diff --git a/src/core/anilistExternalSync.ts b/src/core/anilistExternalSync.ts
index 96a042b..a711a00 100644
--- a/src/core/anilistExternalSync.ts
+++ b/src/core/anilistExternalSync.ts
@@ -64,13 +64,12 @@ export async function syncAniListNow(payload: Record<string, unknown>): Promise<
     .flatMap((list) => list.entries ?? [])
     .filter((entry): entry is AniListEntry => Boolean(entry?.media?.id));
 
-  const plan = await coreAnilistEntriesToSync(entries, Date.now());
-  if (!plan) return { synced: false, error: 'AniList entries could not be processed' };
-
   const categories = payload.categories as ImportCategory[] | undefined;
-  const wants = (category: ImportCategory) => !categories || categories.includes(category);
   const dryRun = payload.dryRun === true;
 
+  const plan = await coreAnilistEntriesToSync(entries, Date.now(), categories, dryRun);
+  if (!plan) return { synced: false, error: 'AniList entries could not be processed' };
+
   const lib = await loadLibrary(profileKey);
   const watchlistBefore = (lib.watchlist as LibraryItemRecord[] | undefined) ?? [];
   const completedBefore = (lib.completed as LibraryItemRecord[] | undefined) ?? [];
@@ -78,11 +77,11 @@ export async function syncAniListNow(payload: Record<string, unknown>): Promise<
   const watchedBefore = (lib.watched as Record<string, boolean> | undefined) ?? {};
   const progressBefore = (lib.progress as Record<string, unknown> | undefined) ?? {};
 
-  if (wants('watchlist') && !dryRun) {
+  if (plan.watchlist != null) {
     lib.watchlist = await coreMergeLibraryItemsById(watchlistBefore, plan.watchlist);
     await persistStatusListMerge(watchlistBefore, lib.watchlist as LibraryItemRecord[], 'watchlist', profileKey);
   }
-  if (wants('watched') && !dryRun) {
+  if (plan.completed != null && plan.dropped != null && plan.watched != null) {
     lib.completed = await coreMergeLibraryItemsById(completedBefore, plan.completed);
     lib.dropped = await coreMergeLibraryItemsById(droppedBefore, plan.dropped);
     lib.watched = { ...watchedBefore, ...plan.watched };
@@ -90,7 +89,7 @@ export async function syncAniListNow(payload: Record<string, unknown>): Promise<
     await persistStatusListMerge(droppedBefore, lib.dropped as LibraryItemRecord[], 'dropped', profileKey);
     await persistWatchedMerge(watchedBefore, lib.watched as Record<string, boolean>, profileKey);
   }
-  if (wants('continueWatching') && !dryRun) {
+  if (plan.progress != null && plan.watching != null) {
     lib.progress = { ...progressBefore, ...plan.progress };
     lib.continueWatching = await buildContinueWatching(lib.progress as Record<string, unknown>);
     await persistProgressMerge(progressBefore, lib.progress as Record<string, unknown>, profileKey);
@@ -99,20 +98,20 @@ export async function syncAniListNow(payload: Record<string, unknown>): Promise<
   if (!dryRun) {
     await saveLibrary(lib, profileKey);
     await saveProviderLibrary('anilist', {
-      watchlist: plan.watchlist,
-      watching: plan.watching,
-      completed: plan.completed,
-      dropped: plan.dropped,
+      watchlist: plan.watchlist ?? [],
+      watching: plan.watching ?? [],
+      completed: plan.completed ?? [],
+      dropped: plan.dropped ?? [],
     }, profileKey);
   }
 
