diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 5d4bd61..47eea8c 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ RUN npm config set strict-ssl false && \
   npm install pm2 -g && \
   npm install && chown -R $UID:$GID ./
 
+# needed for ubuntu, see #596
 RUN ln -s /usr/bin/python3 /usr/bin/python
 
 COPY --chown=$UID:$GID --from=frontend [ "/build/backend/public/", "/app/public/" ]
diff --git a/backend/app.js b/backend/app.js
index 2ec7f98..af6089a 100644
--- a/backend/app.js
+++ b/backend/app.js
@@ -249,14 +249,6 @@ async function startServer() {
     });
 }
 
-async function restartServer(is_update = false) {
-    logger.info(`${is_update ? 'Update complete! ' : ''}Restarting server...`);
-
-    // the following line restarts the server through nodemon
-    fs.writeFileSync(`restart${is_update ? '_update' : '_general'}.json`, 'internal use only');
-    process.exit(1);
-}
-
 async function updateServer(tag) {
     // no tag provided means update to the latest version
     if (!tag) {
@@ -297,7 +289,7 @@ async function updateServer(tag) {
             updating: true,
             'details': 'Update complete! Restarting server...'
         }
-        restartServer(true);
+        utils.restartServer(true);
     }, err => {
         logger.error(err);
         updaterStatus = {
@@ -676,6 +668,7 @@ async function getUrlInfos(url) {
 
 async function startYoutubeDL() {
     // auto update youtube-dl
+    youtubedl_api.verifyBinaryExistsLinux();
     const update_available = await youtubedl_api.checkForYoutubeDLUpdate();
     if (update_available) await youtubedl_api.updateYoutubeDL(update_available);
 }
@@ -764,7 +757,7 @@ app.get('/api/versionInfo', (req, res) => {
 
 app.post('/api/restartServer', optionalJwt, (req, res) => {
     // delayed by a little bit so that the client gets a response
-    setTimeout(() => {restartServer()}, 100);
+    setTimeout(() => {utils.restartServer()}, 100);
     res.send({success: true});
 });
 
@@ -1802,6 +1795,7 @@ app.post('/api/updateTaskData', optionalJwt, async (req, res) => {
 
 app.post('/api/getDBBackups', optionalJwt, async (req, res) => {
     const backup_dir = path.join('appdata', 'db_backup');
+    fs.ensureDirSync(backup_dir);
     const db_backups = [];
 
     const candidate_backups = await utils.recFindByExt(backup_dir, 'bak', null, [], false);
diff --git a/backend/utils.js b/backend/utils.js
index a6eaf7e..4aeb4a9 100644
--- a/backend/utils.js
+++ b/backend/utils.js
@@ -415,6 +415,14 @@ async function fetchFile(url, path, file_label) {
     });
 }
 
+async function restartServer(is_update = false) {
+    logger.info(`${is_update ? 'Update complete! ' : ''}Restarting server...`);
+
+    // the following line restarts the server through nodemon
+    fs.writeFileSync(`restart${is_update ? '_update' : '_general'}.json`, 'internal use only');
+    process.exit(1);
+}
+
 // objects
 
 function File(id, title, thumbnailURL, isAudio, duration, url, uploader, size, path, upload_date, description, view_count, height, abr) {
@@ -458,5 +466,6 @@ module.exports = {
     wait: wait,
     checkExistsWithTimeout: checkExistsWithTimeout,
     fetchFile: fetchFile,
+    restartServer: restartServer,
     File: File
 }
diff --git a/backend/youtube-dl.js b/backend/youtube-dl.js
index 80432fb..a94e566 100644
--- a/backend/youtube-dl.js
+++ b/backend/youtube-dl.js
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ const utils = require('./utils');
 const CONSTS = require('./consts');
 const config_api = require('./config.js');
 
+const OUTDATED_VERSION = "2020.00.00";
+
 const is_windows = process.platform === 'win32';
 
 const download_sources = {
@@ -31,7 +33,7 @@ exports.checkForYoutubeDLUpdate = async () => {
         let current_app_details_exists = fs.existsSync(CONSTS.DETAILS_BIN_PATH);
         if (!current_app_details_exists) {
             logger.warn(`Failed to get youtube-dl binary details at location '${CONSTS.DETAILS_BIN_PATH}'. Generating file...`);
-            fs.writeJSONSync(CONSTS.DETAILS_BIN_PATH, {"version":"2020.00.00", "downloader": default_downloader});
+            fs.writeJSONSync(CONSTS.DETAILS_BIN_PATH, {"version": OUTDATED_VERSION, "downloader": default_downloader});
         }
         let current_app_details = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(CONSTS.DETAILS_BIN_PATH));
         let current_version = current_app_details['version'];
@@ -86,6 +88,18 @@ exports.updateYoutubeDL = async (latest_update_version) => {
     await download_sources[default_downloader]['func'](latest_update_version);
 }
 
+exports.verifyBinaryExistsLinux = () => {
+    const details_json = fs.readJSONSync(CONSTS.DETAILS_BIN_PATH);
+    if (!is_windows && details_json && details_json['path'].includes('.exe')) {
+        details_json['path'] = 'node_modules/youtube-dl/bin/youtube-dl';
+        details_json['exec'] = 'youtube-dl';
+        details_json['version'] = OUTDATED_VERSION;
+        fs.writeJSONSync(CONSTS.DETAILS_BIN_PATH, details_json);
+
+        utils.restartServer();
+    }
+}
+
 async function downloadLatestYoutubeDLBinary(new_version) {
     const file_ext = is_windows ? '.exe' : '';