diff --git a/ErsatzTV.Application/ErsatzTV.Application.csproj b/ErsatzTV.Application/ErsatzTV.Application.csproj
index cdbbf65b0..00f38e17b 100644
--- a/ErsatzTV.Application/ErsatzTV.Application.csproj
+++ b/ErsatzTV.Application/ErsatzTV.Application.csproj
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
         <AnalysisLevel>latest-Recommended</AnalysisLevel>
         <TreatWarningsAsErrors>true</TreatWarningsAsErrors>
         <Configurations>Debug;Release;Debug No Sync</Configurations>
+        <AllowUnsafeBlocks>true</AllowUnsafeBlocks>
     </PropertyGroup>
 
     <ItemGroup>
diff --git a/ErsatzTV.Application/Playouts/Commands/BuildPlayoutHandler.cs b/ErsatzTV.Application/Playouts/Commands/BuildPlayoutHandler.cs
index 95c14f813..db445a3e7 100644
--- a/ErsatzTV.Application/Playouts/Commands/BuildPlayoutHandler.cs
+++ b/ErsatzTV.Application/Playouts/Commands/BuildPlayoutHandler.cs
@@ -325,6 +325,8 @@ public class BuildPlayoutHandler : IRequestHandler<BuildPlayout, Either<BaseErro
                         }
                     }
 
+                    await _workerChannel.WriteAsync(new SyncNextPlayout(channelNumber), cancellationToken);
+
                     await _workerChannel.WriteAsync(new ExtractEmbeddedSubtitles(playout.Id), cancellationToken);
 
