diff --git a/src/main/linux-lid-sleep-assertion.test.ts b/src/main/linux-lid-sleep-assertion.test.ts
index 2c2db3d4382..9c42f3630e6 100644
--- a/src/main/linux-lid-sleep-assertion.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/linux-lid-sleep-assertion.test.ts
@@ -315,26 +315,103 @@ describe('LinuxLidSleepAssertion', () => {
     vi.useRealTimers()
   })
 
-  it('logs repeated identical failures at debug until reset', () => {
-    const logger = createLogger()
-    const spawn = vi.fn(() => {
-      throw new Error('dbus unavailable')
-    })
-    let now = 1_000
-    const assertion = new LinuxLidSleepAssertion({
-      logger,
-      now: () => now,
-      platform: 'linux',
-      spawn
+  describe('when systemd-inhibit starts but exits immediately (no usable logind)', () => {
+    function createRetryingAssertion() {
+      const logger = createLogger()
+      const children: FakeSystemdInhibitProcess[] = []
+      const spawnTimes: number[] = []
+      const spawn = vi.fn(() => {
+        const child = new FakeSystemdInhibitProcess()
+        children.push(child)
+        spawnTimes.push(Date.now())
+        return child
+      })
+      const assertion: LinuxLidSleepAssertion = new LinuxLidSleepAssertion({
+        logger,
+        now: () => Date.now(),
+        // Mirrors AgentAwakeService: every failure or retry tick re-runs start().
+        onUnexpectedFailure: (reason) => assertion.start(reason),
+        platform: 'linux',
+        spawn
+      })
+      const failLatestChild = (): void => {
+        const child = children.at(-1)
+        child?.emit('exit', 1, null)
+        child?.emit('close', 1, null)
+      }
+      const spawnGaps = (): number[] =>
+        spawnTimes.slice(1).map((time, index) => time - spawnTimes[index])
+      return { assertion, failLatestChild, logger, spawn, spawnGaps }
+    }
+
+    it('warns once while it keeps retrying every interval', () => {
+      vi.useFakeTimers()
+      try {
+        const { assertion, failLatestChild, logger, spawnGaps } = createRetryingAssertion()
+
+        assertion.start('status-change')
+        for (let attempt = 0; attempt < 8; attempt++) {
+          failLatestChild()
+          vi.advanceTimersToNextTimer()
+        }
+
+        expect(spawnGaps()).toEqual(Array(8).fill(LINUX_LID_SLEEP_ASSERTION_RETRY_MS))
+        expect(logger.warn).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+        expect(logger.debug).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(7)
+        assertion.dispose()
+      } finally {
+        vi.useRealTimers()
+      }
     })
 
-    assertion.start('status-change')
-    now += LINUX_LID_SLEEP_ASSERTION_RETRY_MS + 1
-    assertion.start('power-resume')
-    assertion.stop('settings-change')
-    assertion.start('status-change')
+    it('stays quiet across idle/active cycles until an inhibitor is held', () => {
+      vi.useFakeTimers()
+      try {
+        const { assertion, failLatestChild, logger, spawn } = createRetryingAssertion()
 
-    expect(logger.warn).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
-    expect(logger.debug).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+        assertion.start('status-change')
+        for (let attempt = 0; attempt < 4; attempt++) {
+          failLatestChild()
+          vi.advanceTimersToNextTimer()
+        }
+        assertion.stop('status-change')
+        assertion.start('status-change')
+        failLatestChild()
+
+        expect(spawn).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(6)
+        expect(logger.warn).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+
+        vi.advanceTimersToNextTimer()
+        vi.advanceTimersByTime(LINUX_LID_SLEEP_ASSERTION_RETRY_MS)
+        assertion.stop('status-change')
+        assertion.start('status-change')
+        failLatestChild()
+
+        expect(logger.warn).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+        assertion.dispose()
+      } finally {
+        vi.useRealTimers()
+      }
+    })
+
+    it('treats an inhibitor that held for a full retry interval as recovered', () => {
+      vi.useFakeTimers()
+      try {
+        const { assertion, failLatestChild, logger } = createRetryingAssertion()
+
+        assertion.start('status-change')
+        for (let attempt = 0; attempt < 4; attempt++) {
+          failLatestChild()
+          vi.advanceTimersToNextTimer()
+        }
+        vi.advanceTimersByTime(LINUX_LID_SLEEP_ASSERTION_RETRY_MS)
+        failLatestChild()
+
+        expect(logger.warn).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+        assertion.dispose()
+      } finally {
+        vi.useRealTimers()
+      }
+    })
   })
 })
diff --git a/src/main/linux-lid-sleep-assertion.ts b/src/main/linux-lid-sleep-assertion.ts
index 0fe3312e0c0..9fcd243b2a4 100644
--- a/src/main/linux-lid-sleep-assertion.ts
+++ b/src/main/linux-lid-sleep-assertion.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ export class LinuxLidSleepAssertion {
   private readonly platform: NodeJS.Platform
   private readonly spawn: SystemdInhibitSpawn
   private child: SystemdInhibitProcess | null = null
+  private childStartedAt: number | null = null
   private retryNotBefore: number | null = null
   private retryTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null
   private systemdInhibitUnavailable = false
@@ -94,6 +95,7 @@ export class LinuxLidSleepAssertion {
     }
 
     this.child = child
+    this.childStartedAt = this.now()
     const onError: SystemdInhibitErrorListener = (error) => {
       this.handleChildFailure(
         child,
@@ -119,18 +121,19 @@ export class LinuxLidSleepAssertion {
     child.on('exit', onExit)
     child.on('close', onClose)
     child.stdin?.on('error', onError)
+    // Not a held lock yet: systemd-inhibit can still exit 1 right after spawning.
     this.resetRetrySuppression()
-    this.resetFailureStreak()
   }
 
   stop(_reason: string): void {
     this.resetRetrySuppression()
-    this.resetFailureStreak()
     if (!this.child) {
       return
     }
     const child = this.child
+    this.resetFailureStreakIfHeld()
     this.child = null
+    this.childStartedAt = null
     // Pipe and child errors can arrive after stop; close ends both event sources.
     this.intentionalStops.add(child)
     try {
@@ -166,7 +169,9 @@ export class LinuxLidSleepAssertion {
     }
     this.reportedFailures.add(child)
     if (this.child === child) {
+      this.resetFailureStreakIfHeld()
       this.child = null
+      this.childStartedAt = null
     }
     this.handleFailure(failureKey, startReason, details, failureType)
   }
@@ -218,9 +223,15 @@ export class LinuxLidSleepAssertion {
     this.logger.warn('[agent-awake] Linux lid sleep assertion failed', payload)
   }
 
-  private resetFailureStreak(): void {
-    this.lastFailureKey = null
-    this.warnedForLastFailure = false
+  // Only a lock held for a retry interval ends the streak; idle/active cycles keep it.
+  private resetFailureStreakIfHeld(): void {
+    if (
+      this.childStartedAt !== null &&
+      this.now() - this.childStartedAt >= LINUX_LID_SLEEP_ASSERTION_RETRY_MS
+    ) {
+      this.lastFailureKey = null
+      this.warnedForLastFailure = false
+    }
   }
 
   private scheduleRetry(): void {