   return {
     synced: true,
     provider: 'anilist',
-    continueWatchingCount: plan.watching.length,
-    watchlistCount: plan.watchlist.length,
-    completedCount: plan.completed.length,
-    droppedCount: plan.dropped.length,
+    continueWatchingCount: plan.watchingCount,
+    watchlistCount: plan.watchlistCount,
+    completedCount: plan.completedCount,
+    droppedCount: plan.droppedCount,
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/coreMethods.ts b/src/core/coreMethods.ts
index c864202..d72ad77 100644
--- a/src/core/coreMethods.ts
+++ b/src/core/coreMethods.ts
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ export const CORE_METHODS = [
   'homeOverlapRatio',
   'homePersonalizationScore',
   'identity',
+  'importApplyPlan',
   'importCollections',
   'integrationSettingsPlan',
   'isEpisodeReleased',
diff --git a/src/core/engine.ts b/src/core/engine.ts
index d6c32bc..3a1dec2 100644
--- a/src/core/engine.ts
+++ b/src/core/engine.ts
@@ -369,17 +369,24 @@ export async function coreDetectAnimePlayback(
 export async function coreAnilistEntriesToSync(
   entries: unknown[],
   nowMs: number,
+  categories?: string[],
+  dryRun?: boolean,
 ): Promise<
   {
-    watchlist: Record<string, unknown>[];
-    completed: Record<string, unknown>[];
-    dropped: Record<string, unknown>[];
-    watching: Record<string, unknown>[];
-    watched: Record<string, boolean>;
-    progress: Record<string, unknown>;
+    watchlist: Record<string, unknown>[] | null;
+    watchlistCount: number;
+    completed: Record<string, unknown>[] | null;
+    completedCount: number;
+    dropped: Record<string, unknown>[] | null;
+    droppedCount: number;
+    watching: Record<string, unknown>[] | null;
+    watchingCount: number;
+    watched: Record<string, boolean> | null;
+    watchedUpdatedAtMs: Record<string, unknown> | null;
+    progress: Record<string, unknown> | null;
   } | null
 > {
-  return coreInvoke("anilistEntriesToSync", JSON.stringify({ entries, nowMs }));
+  return coreInvoke("anilistEntriesToSync", JSON.stringify({ entries, nowMs, categories, dryRun }));
 }
 
 export async function coreMergeLibraryItemsById(
@@ -883,8 +890,15 @@ export async function coreNuvioImportMergePlan(args: {
   addonMetas: Record<string, unknown>;
   watchProgress: unknown[] | null;
   watchHistory: unknown[] | null;
+  categories?: string[];
+  dryRun?: boolean;
 }): Promise<
-  { progress: Record<string, unknown>; watched: Record<string, boolean> } | null
+  {
+    progress: Record<string, unknown> | null;
+    progressCount: number;
+    watched: Record<string, boolean> | null;
+    watchedCount: number;
+  } | null
 > {
   return coreInvoke("nuvioImportMergePlan", JSON.stringify(args));
 }
diff --git a/src/core/engineExternalSync.ts b/src/core/engineExternalSync.ts
index e2997f6..67a83b8 100644
--- a/src/core/engineExternalSync.ts
+++ b/src/core/engineExternalSync.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,26 @@
 import { coreInvoke } from './engine';
 
+export interface CoreImportApplyPlan {
+  watchlist: Record<string, unknown>[] | null;
+  watchlistCount: number;
+  watched: Record<string, boolean> | null;
+  watchedCount: number;
+  continueWatchingApply: boolean;
+}
+
+export async function coreImportApplyPlan(request: {
+  localWatchlist: unknown[];
+  externalWatchlist: unknown[];
+  localWatched: Record<string, unknown>;
+  externalWatched: Record<string, unknown>;
+  categories?: string[];
+  dryRun?: boolean;
+}): Promise<CoreImportApplyPlan> {
+  return (await coreInvoke<CoreImportApplyPlan>("importApplyPlan", JSON.stringify(request))) ?? {
+    watchlist: null, watchlistCount: 0, watched: null, watchedCount: 0, continueWatchingApply: false,
+  };
+}
+
 export async function coreTraktScrobblePlan(
   videoId: string,
   isEpisode: boolean,
diff --git a/src/core/nuvioSync.ts b/src/core/nuvioSync.ts
index fb31a97..a710c25 100644
--- a/src/core/nuvioSync.ts
+++ b/src/core/nuvioSync.ts
@@ -375,22 +375,24 @@ export async function importNuvioProfileData(
     }
   }
 
