diff --git a/src/main/github/client/list/count-work-items.ts b/src/main/github/client/list/count-work-items.ts
index c495615d016..570220586f9 100644
--- a/src/main/github/client/list/count-work-items.ts
+++ b/src/main/github/client/list/count-work-items.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ export async function countWorkItemsForQuery(
       }
     }
   }
+  if (repositoryRateLimitGuard(ownerRepo, 'search', ghOptions).blocked) {
+    return 0
+  }
   const { stdout } = await ghExecFileAsync(
     [
       'api',
diff --git a/src/main/github/work-item-search-fallback-environment.test.ts b/src/main/github/work-item-search-fallback-environment.test.ts
index 19910f151da..9f57048d9f6 100644
--- a/src/main/github/work-item-search-fallback-environment.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/github/work-item-search-fallback-environment.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,25 @@ import { listWorkItems } from './client/list/list-work-items'
 import { countWorkItems } from './client/list/count-work-items'
 import metadata from './__fixtures__/work-item-search-metadata.json'
 
+it('preserves the Search budget floor when the preferred count fails', async () => {
+  api.restSearches = 29
+  api.aliasErrorRepo = 'fixture/repo'
+
+  expect(await countWorkItems('fixture/repo', 'is:issue')).toBe(0)
+  expect(api.calls.some((call) => call.args.includes('graphql'))).toBe(true)
+  expect(api.calls.some((call) => call.args.some((arg) => arg.startsWith('search/issues?')))).toBe(
+    false
+  )
+  expect(api.restSearches).toBe(29)
+})
+
+it('still counts through GraphQL when the REST Search budget is below its floor', async () => {
+  api.restSearches = 29
+
+  expect(await countWorkItems('fixture/repo', 'is:issue')).toBe(120)
+  expect(api.restSearches).toBe(29)
+})
+
 it('keeps REST fallback on the credential captured for the failed preferred search', async () => {
   vi.stubEnv('GH_TOKEN', 'fixture-original-credential')
   api.aliasErrorRepo = 'fixture/repo'