diff --git a/lib/Epub/Epub.cpp b/lib/Epub/Epub.cpp
index cb0b1801..68255df4 100644
--- a/lib/Epub/Epub.cpp
+++ b/lib/Epub/Epub.cpp
@@ -7,11 +7,13 @@
 #include <PngToBmpConverter.h>
 #include <ZipFile.h>
 
+#include "CrossPointSettings.h"
 #include "Epub/parsers/ContainerParser.h"
 #include "Epub/parsers/ContentOpfParser.h"
 #include "Epub/parsers/TocNavParser.h"
 #include "Epub/parsers/TocNcxParser.h"
 
+
 bool Epub::findContentOpfFile(std::string* contentOpfFile) const {
   const auto containerPath = "META-INF/container.xml";
   size_t containerSize;
@@ -333,6 +335,7 @@ void Epub::parseCssFiles() const {
 // load in the meta data for the epub file
 bool Epub::load(const bool buildIfMissing, const bool skipLoadingCss) {
   LOG_DBG("EBP", "Loading ePub: %s", filepath.c_str());
+  tocReliabilityState = -1;
 
   // Initialize spine/TOC cache
   bookMetadataCache.reset(new BookMetadataCache(cachePath));
@@ -767,6 +770,18 @@ BookMetadataCache::TocEntry Epub::getTocItem(const int tocIndex) const {
     return {};
   }
 
+  if (SETTINGS.syntheticTocFallback && !hasReliableToc()) {
+    const int spineCount = bookMetadataCache->getSpineCount();
+    if (tocIndex < 0 || tocIndex >= spineCount) {
+      LOG_DBG("EBP", "getTocItem synthetic index:%d is out of range", tocIndex);
+      return {};
+    }
+
+    const auto spine = bookMetadataCache->getSpineEntry(tocIndex);
+    return BookMetadataCache::TocEntry("Section " + std::to_string(tocIndex + 1), spine.href, "", 1,
+                                       static_cast<int16_t>(tocIndex));
+  }
+
   if (tocIndex < 0 || tocIndex >= bookMetadataCache->getTocCount()) {
     LOG_DBG("EBP", "getTocItem index:%d is out of range", tocIndex);
     return {};
@@ -780,6 +795,10 @@ int Epub::getTocItemsCount() const {
     return 0;
   }
 
+  if (SETTINGS.syntheticTocFallback && !hasReliableToc()) {
+    return bookMetadataCache->getSpineCount();
+  }
+
   return bookMetadataCache->getTocCount();
 }
 
@@ -790,6 +809,14 @@ int Epub::getSpineIndexForTocIndex(const int tocIndex) const {
     return 0;
   }
 
+  if (SETTINGS.syntheticTocFallback && !hasReliableToc()) {
+    if (tocIndex < 0 || tocIndex >= bookMetadataCache->getSpineCount()) {
+      LOG_ERR("EBP", "getSpineIndexForTocIndex synthetic tocIndex %d out of range", tocIndex);
+      return 0;
+    }
+    return tocIndex;
+  }
+
   if (tocIndex < 0 || tocIndex >= bookMetadataCache->getTocCount()) {
     LOG_ERR("EBP", "getSpineIndexForTocIndex: tocIndex %d out of range", tocIndex);
     return 0;
@@ -804,7 +831,66 @@ int Epub::getSpineIndexForTocIndex(const int tocIndex) const {
   return spineIndex;
 }
 
-int Epub::getTocIndexForSpineIndex(const int spineIndex) const { return getSpineItem(spineIndex).tocIndex; }
+bool Epub::hasReliableToc() const {
+  if (tocReliabilityState != -1) {
+    return tocReliabilityState == 1;
+  }
+
+  if (!bookMetadataCache || !bookMetadataCache->isLoaded()) {
+    tocReliabilityState = 0;
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  const int spineCount = bookMetadataCache->getSpineCount();
+  const int tocCount = bookMetadataCache->getTocCount();
+
+  if (spineCount <= 0 || tocCount <= 0) {
+    tocReliabilityState = 0;
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  // If a larger book only exposes one TOC entry, treat TOC as unusable for chapter UX.
+  if (spineCount >= 8 && tocCount <= 1) {
+    tocReliabilityState = 0;
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  std::vector<bool> spineReferenced(static_cast<size_t>(spineCount), false);
+  int distinctSpinesReferenced = 0;
+  for (int i = 0; i < tocCount; i++) {
+    const auto toc = bookMetadataCache->getTocEntry(i);
+    if (toc.spineIndex >= 0 && toc.spineIndex < spineCount) {
+      const size_t idx = static_cast<size_t>(toc.spineIndex);
+      if (!spineReferenced[idx]) {
+        spineReferenced[idx] = true;
+        distinctSpinesReferenced++;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Require at least 25% spine coverage from TOC references.
+  const bool reliable = (distinctSpinesReferenced * 4 >= spineCount);
+  tocReliabilityState = reliable ? 1 : 0;
+  return reliable;
+}
+
+int Epub::getTocIndexForSpineIndex(const int spineIndex) const {
+  if (!bookMetadataCache || !bookMetadataCache->isLoaded()) {
+    LOG_ERR("EBP", "getTocIndexForSpineIndex called but cache not loaded");
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  if (spineIndex < 0 || spineIndex >= bookMetadataCache->getSpineCount()) {
+    LOG_ERR("EBP", "getTocIndexForSpineIndex: spineIndex %d out of range", spineIndex);
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  if (SETTINGS.syntheticTocFallback && !hasReliableToc()) {
+    return spineIndex;
+  }
+
+  return bookMetadataCache->getSpineEntry(spineIndex).tocIndex;
+}
 
