diff --git a/tubearchivist/home/src/download/yt_dlp_base.py b/tubearchivist/home/src/download/yt_dlp_base.py
index 2ce9c7a..54f61de 100644
--- a/tubearchivist/home/src/download/yt_dlp_base.py
+++ b/tubearchivist/home/src/download/yt_dlp_base.py
@@ -95,15 +95,35 @@ class CookieHandler:
         """revoke cookie"""
         RedisArchivist().del_message("cookie")
         RedisArchivist().set_message(
-            "config", False, path=".downloads.cookie_import"
+            "config", False, path=".downloads.cookie_import", expire=False
         )
         print("cookie: revoked")
 
     def validate(self):
         """validate cookie using the liked videos playlist"""
+        print("validating cookie")
         obs_request = {
             "skip_download": True,
             "extract_flat": True,
         }
-        response = YtWrap(obs_request, self.config).extract("LL")
+        validator = YtWrap(obs_request, self.config)
+        response = validator.extract("LL")
+
+        # update in redis to avoid expiring
+        modified = validator.obs["cookiefile"].getvalue()
+        if modified:
+            RedisArchivist().set_message("cookie", modified, expire=False)
+
+        if not response:
+            mess_dict = {
+                "status": "message:download",
+                "level": "error",
+                "title": "Cookie validation failed, exiting...",
+                "message": "",
+            }
+            RedisArchivist().set_message(
+                "message:download", mess_dict, expire=4
+            )
+            print("cookie validation failed, exiting...")
+
         return bool(response)
diff --git a/tubearchivist/home/src/download/yt_dlp_handler.py b/tubearchivist/home/src/download/yt_dlp_handler.py
index e82b6c5..482463c 100644
--- a/tubearchivist/home/src/download/yt_dlp_handler.py
+++ b/tubearchivist/home/src/download/yt_dlp_handler.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ from datetime import datetime
 
 from home.src.download.queue import PendingList
 from home.src.download.subscriptions import PlaylistSubscription
-from home.src.download.yt_dlp_base import YtWrap
+from home.src.download.yt_dlp_base import CookieHandler, YtWrap
 from home.src.es.connect import ElasticWrap, IndexPaginate
 from home.src.index.channel import YoutubeChannel
 from home.src.index.playlist import YoutubePlaylist
@@ -155,10 +155,7 @@ class VideoDownloader:
 
     def run_queue(self):
         """setup download queue in redis loop until no more items"""
-        pending = PendingList()
-        pending.get_download()
-        pending.get_channels()
-        self.video_overwrites = pending.video_overwrites
+        self._setup_queue()
 
         queue = RedisQueue()
 
@@ -185,7 +182,9 @@ class VideoDownloader:
                 "title": "Moving....",
                 "message": "Moving downloaded file to storage folder",
             }
-            RedisArchivist().set_message("message:download", mess_dict, False)
+            RedisArchivist().set_message(
+                "message:download", mess_dict, expire=False
+            )
 
             self.move_to_archive(vid_dict)
             mess_dict = {
@@ -201,6 +200,18 @@ class VideoDownloader:
         self._add_subscribed_channels()
         DownloadPostProcess(self).run()
 
+    def _setup_queue(self):
+        """setup required and validate"""
+        if self.config["downloads"]["cookie_import"]:
+            valid = CookieHandler(self.config).validate()
+            if not valid:
+                return
+
+        pending = PendingList()
+        pending.get_download()
+        pending.get_channels()
+        self.video_overwrites = pending.video_overwrites
+
     @staticmethod
     def add_pending():
         """add pending videos to download queue"""
diff --git a/tubearchivist/home/src/index/reindex.py b/tubearchivist/home/src/index/reindex.py
index 5e85f95..e79ab30 100644
--- a/tubearchivist/home/src/index/reindex.py
+++ b/tubearchivist/home/src/index/reindex.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ from time import sleep
 
 from home.src.download.queue import PendingList
 from home.src.download.thumbnails import ThumbManager
+from home.src.download.yt_dlp_base import CookieHandler
 from home.src.download.yt_dlp_handler import VideoDownloader
 from home.src.es.connect import ElasticWrap
 from home.src.index.channel import YoutubeChannel
@@ -40,6 +41,13 @@ class Reindex:
         self.all_channel_ids = False
         self.all_playlist_ids = False
 
+    def check_cookie(self):
+        """validate cookie if enabled"""
+        if self.config["downloads"]["cookie_import"]:
+            valid = CookieHandler(self.config).validate()
+            if not valid:
+                return
+
     def _get_daily(self):
         """get daily refresh values"""
         total_videos = self._get_total_hits("ta_video")