diff --git a/brozzler/worker.py b/brozzler/worker.py
index cf36210..4aad2a3 100644
--- a/brozzler/worker.py
+++ b/brozzler/worker.py
@@ -186,10 +186,10 @@ class BrozzlerWorker:
                      on_request=None, enable_youtube_dl=True):
         self.logger.info("brozzling {}".format(page))
         ydl_fetches = None
-        ydl_outlinks = []
+        outlinks = set()
         if enable_youtube_dl:
             try:
-                ydl_fetches, ydl_outlinks = ydl.do_youtube_dl(self, site, page)
+                ydl_fetches, outlinks = ydl.do_youtube_dl(self, site, page)
             except brozzler.ReachedLimit as e:
                 raise
             except brozzler.ShutdownRequested:
@@ -208,11 +208,11 @@ class BrozzlerWorker:
                             'youtube_dl raised exception on %s', page,
                             exc_info=True)
 
-        browser_outlinks = []
         if self._needs_browsing(page, ydl_fetches):
             self.logger.info('needs browsing: %s', page)
             browser_outlinks = self._browse_page(
                     browser, site, page, on_screenshot, on_request)
+            outlinks.update(browser_outlinks)
         else:
             if not self._already_fetched(page, ydl_fetches):
                 self.logger.info('needs fetch: %s', page)
@@ -220,10 +220,7 @@ class BrozzlerWorker:
             else:
                 self.logger.info('already fetched: %s', page)
 
-        outlinks = set()
-        outlinks.update(ydl_outlinks)
-        outlinks.update(browser_outlinks)
-        return list(outlinks)
+        return outlinks
 
     def _browse_page(self, browser, site, page, on_screenshot=None, on_request=None):
         def _on_screenshot(screenshot_png):
diff --git a/brozzler/ydl.py b/brozzler/ydl.py
index f1b57cb..4f9169c 100644
--- a/brozzler/ydl.py
+++ b/brozzler/ydl.py
@@ -379,10 +379,10 @@ def do_youtube_dl(worker, site, page):
     with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(prefix='brzl-ydl-') as tempdir:
         ydl = _build_youtube_dl(worker, tempdir, site)
         ie_result = _try_youtube_dl(worker, ydl, site, page)
-        outlinks = []
-        if ie_result['extractor'] == 'youtube:playlist':
+        outlinks = set()
+        if ie_result and ie_result.get('extractor') == 'youtube:playlist':
             # youtube watch pages as outlinks
-            outlinks = ['https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=%s' % e['id']
-                        for e in ie_result.get('entries_no_dl', [])]
+            outlinks = {'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=%s' % e['id']
+                        for e in ie_result.get('entries_no_dl', [])}
         # any outlinks for other cases?
         return ydl.fetch_spy.fetches, outlinks
diff --git a/tests/test_brozzling.py b/tests/test_brozzling.py
index 8c2c9c8..686c8f4 100644
--- a/tests/test_brozzling.py
+++ b/tests/test_brozzling.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 '''
 test_brozzling.py - XXX explain
 
-Copyright (C) 2016-2017 Internet Archive
+Copyright (C) 2016-2018 Internet Archive
 
 Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.