+  const plan = await coreNuvioImportMergePlan({
+    progress: progressBefore,
+    watched: watchedBefore,
+    library,
+    addonMetas,
+    watchProgress,
+    watchHistory,
+    categories,
+    dryRun,
+  });
   if (!dryRun) {
-    const plan = await coreNuvioImportMergePlan({
-      progress: progressBefore,
-      watched: watchedBefore,
-      library,
-      addonMetas,
-      watchProgress,
-      watchHistory,
-    });
     let appliedRemoteWatchState = false;
-    if (plan) {
-      if (wants('continueWatching')) {
-        libDoc.progress = plan.progress;
-        libDoc.continueWatching = await buildContinueWatching(plan.progress);
-      }
-      if (wants('watched')) libDoc.watched = plan.watched;
+    if (plan?.progress != null) {
+      libDoc.progress = plan.progress;
+      libDoc.continueWatching = await buildContinueWatching(plan.progress);
+    }
+    if (plan?.watched != null) libDoc.watched = plan.watched;
+    if (plan?.progress != null || plan?.watched != null) {
       await saveProviderLibrary('nuvio', {
         watchlist: (libDoc.watchlist as Record<string, unknown>[]) ?? [],
         watching: libDoc.continueWatching as Record<string, unknown>[],
@@ -438,8 +440,8 @@ export async function importNuvioProfileData(
 
   const counts = {
     watchlist: watchlistCount,
-    continueWatching: watchProgress?.length ?? 0,
-    watched: watchHistory?.length ?? 0,
+    continueWatching: plan?.progressCount ?? 0,
+    watched: plan?.watchedCount ?? 0,
     collections: collectionsCount,
     addons: addonCount,
   };
diff --git a/src/core/simklExternalSync.ts b/src/core/simklExternalSync.ts
index 62a2b77..82637f3 100644
--- a/src/core/simklExternalSync.ts
+++ b/src/core/simklExternalSync.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import {
-  coreMergeExternalWatched,
-  coreMergeExternalWatchlist,
+  coreImportApplyPlan,
   coreInvoke,
   coreSimklMergeDelta,
   coreSimklResourceSyncPlan,
@@ -21,24 +20,18 @@ type SimklDeltaCache = {
   resources: Record<string, unknown>;
 };
 
-async function mergeExternalWatchlist(externalItems: Record<string, unknown>[], profileKey?: string): Promise<void> {
+async function applyWatchlistMerge(merged: Record<string, unknown>[], before: Record<string, unknown>[], profileKey?: string): Promise<void> {
+  if (merged.length <= before.length) return;
   const lib = await loadLibrary(profileKey);
-  const local = (lib.watchlist as Record<string, unknown>[] | undefined) ?? [];
-  const mergedJson = await coreMergeExternalWatchlist(JSON.stringify(local), JSON.stringify(externalItems));
-  const mergedList = mergedJson as Record<string, unknown>[];
-  if (mergedList.length > local.length) {
-    lib.watchlist = mergedList;
-    await persistStatusListMerge(local, mergedList, 'watchlist', profileKey);
-    await saveLibrary(lib, profileKey);
-  }
+  lib.watchlist = merged;
+  await persistStatusListMerge(before, merged, 'watchlist', profileKey);
+  await saveLibrary(lib, profileKey);
 }
 
-async function mergeExternalWatched(externalWatched: Record<string, boolean>, profileKey?: string): Promise<void> {
+async function applyWatchedMerge(merged: Record<string, boolean>, before: Record<string, boolean>, profileKey?: string): Promise<void> {
   const lib = await loadLibrary(profileKey);
-  const local = (lib.watched as Record<string, boolean> | undefined) ?? {};
-  const merged = await coreMergeExternalWatched(JSON.stringify(local), JSON.stringify(externalWatched));
   lib.watched = merged;
-  await persistWatchedMerge(local, merged, profileKey);
+  await persistWatchedMerge(before, merged, profileKey);
   await saveLibrary(lib, profileKey);
 }
 
