diff --git a/src/backend/metadata/tmdb.ts b/src/backend/metadata/tmdb.ts
index 2e675f10..67a79490 100644
--- a/src/backend/metadata/tmdb.ts
+++ b/src/backend/metadata/tmdb.ts
@@ -143,8 +143,9 @@ export function decodeTMDBId(
   };
 }
 
+const baseURL = "https://api.themoviedb.org/3";
 const otherUrl = "https://api.tmdb.org/3";
-let baseURL = "https://api.themoviedb.org/3";
+let useFallback = false;
 
 const apiKey = conf().TMDB_READ_API_KEY;
 
@@ -155,33 +156,26 @@ const headers = {
 
 async function get<T>(url: string, params?: object): Promise<T> {
   if (!apiKey) throw new Error("TMDB API key not set");
-
   let res: T;
-
   try {
     res = await mwFetch<T>(encodeURI(url), {
       headers,
-      baseURL,
+      baseURL: !useFallback ? baseURL : otherUrl,
       params: {
         ...params,
       },
-      signal: AbortSignal.timeout(baseURL !== otherUrl ? 5000 : 30000),
+      signal: AbortSignal.timeout(!useFallback ? 5000 : 30000),
     });
   } catch (err) {
-    if (baseURL !== otherUrl) {
-      baseURL = otherUrl;
-      res = await mwFetch<T>(encodeURI(url), {
-        headers,
-        baseURL,
-        params: {
-          ...params,
-        },
-      });
-    } else {
-      res = Promise.reject();
-    }
+    useFallback = true;
+    res = await mwFetch<T>(encodeURI(url), {
+      headers,
+      baseURL: otherUrl,
+      params: {
+        ...params,
+      },
+    });
   }
-
   return res;
 }