 size_t Epub::getBookSize() const {
   if (!bookMetadataCache || !bookMetadataCache->isLoaded() || bookMetadataCache->getSpineCount() == 0) {
diff --git a/lib/Epub/Epub.h b/lib/Epub/Epub.h
index 9ffa8d37..943eaeb5 100644
--- a/lib/Epub/Epub.h
+++ b/lib/Epub/Epub.h
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ class Epub {
   std::unique_ptr<CssParser> cssParser;
   // CSS files
   std::vector<std::string> cssFiles;
+  // -1 unknown, 0 unreliable, 1 reliable
+  mutable int tocReliabilityState = -1;
 
   bool findContentOpfFile(std::string* contentOpfFile) const;
   bool parseContentOpf(BookMetadataCache::BookMetadata& bookMetadata);
@@ -66,6 +68,7 @@ class Epub {
   int getTocItemsCount() const;
   int getSpineIndexForTocIndex(int tocIndex) const;
   int getTocIndexForSpineIndex(int spineIndex) const;
+  bool hasReliableToc() const;
   size_t getCumulativeSpineItemSize(int spineIndex) const;
   int getSpineIndexForTextReference() const;
 
diff --git a/lib/I18n/translations/english.yaml b/lib/I18n/translations/english.yaml
index df91c1a1..3204b62e 100644
--- a/lib/I18n/translations/english.yaml
+++ b/lib/I18n/translations/english.yaml
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ STR_IMAGES: "Images"
 STR_IMAGES_DISPLAY: "Display"
 STR_IMAGES_PLACEHOLDER: "Placeholder"
 STR_IMAGES_SUPPRESS: "Suppress"
+STR_CREATE_FALLBACK_FOR_INVALID_TOC: "Create fallback for invalid TOC"
 STR_SHORT_PWR_BTN: "Short Power Button Click"
 STR_ORIENTATION: "Reading Orientation"
 STR_SIDE_BTN_LAYOUT: "Side Button Layout (reader)"
diff --git a/src/CrossPointSettings.h b/src/CrossPointSettings.h
index 9a0e298b..c3881589 100644
--- a/src/CrossPointSettings.h
+++ b/src/CrossPointSettings.h
@@ -199,6 +199,8 @@ class CrossPointSettings {
   uint8_t showHiddenFiles = 0;
   // Image rendering mode in EPUB reader
   uint8_t imageRendering = IMAGES_DISPLAY;
+  // Enable synthetic TOC fallback for malformed/sparse TOC books (1 = enabled, 0 = disabled)
+  uint8_t syntheticTocFallback = 1;
 
   ~CrossPointSettings() = default;
 
diff --git a/src/SettingsList.h b/src/SettingsList.h
index cdbee372..5c21bf23 100644
--- a/src/SettingsList.h
+++ b/src/SettingsList.h
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ inline const std::vector<SettingInfo>& getSettingsList() {
       SettingInfo::Enum(StrId::STR_IMAGES, &CrossPointSettings::imageRendering,
                         {StrId::STR_IMAGES_DISPLAY, StrId::STR_IMAGES_PLACEHOLDER, StrId::STR_IMAGES_SUPPRESS},
                         "imageRendering", StrId::STR_CAT_READER),
+      SettingInfo::Toggle(StrId::STR_CREATE_FALLBACK_FOR_INVALID_TOC, &CrossPointSettings::syntheticTocFallback,
+                          "syntheticTocFallback", StrId::STR_CAT_READER),
       // --- Controls ---
       SettingInfo::Enum(StrId::STR_SIDE_BTN_LAYOUT, &CrossPointSettings::sideButtonLayout,
                         {StrId::STR_PREV_NEXT, StrId::STR_NEXT_PREV}, "sideButtonLayout", StrId::STR_CAT_CONTROLS),