@@ -116,15 +109,27 @@ export async function syncSimklNow(payload: Record<string, unknown>): Promise<un
   const wlShowsData = JSON.stringify(wlShows);
   const wlMoviesData = JSON.stringify(wlMovies);
   const watchlistItems = ((await coreSimklWatchlistToItems(wlShowsData, wlMoviesData)) ?? []) as Record<string, unknown>[];
-  if (wants('watchlist') && !dryRun) await mergeExternalWatchlist(watchlistItems, profileKey);
   if (!dryRun) await saveProviderLibrary('simkl', { watchlist: watchlistItems, watching: items, completed: [], dropped: [] }, profileKey);
 
   const doneShowsData = JSON.stringify(doneShows);
   const doneMoviesData = JSON.stringify(doneMovies);
   const watchedMap = ((await coreSimklWatchedToIds(doneShowsData, doneMoviesData)) ?? {}) as Record<string, boolean>;
-  if (wants('watched') && !dryRun) await mergeExternalWatched(watchedMap, profileKey);
 
-  return { synced: true, provider: 'simkl', continueWatchingCount: items.length, watchlistCount: watchlistItems.length, watchedCount: Object.keys(watchedMap).length };
+  const localLib = await loadLibrary(profileKey);
+  const localWatchlist = (localLib.watchlist as Record<string, unknown>[] | undefined) ?? [];
+  const localWatched = (localLib.watched as Record<string, unknown> | undefined) ?? {};
+  const applyPlan = await coreImportApplyPlan({
+    localWatchlist,
+    externalWatchlist: watchlistItems,
+    localWatched,
+    externalWatched: watchedMap,
+    categories,
+    dryRun,
+  });
+  if (applyPlan.watchlist != null) await applyWatchlistMerge(applyPlan.watchlist, localWatchlist, profileKey);
+  if (applyPlan.watched != null) await applyWatchedMerge(applyPlan.watched, localWatched as Record<string, boolean>, profileKey);
+
+  return { synced: true, provider: 'simkl', continueWatchingCount: items.length, watchlistCount: applyPlan.watchlistCount, watchedCount: applyPlan.watchedCount };
 }
 
 export async function fetchSimklCalendarItems(
diff --git a/src/core/stremioExternalSync.ts b/src/core/stremioExternalSync.ts
index 1ee515a..8c283bd 100644
--- a/src/core/stremioExternalSync.ts
+++ b/src/core/stremioExternalSync.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 import {
+  coreImportApplyPlan,
   coreLibraryContinueWatchingItems,
   coreInvoke,
-  coreMergeExternalWatched,
-  coreMergeExternalWatchlist,
   coreStremioWatchedToIds,
   coreStremioWatchlistToItems,
 } from './engine';
@@ -73,24 +72,18 @@ export async function syncStremioAddons(profile: UserProfile, addons: AddonDescr
   await stremioReplaceAddons(profile.stremioAuthKey, addons);
 }
 
-async function mergeExternalWatchlist(externalItems: Record<string, unknown>[], profileKey?: string): Promise<number> {
+async function applyWatchlistMerge(merged: Record<string, unknown>[], before: Record<string, unknown>[], profileKey?: string): Promise<void> {
+  if (merged.length <= before.length) return;
   const lib = await loadLibrary(profileKey);
-  const local = (lib.watchlist as Record<string, unknown>[] | undefined) ?? [];
-  const merged = await coreMergeExternalWatchlist(JSON.stringify(local), JSON.stringify(externalItems));
-  if (merged.length > local.length) {
-    lib.watchlist = merged;
-    await persistStatusListMerge(local, merged, 'watchlist', profileKey);
-    await saveLibrary(lib, profileKey);
-  }
-  return externalItems.length;
+  lib.watchlist = merged;
+  await persistStatusListMerge(before, merged, 'watchlist', profileKey);
+  await saveLibrary(lib, profileKey);
 }
 
