflight's read-only
+// dangling-generation check is advisory.
+//
+// A speaker self-reports its own group create/rename/teardown to whatever
+// Marge backend it's configured with -- that's the entire reason
+// HandleMargeAddGroup/HandleMargeModifyGroup/HandleMargeDeleteGroup exist,
+// they're only ever called by speakers, never by us. Proactively pushing the
+// same update ourselves would duplicate that against a backend we generally
+// can't authenticate to anyway (real Bose cloud, another AfterTouch/SoundCork
+// instance, ...). The one part with a distinct purpose -- checking for a
+// dangling stale generation before a new Create -- is still attempted, but
+// its failure must not block Create: it's a best-effort safety net on top of
+// the coordinator's own physical preflight, not the primary guard.
+func playerStereoPairGenerationPersistence(
+	persistenceClient func() *http.Client,
+) (stereopair.GenerationCleanup, stereopair.GenerationPreflight, stereopair.GenerationRename) {
+	cleanup := func(stereopair.GenerationRef) error {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	preflight := func(refs []stereopair.GenerationRef) error {
+		if err := stereopair.EnsureMargeNoGroupGenerations(persistenceClient(), refs); err != nil {
+			log.Printf("Stereo-pair external generation preflight inconclusive, proceeding: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	rename := func(stereopair.GenerationRef, string) error {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return cleanup, preflight, rename
+}
+
 func (app *WebApp) stereoPairPersistenceClient() *http.Client {
 	base := app.serviceHTTPClient()
 	if base.Timeout >= stereopair.RequestTimeout {
diff --git a/pkg/service/soundtouchweb/stereo_pair_persistence_test.go b/pkg/service/soundtouchweb/stereo_pair_persistence_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a23d205d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/service/soundtouchweb/stereo_pair_persistence_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+package soundtouchweb
+
+import (
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/gesellix/bose-soundtouch/pkg/stereopair"
+)
+
+// TestPlayerStereoPairGenerationPersistenceSkipsWritesButAttemptsRead covers
+// the standalone player's (and embedded player's default) generation
+// lifecycle wiring: cleanup and rename must never push to a Marge backend --
+// the speaker itself self-reports its own group teardown/rename to whatever
+// backend it's configured with (see HandleMargeDeleteGroup/HandleMargeModifyGroup,
+// only ever called by speakers). Preflight still attempts its read-only
+// dangling-generation check, but a failure there (network error, wrong
+// credentials, real Bose cloud rejecting us, ...) must not block Create.
+func TestPlayerStereoPairGenerationPersistenceSkipsWritesButAttemptsRead(t *testing.T) {
+	getCalls := 0
+
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if r.Method == http.MethodGet && strings.HasSuffix(r.URL.Path, "/device/LEFT-ID/group") {
+			getCalls++
+			http.Error(w, "unauthorized", http.StatusUnauthorized)
+
+			return
+		}
+
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected external %s %s: cleanup/rename must not write to a backend the player doesn't own", r.Method, r.URL.Path)
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	cleanup, preflight, rename := playerStereoPairGenerationPersistence(func() *http.Client {
+		return server.Client()
+	})
+
+	ref := stereopair.GenerationRef{
+		DeviceID: "LEFT-ID", AccountID: "ACCOUNT1", MargeURL: server.URL + "/marge",
+		GroupID: "7654321",
+	}
+
+	if err := rename(ref, "Renamed living room"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("rename = %v, want nil (speaker self-reports its own rename)", err)
+	}
+	if err := cleanup(ref); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("cleanup = %v, want nil (speaker self-reports its own teardown)", err)
+	}
+	if err := preflight([]stereopair.GenerationRef{ref}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("preflight = %v, want nil: an unauthenticated external check must not block Create", err)
+	}
+	if getCalls != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("external GET calls = %d, want exactly 1 (preflight must still attempt the read)", getCalls)
+	}
+}