diff --git a/server/controllers/ToolsController.js b/server/controllers/ToolsController.js
index 9f2014ec0..385310575 100644
--- a/server/controllers/ToolsController.js
+++ b/server/controllers/ToolsController.js
@@ -150,6 +150,29 @@ class ToolsController {
     res.sendStatus(200)
   }
 
+  /**
+   * POST: /api/tools/batch/update-metadata-files
+   * Start batch request to update all metadata files
+   *
+   * @this import('../routers/ApiRouter')
+   *
+   * @param {RequestWithUser} req
+   * @param {Response} res
+   */
+  async updateAllItemMetadata(req, res) {
+    if (!req.user.isAdminOrUp) {
+      Logger.warn(`Non-admin user "${req.user.username}" other than admin attempted to batch scan library items`)
+      return res.sendStatus(403)
+    }
+
+    const libraryItems = await Database.libraryItemModel.findAll()
+    for (const libraryItem of libraryItems) {
+      await libraryItem.saveMetadataFile()
+    }
+
+    res.sendStatus(200)
+  }
+
   /**
    *
    * @param {RequestWithUser} req
diff --git a/server/migrations/changelog.md b/server/migrations/changelog.md
index 0fcbe6754..4f826725d 100644
--- a/server/migrations/changelog.md
+++ b/server/migrations/changelog.md
@@ -16,3 +16,4 @@ Please add a record of every database migration that you create to this file. Th
 | v2.19.1        | v2.19.1-copy-title-to-library-items          | Copies title and titleIgnorePrefix to the libraryItems table, creates update triggers and indices             |
 | v2.19.4        | v2.19.4-improve-podcast-queries              | Adds numEpisodes to podcasts, adds podcastId to mediaProgresses, copies podcast title to libraryItems         |
 | v2.20.0        | v2.20.0-improve-author-sort-queries          | Adds AuthorNames(FirstLast\|LastFirst) to libraryItems to improve author sort queries                         |
+| v2.31.1        | v2.31.1-update-metadata-json-with-id         | Adds ids to the locally stored metadata.json to help file moves keep track of the items                       |
diff --git a/server/migrations/v2.31.1-update-metadata-json-with-id.js b/server/migrations/v2.31.1-update-metadata-json-with-id.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4e3ae780b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/migrations/v2.31.1-update-metadata-json-with-id.js
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+/**
+ * @typedef MigrationContext
+ * @property {import('sequelize').QueryInterface} queryInterface - a sequelize QueryInterface object.
+ * @property {import('../Logger')} logger - a Logger object.
+ *
+ * @typedef MigrationOptions
+ * @property {MigrationContext} context - an object containing the migration context.
+ */
+
+const migrationVersion = '2.31.1'
+const migrationName = `${migrationVersion}-update-metadata-json-with-id`
+const loggerPrefix = `[${migrationVersion} migration]`
+
+/**
+ * This upward migration creates a sessions table and apiKeys table.
+ *
+ * @param {MigrationOptions} options - an object containing the migration context.
+ * @returns {Promise<void>} - A promise that resolves when the migration is complete.
+ */
+async function up({ context: { logger } }) {
+  // Upwards migration script
+  logger.info(`${loggerPrefix} UPGRADE BEGIN: ${migrationName}`)
+  // Re-save all metadata json files, the id field will be added
+  const libraryItems = await Database.libraryItemModel.findAll()
+  for (const libraryItem of libraryItems) {
+    await libraryItem.saveMetadataFile()
+  }
+  logger.info(`${loggerPrefix} UPGRADE END: ${migrationName}`)
+}
+
+/**
+ * This downward migration script removes the sessions table and apiKeys table.
+ *
+ * @param {MigrationOptions} options - an object containing the migration context.
+ * @returns {Promise<void>} - A promise that resolves when the migration is complete.
+ */
+async function down({ context: { logger } }) {
+  // Downward migration script
+  logger.info(`${loggerPrefix} DOWNGRADE BEGIN: ${migrationName}`)
+  // Re-save all metadata json files, the id field will be removed
+  const libraryItems = await Database.libraryItemModel.findAll()
+  for (const libraryItem of libraryItems) {
+    await libraryItem.saveMetadataFile()
+  }
+  logger.info(`${loggerPrefix} DOWNGRADE END: ${migrationName}`)
+}
+
+module.exports = { up, down }
diff --git a/server/models/LibraryItem.js b/server/models/LibraryItem.js
index 16a521615..d2a22586a 100644
--- a/server/models/LibraryItem.js
+++ b/server/models/LibraryItem.js
@@ -574,6 +574,7 @@ class LibraryItem extends Model {
     let jsonObject = {}
     if (this.mediaType === 'book') {
       jsonObject = {
+        id: this.id,
         tags: mediaExpanded.tags || [],
         chapters: mediaExpanded.chapters?.map((c) => ({ ...c })) || [],
         title: mediaExpanded.title,
@@ -598,6 +599,7 @@ class LibraryItem extends Model {
       }
     } else {
       jsonObject = {
+        id: this.id,
         tags: mediaExpanded.tags || [],
         title: mediaExpanded.title,
         author: mediaExpanded.author,
@@ -647,7 +649,7 @@ class LibraryItem extends Model {
           }
         }
 