-async function mergeExternalWatched(externalWatched: Record<string, boolean>, profileKey?: string): Promise<void> {
+async function applyWatchedMerge(merged: Record<string, boolean>, before: Record<string, boolean>, profileKey?: string): Promise<void> {
   const lib = await loadLibrary(profileKey);
-  const local = (lib.watched as Record<string, boolean> | undefined) ?? {};
-  const merged = await coreMergeExternalWatched(JSON.stringify(local), JSON.stringify(externalWatched));
   lib.watched = merged;
-  await persistWatchedMerge(local, merged, profileKey);
+  await persistWatchedMerge(before, merged, profileKey);
   await saveLibrary(lib, profileKey);
 }
 
@@ -115,25 +108,30 @@ export async function syncStremioNow(payload: Record<string, unknown>): Promise<
   if (wants('continueWatching') && !dryRun) await replaceExternalContinueWatching({ items, provider: 'stremio', profileKey });
 
   let watchlistCount = 0;
-  if (wants('watchlist')) {
-    try {
-      const watchlistItems = ((await coreStremioWatchlistToItems(libraryItems)) ?? []) as Record<string, unknown>[];
-      watchlistCount = watchlistItems.length;
-      if (!dryRun) {
-        await mergeExternalWatchlist(watchlistItems, profileKey);
-        await saveProviderLibrary('stremio', { watchlist: watchlistItems, watching: items, completed: [], dropped: [] }, profileKey);
-      }
-    } catch {}
-  }
-
   let watchedCount = 0;
-  if (wants('watched')) {
-    try {
-      const watchedIds = ((await coreStremioWatchedToIds(libraryItems)) ?? {}) as Record<string, boolean>;
-      watchedCount = Object.keys(watchedIds).length;
-      if (!dryRun) await mergeExternalWatched(watchedIds, profileKey);
-    } catch {}
-  }
+  try {
+    const watchlistItems = ((await coreStremioWatchlistToItems(libraryItems)) ?? []) as Record<string, unknown>[];
+    const watchedIds = ((await coreStremioWatchedToIds(libraryItems)) ?? {}) as Record<string, boolean>;
+
+    const localLib = await loadLibrary(profileKey);
+    const localWatchlist = (localLib.watchlist as Record<string, unknown>[] | undefined) ?? [];
+    const localWatched = (localLib.watched as Record<string, unknown> | undefined) ?? {};
+    const applyPlan = await coreImportApplyPlan({
+      localWatchlist,
+      externalWatchlist: watchlistItems,
+      localWatched,
+      externalWatched: watchedIds,
+      categories,
+      dryRun,
+    });
+    watchlistCount = applyPlan.watchlistCount;
+    watchedCount = applyPlan.watchedCount;
+    if (applyPlan.watchlist != null) {
+      await applyWatchlistMerge(applyPlan.watchlist, localWatchlist, profileKey);
+      await saveProviderLibrary('stremio', { watchlist: watchlistItems, watching: items, completed: [], dropped: [] }, profileKey);
+    }
+    if (applyPlan.watched != null) await applyWatchedMerge(applyPlan.watched, localWatched as Record<string, boolean>, profileKey);
+  } catch {}
 
   let addonCount = 0;
   if (wants('addons')) {
diff --git a/src/core/traktExternalSync.ts b/src/core/traktExternalSync.ts
index 655d999..fe6f894 100644
--- a/src/core/traktExternalSync.ts
+++ b/src/core/traktExternalSync.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 import {
   coreBuildTraktIds,
+  coreImportApplyPlan,
   coreInvoke,
-  coreMergeExternalWatched,
-  coreMergeExternalWatchlist,
   coreTraktActivityDiff,
   coreTraktMarkWatchedBody,
   coreTraktPlaybackItemsDedup,
@@ -51,24 +50,18 @@ async function fetchAllPages(url: string, headers: HeadersInit, limit: number):
   return plan?.items ?? [];
 }
 