                     newBuildStatus.Success = true;
diff --git a/ErsatzTV.Application/Playouts/Commands/SyncNextPlayout.cs b/ErsatzTV.Application/Playouts/Commands/SyncNextPlayout.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b48c7248a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ErsatzTV.Application/Playouts/Commands/SyncNextPlayout.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+namespace ErsatzTV.Application.Playouts;
+
+public record SyncNextPlayout(string ChannelNumber) : IRequest, IBackgroundServiceRequest;
diff --git a/ErsatzTV.Application/Playouts/Commands/SyncNextPlayoutHandler.cs b/ErsatzTV.Application/Playouts/Commands/SyncNextPlayoutHandler.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0ac46dfe3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ErsatzTV.Application/Playouts/Commands/SyncNextPlayoutHandler.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,205 @@
+using System.Globalization;
+using System.IO.Abstractions;
+using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
+using ErsatzTV.Core;
+using ErsatzTV.Core.Domain;
+using ErsatzTV.Core.Extensions;
+using ErsatzTV.Core.Interfaces.Metadata;
+using ErsatzTV.Core.Next;
+using ErsatzTV.Infrastructure.Data;
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
+
+namespace ErsatzTV.Application.Playouts;
+
+public partial class SyncNextPlayoutHandler(
+    IFileSystem fileSystem,
+    ILocalFileSystem localFileSystem,
+    IDbContextFactory<TvContext> dbContextFactory,
+    ILogger<SyncNextPlayoutHandler> logger)
+    : IRequestHandler<SyncNextPlayout>
+{
+    [LibraryImport("libc", EntryPoint = "rename", SetLastError = true)]
+    private static partial int Rename(
+        [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPUTF8Str)]
+        string oldpath,
+        [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPUTF8Str)]
+        string newpath
+    );
+
+    public async Task Handle(SyncNextPlayout request, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+    {
+        // TODO: NEXT: support junctions on Windows
+        if (RuntimeInformation.IsOSPlatform(OSPlatform.Windows))
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // gen new folder name
+        string versionFolderName = DateTimeOffset.Now.ToUnixTimeMilliseconds().ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);
+
+        string versionFolder = fileSystem.Path.Combine(
+            FileSystemLayout.NextPlayoutsFolder,
+            request.ChannelNumber,
+            versionFolderName);
+
+        logger.LogDebug("versioned playout folder is {Folder}", versionFolder);
+
+        localFileSystem.EnsureFolderExists(versionFolder);
+
+        await WriteAllJsonTo(request.ChannelNumber, versionFolder, cancellationToken);
+
+        string currentFolder = fileSystem.Path.Combine(
+            FileSystemLayout.NextPlayoutsFolder,
+            request.ChannelNumber,
+            "current");
+
+        // re-point symlink/junction to new folder
+        if (RuntimeInformation.IsOSPlatform(OSPlatform.Windows))
+        {
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            string tempLink = fileSystem.Path.Combine(
+                FileSystemLayout.NextPlayoutsFolder,
+                request.ChannelNumber,
+                fileSystem.Path.GetRandomFileName());
+
+            fileSystem.File.CreateSymbolicLink(tempLink, versionFolderName);
+            _ = Rename(tempLink, currentFolder);
+        }
+
+        CleanOldVersions(
+            fileSystem.Path.Combine(FileSystemLayout.NextPlayoutsFolder, request.ChannelNumber),
+            currentFolder);
+    }
+
+    private async Task WriteAllJsonTo(string channelNumber, string targetFolder, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+    {
+        await using TvContext dbContext = await dbContextFactory.CreateDbContextAsync(cancellationToken);
+
+        List<int> localLibraryIds = await dbContext.LocalLibraries
+            .AsNoTracking()
+            .Map(l => l.Id)
+            .ToListAsync(cancellationToken);
+
+        List<PlayoutItem> playoutItems = await dbContext.PlayoutItems
+            .AsNoTracking()
+            .Where(i => i.Playout.Channel.Number == channelNumber)
+            .Where(i => localLibraryIds.Contains(i.MediaItem.LibraryPath.LibraryId))
+            .Include(i => i.MediaItem)
+            .ThenInclude(i => (i as Episode).MediaVersions)
+            .ThenInclude(mv => mv.MediaFiles)
+            .Include(i => i.MediaItem)
+            .ThenInclude(i => (i as Movie).MediaVersions)
+            .ThenInclude(mv => mv.MediaFiles)
+            .Include(i => i.MediaItem)
+            .ThenInclude(i => (i as OtherVideo).MediaVersions)
+            .ThenInclude(mv => mv.MediaFiles)
+            .Include(i => i.MediaItem)
+            .ThenInclude(i => (i as MusicVideo).MediaVersions)
+            .ThenInclude(mv => mv.MediaFiles)
+            .ToListAsync(cancellationToken);
+
+        logger.LogDebug("Located {Count} local playout items", playoutItems.Count);
+
+        foreach (IGrouping<DateTime, PlayoutItem> group in playoutItems.GroupBy(pi => pi.StartOffset.Date)
+                     .Where(g => g.Any()))
+        {
+            var first = group.First();
+            var last = group.Last();
+
+            string fileName = fileSystem.Path.Combine(
+                targetFolder,
+                $"{first.StartOffset.ToUnixTimeMilliseconds()}_{last.FinishOffset.ToUnixTimeMilliseconds()}.json");
+
+            var playout = new Core.Next.Playout { Version = "https://ersatztv.org/playout/version/0.0.1", Items = [] };
+            foreach (PlayoutItem playoutItem in group)
+            {
+                if (playoutItem.MediaItem is not Episode && playoutItem.MediaItem is not Movie &&
+                    playoutItem.MediaItem is not OtherVideo && playoutItem.MediaItem is not MusicVideo)
+                {
+                    continue;
+                }
+
+                string path = playoutItem.MediaItem.GetHeadVersion().MediaFiles.Head().Path;
+
+                var nextPlayoutItem = new ItemElement
+                {
+                    Id = playoutItem.Id.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture),
+                    Start = playoutItem.StartOffset.ToString("O"),
+                    Finish = playoutItem.FinishOffset.ToString("O"),
+                    Source = new ItemSource
+                    {
+                        SourceType = SourceType.Local,
+                        Path = path,
+                    }
+                };
+
+                playout.Items.Add(nextPlayoutItem);
+            }
+
+            await fileSystem.File.WriteAllTextAsync(fileName, playout.ToJson(), cancellationToken);
+        }
+    }
+
+    public void CleanOldVersions(
+        string playoutRoot,
+        string currentLinkPath,
+        int keepVersions = 2,
+        TimeSpan? gracePeriod = null)
+    {
+        gracePeriod ??= TimeSpan.FromMinutes(5);
+
+        string currentResolvedPath = null;
+        if (Directory.Exists(currentLinkPath))
+        {
+            currentResolvedPath = Path.GetFullPath(
+                Path.Combine(
+                    Path.GetDirectoryName(currentLinkPath) ?? "",
+                    Directory.ResolveLinkTarget(currentLinkPath, true)?.FullName ?? ""
+                ));
+        }
+
+        var directories = Directory.GetDirectories(playoutRoot)
+            .Select(d => new DirectoryInfo(d))
+            .Where(d => long.TryParse(d.Name, out _))
+            .OrderByDescending(d => d.Name)
+            .ToList();
+
+        int keptCount = 0;
+
+        foreach (var dir in directories)
+        {
+            string fullDir = dir.FullName;
+
+            if (fullDir.Equals(currentResolvedPath, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+            {
+                keptCount++;
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            if (keptCount < keepVersions)
+            {
+                keptCount++;
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            if (DateTime.Now - dir.LastWriteTime < gracePeriod)
+            {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            try
+            {
+                dir.Delete(recursive: true);
+                logger.LogDebug("Cleaned up old playout version: {Folder}", dir.Name);
+            }
+            catch (IOException)
+            {
+                // ignore errors; will be cleaned up next time through
+                logger.LogDebug("Skipping busy folder: {Folder}", dir.Name);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/ErsatzTV.Application/Streaming/Commands/StartFFmpegNextSessionHandler.cs b/ErsatzTV.Application/Streaming/Commands/StartFFmpegNextSessionHandler.cs
index e401f6e8f..913fb1c97 100644
--- a/ErsatzTV.Application/Streaming/Commands/StartFFmpegNextSessionHandler.cs
+++ b/ErsatzTV.Application/Streaming/Commands/StartFFmpegNextSessionHandler.cs
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ public class StartFFmpegNextSessionHandler(
             }
         };
 
