diff --git a/brozzler/cli.py b/brozzler/cli.py
index 60aee88..f3bfe5e 100755
--- a/brozzler/cli.py
+++ b/brozzler/cli.py
@@ -545,10 +545,12 @@ def brozzler_worker(argv=None):
             signal.signal(signal.SIGQUIT, dump_state)
 
     def get_skip_av_seeds():
+        # TODO: develop UI and refactor
         SKIP_AV_SEEDS_FILE = "/opt/local/brozzler/skip_av_seeds.txt"
         try:
-            with open(skip_av_seeds_file) as skips:
-                skip_av_seeds = set(skips.readlines())
+            # make set from seed IDs in SKIP_AV_SEEDS_FILE
+            with open(SKIP_AV_SEEDS_FILE) as skips:
+                skip_av_seeds = {int(l) for l in skips.readlines()}
                 logging.info("running with skip_av_seeds file %s" % SKIP_AV_SEEDS_FILE)
         except Exception as e:
             skip_av_seeds = set()
@@ -562,7 +564,7 @@ def brozzler_worker(argv=None):
     worker = brozzler.worker.BrozzlerWorker(
         frontier,
         service_registry,
-        skip_av_seeds,
+        skip_av_seeds=skip_av_seeds,
         max_browsers=int(args.max_browsers),
         chrome_exe=args.chrome_exe,
         proxy=args.proxy,
diff --git a/brozzler/worker.py b/brozzler/worker.py
index 738107a..2b7f9fa 100644
--- a/brozzler/worker.py
+++ b/brozzler/worker.py
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ class BrozzlerWorker:
             except brozzler.PageInterstitialShown:
                 self.logger.info("page interstitial shown (http auth): %s", page)
 
-            if enable_youtube_dl and ydl.should_ytdlp(self, site, page):
+            if enable_youtube_dl and ydl.should_ytdlp(site, page, self.skip_av_seeds):
                 try:
                     ydl_outlinks = ydl.do_youtube_dl(self, site, page)
                     outlinks.update(ydl_outlinks)
diff --git a/brozzler/ydl.py b/brozzler/ydl.py
index a58fa98..4d53cb1 100644
--- a/brozzler/ydl.py
+++ b/brozzler/ydl.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import threading
 thread_local = threading.local()
 
 
-def should_ytdlp(worker, site, page):
+def should_ytdlp(site, page, skip_av_seeds):
     # called only after we've passed needs_browsing() check
     if page.status_code != 200:
         logging.info("skipping ytdlp: non-200 page status")
@@ -41,22 +41,23 @@ def should_ytdlp(worker, site, page):
         logging.info("skipping ytdlp: site marked skip_ytdlp")
         return False
 
+    ytdlp_url = page.redirect_url if page.redirect_url else page.url
+
+    if "chrome-error:" in ytdlp_url:
+        return False
+
     ytdlp_seed = (
         site["metadata"]["ait_seed_id"]
         if "metadata" in site and "ait_seed_id" in site["metadata"]
         else None
     )
 
-    if ytdlp_seed and ytdlp_seed in worker.skip_av_seeds:
+    # TODO: develop UI and refactor
+    if ytdlp_seed and ytdlp_seed in skip_av_seeds:
         logging.info("skipping ytdlp: site in skip_av_seeds")
         site.skip_ytdlp = True
         return False
 
-    ytdlp_url = page.redirect_url if page.redirect_url else page.url
-
-    if "chrome-error:" in ytdlp_url:
-        return False
-
     return True