-async function mergeExternalWatchlist(externalItems: Record<string, unknown>[], profileKey?: string): Promise<void> {
+async function applyWatchlistMerge(merged: Record<string, unknown>[], before: Record<string, unknown>[], profileKey?: string): Promise<void> {
+  if (merged.length <= before.length) return;
   const lib = await loadLibrary(profileKey);
-  const local = (lib.watchlist as Record<string, unknown>[] | undefined) ?? [];
-  const mergedJson = await coreMergeExternalWatchlist(JSON.stringify(local), JSON.stringify(externalItems));
-  const mergedList = mergedJson as Record<string, unknown>[];
-  if (mergedList.length > local.length) {
-    lib.watchlist = mergedList;
-    await persistStatusListMerge(local, mergedList, 'watchlist', profileKey);
-    await saveLibrary(lib, profileKey);
-  }
+  lib.watchlist = merged;
+  await persistStatusListMerge(before, merged, 'watchlist', profileKey);
+  await saveLibrary(lib, profileKey);
 }
 
-async function mergeExternalWatched(externalWatched: Record<string, boolean>, profileKey?: string): Promise<void> {
+async function applyWatchedMerge(merged: Record<string, boolean>, before: Record<string, boolean>, profileKey?: string): Promise<void> {
   const lib = await loadLibrary(profileKey);
-  const local = (lib.watched as Record<string, boolean> | undefined) ?? {};
-  const merged = await coreMergeExternalWatched(JSON.stringify(local), JSON.stringify(externalWatched));
   lib.watched = merged;
-  await persistWatchedMerge(local, merged, profileKey);
+  await persistWatchedMerge(before, merged, profileKey);
   await saveLibrary(lib, profileKey);
 }
 
@@ -154,14 +147,25 @@ export async function syncTraktNow(payload: Record<string, unknown>): Promise<un
     items = await enrichWithAddonMeta(rawItems);
 
     const watchlistItems = ((await coreTraktWatchlistToItems(JSON.stringify(watchlistMovies), JSON.stringify(watchlistShows))) ?? []) as Record<string, unknown>[];
-    watchlistCount = watchlistItems.length;
-    if (wants('watchlist') && !dryRun) await mergeExternalWatchlist(watchlistItems, profileKey);
+    const watchedIds = ((await coreTraktWatchedToIds(JSON.stringify(watchedMovies), JSON.stringify(watchedShows))) ?? {}) as Record<string, boolean>;
 
     if (!dryRun) await saveProviderLibrary('trakt', { watchlist: watchlistItems, watching: items, completed: [], dropped: [] }, profileKey);
 
-    const watchedIds = ((await coreTraktWatchedToIds(JSON.stringify(watchedMovies), JSON.stringify(watchedShows))) ?? {}) as Record<string, boolean>;
-    watchedCount = Object.keys(watchedIds).length;
-    if (wants('watched') && !dryRun) await mergeExternalWatched(watchedIds, profileKey);
+    const localLib = await loadLibrary(profileKey);
+    const localWatchlist = (localLib.watchlist as Record<string, unknown>[] | undefined) ?? [];
+    const localWatched = (localLib.watched as Record<string, unknown> | undefined) ?? {};
+    const applyPlan = await coreImportApplyPlan({
+      localWatchlist,
+      externalWatchlist: watchlistItems,
+      localWatched,
+      externalWatched: watchedIds,
+      categories,
+      dryRun,
+    });
+    watchlistCount = applyPlan.watchlistCount;
+    watchedCount = applyPlan.watchedCount;
+    if (applyPlan.watchlist != null) await applyWatchlistMerge(applyPlan.watchlist, localWatchlist, profileKey);
+    if (applyPlan.watched != null) await applyWatchedMerge(applyPlan.watched, localWatched as Record<string, boolean>, profileKey);
 
     if (activities) {
       await storageWrite(cacheKey, { activities, playbackItems, watchlistMovies, watchlistShows, watchedMovies, watchedShows } satisfies TraktDeltaCache);