diff --git a/src/background/index.js b/src/background/index.js
index 84dcd9b..798484f 100644
--- a/src/background/index.js
+++ b/src/background/index.js
@@ -17,6 +17,29 @@ browser.runtime.onMessage.addListener(async (msg, sender) => {
   }
 });
 
+async function collectFromTab(tabId) {
+  try {
+    // Try asking an existing content script first
+    const items = await browser.tabs.sendMessage(tabId, { type: 'collectLinks' });
+    return items || [];
+  } catch (err) {
+    // If there is no receiver yet, inject the content script and retry
+    const noReceiver = /Receiving end does not exist|Could not establish connection/i.test(String(err));
+    try {
+      if (noReceiver) {
+        try { await browser.tabs.executeScript(tabId, { file: 'src/content/collect.js' }); } catch (_) {}
+        const items = await browser.tabs.sendMessage(tabId, { type: 'collectLinks' });
+        return items || [];
+      }
+    } catch (err2) {
+      // Log and rethrow below
+      console.warn('collectFromTab retry failed:', err2);
+    }
+    console.warn('collectFromTab failed:', err);
+    throw err;
+  }
+}
+
 // Context menu to collect links on archive.org /download/* pages
 browser.runtime.onInstalled.addListener(() => {
   try {
@@ -34,7 +57,7 @@ browser.runtime.onInstalled.addListener(() => {
 browser.contextMenus.onClicked.addListener(async (info, tab) => {
   if (info.menuItemId !== 'aolg-collect' || !tab?.id) return;
   try {
-    const items = await browser.tabs.sendMessage(tab.id, { type: 'collectLinks' });
+    const items = await collectFromTab(tab.id);
     const count = (items || []).length;
     await browser.storage.local.set({
       lastCollected: { tabId: tab.id, url: tab.url, time: Date.now(), count },
@@ -42,7 +65,9 @@ browser.contextMenus.onClicked.addListener(async (info, tab) => {
     });
     try { await browser.browserAction.setBadgeBackgroundColor({ color: '#3b82f6' }); } catch (e) {}
     try { await browser.browserAction.setBadgeText({ text: count ? String(count) : '' }); } catch (e) {}
+    try { await browser.browserAction.setTitle({ title: count ? `Collected ${count} link(s)` : 'No links collected' }); } catch (e) {}
+    console.debug('Collected links from page:', { count });
   } catch (e) {
-    // Swallow errors; context menu is best-effort
+    console.warn('Context menu collection failed:', e);
   }
 });