-        Logger.debug(`[LibraryItem] Saved metadata for "${this.media.title}" file to "${metadataFilePath}"`)
+        Logger.debug(`[LibraryItem] Saved metadata for "${mediaExpanded.title}" file to "${metadataFilePath}"`)
 
         return metadataLibraryFile
       })
diff --git a/server/routers/ApiRouter.js b/server/routers/ApiRouter.js
index db04bf5ec..2ddbcf424 100644
--- a/server/routers/ApiRouter.js
+++ b/server/routers/ApiRouter.js
@@ -298,6 +298,7 @@ class ApiRouter {
     this.router.delete('/tools/item/:id/encode-m4b', ToolsController.middleware.bind(this), ToolsController.cancelM4bEncode.bind(this))
     this.router.post('/tools/item/:id/embed-metadata', ToolsController.middleware.bind(this), ToolsController.embedAudioFileMetadata.bind(this))
     this.router.post('/tools/batch/embed-metadata', ToolsController.middleware.bind(this), ToolsController.batchEmbedMetadata.bind(this))
+    this.router.post('/tools/batch/update-metadata-files', ToolsController.middleware.bind(this), ToolsController.updateAllItemMetadata.bind(this))
 
     //
     // RSS Feed Routes (Admin and up)
diff --git a/server/scanner/BookScanner.js b/server/scanner/BookScanner.js
index a1e7ff507..7e639b474 100644
--- a/server/scanner/BookScanner.js
+++ b/server/scanner/BookScanner.js
@@ -821,6 +821,7 @@ class BookScanner {
     const metadataFilePath = Path.join(metadataPath, `metadata.${global.ServerSettings.metadataFileFormat}`)
 
     const jsonObject = {
+      id: libraryItem.id,
       tags: libraryItem.media.tags || [],
       chapters: libraryItem.media.chapters?.map((c) => ({ ...c })) || [],
       title: libraryItem.media.title,
diff --git a/server/scanner/LibraryScanner.js b/server/scanner/LibraryScanner.js
index 640c82d76..64c9aae96 100644
--- a/server/scanner/LibraryScanner.js
+++ b/server/scanner/LibraryScanner.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const LibraryItemScanner = require('./LibraryItemScanner')
 const LibraryScan = require('./LibraryScan')
 const LibraryItemScanData = require('./LibraryItemScanData')
 const Task = require('../objects/Task')
+const abmetadataGenerator = require('../utils/generators/abmetadataGenerator')
 
 class LibraryScanner {
   constructor() {
@@ -574,7 +575,7 @@ class LibraryScanner {
       let updatedLibraryItemDetails = {}
       if (!existingLibraryItem) {
         const isSingleMedia = isSingleMediaFile(fileUpdateGroup, itemDir)
-        existingLibraryItem = (await findLibraryItemByItemToItemInoMatch(library.id, fullPath)) || (await findLibraryItemByItemToFileInoMatch(library.id, fullPath, isSingleMedia)) || (await findLibraryItemByFileToItemInoMatch(library.id, fullPath, isSingleMedia, fileUpdateGroup[itemDir]))
+        existingLibraryItem = (await findLibraryItemByItemToItemInoMatch(library.id, fullPath)) || (await findLibraryItemByItemToFileInoMatch(library.id, fullPath, isSingleMedia)) || (await findLibraryItemByFileToItemInoMatch(library.id, fullPath, isSingleMedia, fileUpdateGroup[itemDir])) || (await findLibraryItemByItemToMetadata(fullPath, isSingleMedia))
         if (existingLibraryItem) {
           // Update library item paths for scan
           existingLibraryItem.path = fullPath
@@ -709,3 +710,23 @@ async function findLibraryItemByFileToItemInoMatch(libraryId, fullPath, isSingle
   if (existingLibraryItem) Logger.debug(`[LibraryScanner] Found library item with inode matching one of "${itemFileInos.join(',')}" at path "${existingLibraryItem.path}"`)
   return existingLibraryItem
 }
+
+async function findLibraryItemByItemToMetadata(fullPath, isSingleMedia) {
+  if (isSingleMedia) return null
+  const metadataText = await fileUtils.readTextFile(Path.join(fullPath, 'metadata.json'))
+  if (!metadataText) return null
+  const abMetadata = abmetadataGenerator.parseJson(metadataText) || {}
+  // check if metadata id exists in the database
+  const existingLibraryItem = await Database.libraryItemModel.getExpandedById(abMetadata.id)
+
+  if (existingLibraryItem) {
+    Logger.debug(`[LibraryScanner] Found library item with metadata id matching one of "${abMetadata.id}" at path "${existingLibraryItem.path}"`)
+
+    for (const { metadata } of existingLibraryItem.getLibraryFiles())
+      if (await fs.pathExists(metadata.path)) {
+        Logger.debug(`[LibraryScanner] Conflicting library files exist "${metadata.path}"`)
+        return null
+      }
+  }
+  return existingLibraryItem
+}
diff --git a/server/scanner/PodcastScanner.js b/server/scanner/PodcastScanner.js
index c9569c3ad..090ab9f77 100644
--- a/server/scanner/PodcastScanner.js
+++ b/server/scanner/PodcastScanner.js
@@ -421,6 +421,7 @@ class PodcastScanner {
     const metadataFilePath = Path.join(metadataPath, `metadata.${global.ServerSettings.metadataFileFormat}`)
 
     const jsonObject = {
+      id: libraryItem.id,
       tags: libraryItem.media.tags || [],
       title: libraryItem.media.title,
       author: libraryItem.media.author,