diff --git a/tests/test_naming.py b/tests/test_naming.py
index 551bbde..64e2a0f 100644
--- a/tests/test_naming.py
+++ b/tests/test_naming.py
@@ -31,3 +31,16 @@ def test_comic_template():
 def test_first_author_only():
     r = req(title="X", authors="Alice A, Bob B")
     assert render_template("{Author}", r) == "Alice A"
+
+
+def test_empty_series_level_is_dropped():
+    r = req(title="Der Ickabog", authors="J.K. Rowling")
+    assert render_template("{Author}/{Series}/{Title} ({Narrator})", r) == "J.K. Rowling/Der Ickabog"
+
+
+def test_series_level_kept_when_set():
+    r = req(title="Harry Potter und der Feuerkelch", authors="J.K. Rowling",
+            series="Harry Potter")
+    r.narrator = "Rufus Beck"
+    assert render_template("{Author}/{Series}/{Title} ({Narrator})", r) == \
+        "J.K. Rowling/Harry Potter/Harry Potter und der Feuerkelch (Rufus Beck)"
diff --git a/wordarr/naming.py b/wordarr/naming.py
index cc201a9..8a66786 100644
--- a/wordarr/naming.py
+++ b/wordarr/naming.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ def render_template(template: str, request) -> str:
         "Title": request.title or "Unknown Title",
         "Year": str(request.year) if request.year else "",
         "Narrator": getattr(request, "narrator", "") or "",
-        "Series": request.series or request.title or "Unknown Series",
+        "Series": request.series or "",
         "Volume": f"{request.volume:02d}" if request.volume is not None else "",
     }
     segments = []
@@ -28,5 +28,7 @@ def render_template(template: str, request) -> str:
         # drop empty parenthesized/dangling bits from missing values, e.g. "Title ()"
         seg = re.sub(r"\(\s*\)", "", seg)
         seg = re.sub(r"(-|–)\s*$", "", seg).strip()
+        if not seg:
+            continue  # drop path levels that are empty (e.g. {Series} without a series)
         segments.append(sanitize(seg))
-    return "/".join(segments)
+    return "/".join(segments) or "Unknown"