diff --git a/internal/services/media_scanner.go b/internal/services/media_scanner.go
index 6bf8fc9..fbd1d1b 100644
--- a/internal/services/media_scanner.go
+++ b/internal/services/media_scanner.go
@@ -1161,7 +1161,7 @@ func (s *MediaScanner) mergeMetadata(path string, calibreMetadata *MediaMetadata
 	ext := strings.ToLower(filepath.Ext(path))
 
 	// For EPUB files
-	if ext == ".epub" {
+	if ext == ".epub" || ext == ".kepub" {
 		book, err := epub.ReadBook(path)
 		if err == nil {
 			genreTags := extractGenreTagsFromEPUB(book)
@@ -1177,6 +1177,48 @@ func (s *MediaScanner) mergeMetadata(path string, calibreMetadata *MediaMetadata
 				metadata.PageCount = int32(pageCount)
 			}
 		}
+
+		// Gap-fill: sidecar-sourced metadata wins, but blanks are filled from
+		// the book's own OPF so a sparse metadata.opf/metadata.json doesn't
+		// hide data the file carries. Never overwrites sidecar values.
+		if embedded, err := s.extractEPUBMetadata(path); err == nil && embedded != nil {
+			if metadata.Title == "" && embedded.Title != "" {
+				metadata.Title = embedded.Title
+			}
+			if metadata.Author == "" && embedded.Author != "" {
+				metadata.Author = embedded.Author
+			}
+			if metadata.Description == "" && embedded.Description != "" {
+				metadata.Description = embedded.Description
+			}
+			if metadata.Publisher == "" && embedded.Publisher != "" {
+				metadata.Publisher = embedded.Publisher
+			}
+			if metadata.Language == "" && embedded.Language != "" {
+				metadata.Language = embedded.Language
+			}
+			if metadata.ISBN == "" && embedded.ISBN != "" {
+				metadata.ISBN = embedded.ISBN
+			}
+			if metadata.ASIN == "" && embedded.ASIN != "" {
+				metadata.ASIN = embedded.ASIN
+			}
+			if metadata.Series == "" && embedded.Series != "" {
+				metadata.Series = embedded.Series
+			}
+			if metadata.SeriesNumber == 0 && embedded.SeriesNumber != 0 {
+				metadata.SeriesNumber = embedded.SeriesNumber
+			}
+			if metadata.PublishDate.IsZero() && !embedded.PublishDate.IsZero() {
+				metadata.PublishDate = embedded.PublishDate
+			}
+			if len(metadata.Tags) == 0 && len(embedded.Tags) > 0 {
+				metadata.Tags = embedded.Tags
+			}
+			if len(metadata.Contributors) == 0 && len(embedded.Contributors) > 0 {
+				metadata.Contributors = embedded.Contributors
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	// For comic archives, try to extract ComicInfo.xml
diff --git a/internal/services/media_scanner_metadata_test.go b/internal/services/media_scanner_metadata_test.go
index b045162..2e2744a 100644
--- a/internal/services/media_scanner_metadata_test.go
+++ b/internal/services/media_scanner_metadata_test.go
@@ -302,3 +302,64 @@ func TestSidecarCoverFallback(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("extracted cover not on disk: %v", err)
 	}
 }
+
+// TestMergeMetadataEPUBGapFill verifies that a sparse sidecar (metadata.opf
+// with only a title) gets its blanks filled from the book's own embedded OPF
+// while sidecar-set fields are never overwritten.
+func TestMergeMetadataEPUBGapFill(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	epubPath := filepath.Join(dir, "gappy.epub")
+	f, err := os.Create(epubPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	zipWriter := zip.NewWriter(f)
+	mimetype, _ := zipWriter.CreateHeader(&zip.FileHeader{Name: "mimetype", Method: zip.Store})
+	mimetype.Write([]byte("application/epub+zip"))
+	epubFiles := map[string]string{
+		"META-INF/container.xml": `<?xml version="1.0"?><container version="1.0" xmlns="urn:oasis:names:tc:opendocument:xmlns:container"><rootfiles><rootfile full-path="OEBPS/content.opf" media-type="application/oebps-package+xml"/></rootfiles></container>`,
+		"OEBPS/content.opf": `<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<package xmlns="http://www.idpf.org/2007/opf" version="3.0" unique-identifier="u">
+  <metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
+    <dc:title>Embedded Title</dc:title>
+    <dc:creator>Embedded Author</dc:creator>
+    <dc:description>Embedded description from the book.</dc:description>
+    <dc:publisher>Embedded Publisher</dc:publisher>
+    <dc:language>en</dc:language>
+    <dc:date>2021-06-01</dc:date>
+  </metadata>
+  <manifest/>
+  <spine/>
+</package>`,
+	}
+	for name, content := range epubFiles {
+		w, err := zipWriter.Create(name)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		w.Write([]byte(content))
+	}
+	if err := zipWriter.Close(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	f.Close()
+
+	sparse := &MediaMetadata{Title: "Sidecar Title", Author: "Sidecar Author"}
+	s := NewMediaScanner(nil)
+	merged, err := s.mergeMetadata(epubPath, sparse)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("mergeMetadata() error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if merged.Title != "Sidecar Title" || merged.Author != "Sidecar Author" {
+		t.Errorf("sidecar values overwritten: title=%q author=%q", merged.Title, merged.Author)
+	}
+	if merged.Description != "Embedded description from the book." {
+		t.Errorf("Description = %q, want embedded fill", merged.Description)
+	}
+	if merged.Publisher != "Embedded Publisher" {
+		t.Errorf("Publisher = %q, want embedded fill", merged.Publisher)
+	}
+	if merged.Language != "en" {
+		t.Errorf("Language = %q, want embedded fill", merged.Language)
+	}
+}