diff --git a/backend/src/services/puppeteer-preflight.ts b/backend/src/services/puppeteer-preflight.ts
index 506dabeb..b9c0aea2 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/puppeteer-preflight.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/puppeteer-preflight.ts
@@ -26,11 +26,34 @@ const TEST_PLATFORM_ID = '6405ef617056e8014d79101b';
 const FINGERPRINT_DEMO_URL = 'https://demo.fingerprint.com/';
 const AMIUNIQUE_URL = 'https://amiunique.org/fingerprint';
 
-// IP geolocation API - returns IP, timezone, lat/lng, city, region in one call
-const IP_API_URL = 'http://ip-api.com/json';
+// State fallback coordinates (used when IP lookup fails)
+const STATE_GEO: Record<string, { lat: number; lng: number; tz: string; city: string }> = {
+  'AK': { lat: 61.2181, lng: -149.9003, tz: 'America/Anchorage', city: 'Anchorage' },
+  'AZ': { lat: 33.4484, lng: -112.0740, tz: 'America/Phoenix', city: 'Phoenix' },
+  'CA': { lat: 34.0522, lng: -118.2437, tz: 'America/Los_Angeles', city: 'Los Angeles' },
+  'CO': { lat: 39.7392, lng: -104.9903, tz: 'America/Denver', city: 'Denver' },
+  'CT': { lat: 41.7658, lng: -72.6734, tz: 'America/New_York', city: 'Hartford' },
+  'FL': { lat: 25.7617, lng: -80.1918, tz: 'America/New_York', city: 'Miami' },
+  'IL': { lat: 41.8781, lng: -87.6298, tz: 'America/Chicago', city: 'Chicago' },
+  'MA': { lat: 42.3601, lng: -71.0589, tz: 'America/New_York', city: 'Boston' },
+  'MI': { lat: 42.3314, lng: -83.0458, tz: 'America/Detroit', city: 'Detroit' },
+  'NV': { lat: 36.1699, lng: -115.1398, tz: 'America/Los_Angeles', city: 'Las Vegas' },
+  'NJ': { lat: 40.7357, lng: -74.1724, tz: 'America/New_York', city: 'Newark' },
+  'NY': { lat: 40.7128, lng: -74.0060, tz: 'America/New_York', city: 'New York' },
+  'OH': { lat: 39.9612, lng: -82.9988, tz: 'America/New_York', city: 'Columbus' },
+  'OK': { lat: 35.4676, lng: -97.5164, tz: 'America/Chicago', city: 'Oklahoma City' },
+  'OR': { lat: 45.5152, lng: -122.6784, tz: 'America/Los_Angeles', city: 'Portland' },
+  'PA': { lat: 39.9526, lng: -75.1652, tz: 'America/New_York', city: 'Philadelphia' },
+  'WA': { lat: 47.6062, lng: -122.3321, tz: 'America/Los_Angeles', city: 'Seattle' },
+  'DEFAULT': { lat: 39.8283, lng: -98.5795, tz: 'America/Chicago', city: 'US Center' },
+};
+
+function getStateGeo(stateCode: string): { lat: number; lng: number; tz: string; city: string } {
+  return STATE_GEO[stateCode?.toUpperCase()] || STATE_GEO['DEFAULT'];
+}
 
 interface GeoData {
-  ip: string;
+  ip: string | null;
   timezone: string;
   city: string;
   region: string;
@@ -45,9 +68,33 @@ interface GeoData {
 async function getProxyGeoData(page: any): Promise<GeoData | null> {
   try {
     // Use browser to fetch - this goes through the proxy
+    // Try ipify first (simpler, more reliable)
     const geoData = await page.evaluate(async () => {
-      const response = await fetch('http://ip-api.com/json?fields=status,query,timezone,city,regionName,lat,lon');
-      return response.json();
+      try {
+        const response = await fetch('http://ip-api.com/json?fields=status,query,timezone,city,regionName,lat,lon', {
+          signal: AbortSignal.timeout(10000)
+        });
+        return response.json();
+      } catch {
+        // Fallback to ipapi.co (https)
+        try {
+          const response = await fetch('https://ipapi.co/json/', {
+            signal: AbortSignal.timeout(10000)
+          });
+          const data = await response.json();
+          return {
+            status: 'success',
+            query: data.ip,
+            timezone: data.timezone,
+            city: data.city,
+            regionName: data.region,
+            lat: data.latitude,
+            lon: data.longitude,
+          };
+        } catch {
+          return null;
+        }
+      }
     });
 
     if (geoData?.status === 'success') {
@@ -261,23 +308,44 @@ export async function runPuppeteerPreflight(
     };
 
     // =========================================================================
-    // STEP 1: Detect proxy IP and get actual geolocation
+    // STEP 1: Detect proxy IP and get actual geolocation (with state fallback)
     // =========================================================================
     console.log(`[PuppeteerPreflight] Detecting proxy IP and location...`);
-    const geoData = await getProxyGeoData(page);
+    let geoData = await getProxyGeoData(page);
+
+    // Fallback to state coords if IP lookup fails
+    if (!geoData && targetState) {
+      const stateGeo = getStateGeo(targetState);
+      geoData = {
+        ip: null,
+        timezone: stateGeo.tz,
+        city: stateGeo.city,
+        region: targetState,
+        lat: stateGeo.lat,
+        lng: stateGeo.lng,
+      };
+      console.log(`[PuppeteerPreflight] IP lookup failed, using state fallback: ${stateGeo.city}, ${targetState}`);
+    }
 
     if (!geoData) {
-      result.error = 'Failed to detect proxy IP/location';
-      console.log(`[PuppeteerPreflight] FAILED - ${result.error}`);
-      result.responseTimeMs = Date.now() - startTime;
-      return result;
+      // No IP data and no target state - use default
+      const defaultGeo = getStateGeo('DEFAULT');
+      geoData = {
+        ip: null,
+        timezone: defaultGeo.tz,
+        city: defaultGeo.city,
+        region: 'US',
+        lat: defaultGeo.lat,
+        lng: defaultGeo.lng,
+      };
+      console.log(`[PuppeteerPreflight] Using default US coords`);
     }
 
     result.proxyIp = geoData.ip;
     result.proxyConnected = true;
     result.detectedTimezone = geoData.timezone;
     result.detectedLocation = { city: geoData.city, region: geoData.region };
-    console.log(`[PuppeteerPreflight] Proxy IP: ${geoData.ip} - ${geoData.city}, ${geoData.region} (${geoData.timezone})`);
+    console.log(`[PuppeteerPreflight] Using: ${geoData.city}, ${geoData.region} (${geoData.timezone})${geoData.ip ? ` IP: ${geoData.ip}` : ' [fallback]'}`);
 
     // =========================================================================
     // STEP 2: Configure antidetect to match actual proxy location