-        string playoutFolder = fileSystem.Path.Combine(FileSystemLayout.NextPlayoutsFolder, channelNumber);
+        string playoutFolder = fileSystem.Path.Combine(FileSystemLayout.NextPlayoutsFolder, channelNumber, "current");
 
         return new ChannelConfig
         {
diff --git a/ErsatzTV.Core/Next/Playout.cs b/ErsatzTV.Core/Next/Playout.cs
index 0642b33f2..44680c975 100644
--- a/ErsatzTV.Core/Next/Playout.cs
+++ b/ErsatzTV.Core/Next/Playout.cs
@@ -201,6 +201,7 @@ namespace ErsatzTV.Core.Next
     {
         public static readonly JsonSerializerSettings Settings = new JsonSerializerSettings
         {
+            NullValueHandling = NullValueHandling.Ignore,
             MetadataPropertyHandling = MetadataPropertyHandling.Ignore,
             DateParseHandling = DateParseHandling.None,
             Converters =
diff --git a/ErsatzTV/Services/WorkerService.cs b/ErsatzTV/Services/WorkerService.cs
index 5e3ebfd00..03d15d26d 100644
--- a/ErsatzTV/Services/WorkerService.cs
+++ b/ErsatzTV/Services/WorkerService.cs
@@ -81,6 +81,9 @@ public class WorkerService : BackgroundService
                                     error.Value));
                             break;
                         }
+                        case SyncNextPlayout syncNextPlayout:
+                            await mediator.Send(syncNextPlayout, stoppingToken);
+                            break;
                         case CheckForOverlappingPlayoutItems checkForOverlappingPlayoutItems:
                             await mediator.Send(checkForOverlappingPlayoutItems, stoppingToken);
                             break;