diff --git a/src/main/rate-limits/service.test.ts b/src/main/rate-limits/service.test.ts
index 76bcc8672d6..9b9b60cbadf 100644
--- a/src/main/rate-limits/service.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/rate-limits/service.test.ts
@@ -247,6 +247,71 @@ describe('RateLimitService', () => {
     }
   })
 
+  it('re-attempts on focus within the debounce window after a failed deferred-startup fetch', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+    try {
+      // Why: post-update warm relaunch — the first fetch fails (Claude CLI/auth
+      // still restarting), then succeeds once the runtime is ready.
+      vi.mocked(fetchClaudeRateLimits)
+        .mockResolvedValueOnce(errorProvider('claude', 'auth restarting'))
+        .mockResolvedValueOnce(okProvider('claude', 12))
+      vi.mocked(fetchCodexRateLimits)
+        .mockResolvedValueOnce(errorProvider('codex', 'auth restarting'))
+        .mockResolvedValueOnce(okProvider('codex', 24))
+      vi.mocked(fetchGeminiRateLimits).mockResolvedValue(errorProvider('gemini', 'auth restarting'))
+      vi.mocked(fetchOpenCodeGoRateLimits).mockResolvedValue(
+        errorProvider('opencode-go', 'auth restarting')
+      )
+
+      const service = new RateLimitService()
+      const window = new FakeRateLimitWindow()
+      service.attach(asRateLimitWindow(window))
+      service.start({ fetchImmediately: false })
+
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(1000)
+      expect(fetchClaudeRateLimits).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+      expect(service.getState().claude?.status).toBe('error')
+
+      // Focus well within MIN_REFETCH_MS — must NOT be suppressed because the
+      // first fetch produced no successful read.
+      window.emit('focus')
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(0)
+
+      expect(fetchClaudeRateLimits).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+      expect(service.getState().claude?.status).toBe('ok')
+
+      service.stop()
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers()
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('still debounces a focus event within the window after a successful fetch', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+    try {
+      vi.mocked(fetchClaudeRateLimits).mockResolvedValue(okProvider('claude', 12))
+      vi.mocked(fetchCodexRateLimits).mockResolvedValue(okProvider('codex', 24))
+
+      const service = new RateLimitService()
+      const window = new FakeRateLimitWindow()
+      service.attach(asRateLimitWindow(window))
+      service.start({ fetchImmediately: false })
+
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(1000)
+      expect(fetchClaudeRateLimits).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+
+      // A focus within MIN_REFETCH_MS after a GOOD fetch must still no-op.
+      window.emit('focus')
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(0)
+
+      expect(fetchClaudeRateLimits).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+
+      service.stop()
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers()
+    }
+  })
+
   it('keeps recent stale data across repeated failures', async () => {
     const service = new RateLimitService()
     const internal = serviceInternals(service)
diff --git a/src/main/rate-limits/service.ts b/src/main/rate-limits/service.ts
index 822dfa37101..8407b90909b 100644
--- a/src/main/rate-limits/service.ts
+++ b/src/main/rate-limits/service.ts
@@ -95,7 +95,9 @@ export class RateLimitService {
   private pollInterval: number = DEFAULT_POLL_MS
   private timer: ReturnType<typeof setInterval> | null = null
   private deferredStartupRefreshTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null
-  private lastFetchAt = 0
+  // Why: auto-refresh debounce keys off the last SUCCESSFUL read, not the last
+  // attempt, so a failed post-update/relaunch fetch doesn't suppress recovery.
+  private lastSuccessfulFetchAt = 0
   private mainWindow: BrowserWindow | null = null
   private detachWindowListeners: (() => void) | null = null
   private isFetching = false
@@ -616,7 +618,10 @@ export class RateLimitService {
     // Why: startup intentionally skips the pre-paint fetch. The first visible
     // activation must still populate usage after update relaunches where the
     // timer can be focus-gated for a long time.
-    if (Date.now() - this.lastFetchAt < MIN_REFETCH_MS) {
+    // Why: debounce off the last successful read so a failed post-update/relaunch
+    // fetch doesn't suppress auto-recovery for MIN_REFETCH_MS — focus/show/restore
+    // and the deferred-startup retry can re-attempt immediately after a failure.
+    if (Date.now() - this.lastSuccessfulFetchAt < MIN_REFETCH_MS) {
       return
     }
     await this.fetchAll()
@@ -993,7 +998,16 @@ export class RateLimitService {
       kimi: this.applyStalePolicy(kimi, previousState.kimi)
     })
 
-    this.lastFetchAt = Date.now()
+    // Why: re-arm the debounce only when a provider actually returned fresh
+    // quota data. An unconfigured provider reports 'unavailable' (not an error),
+    // so a relaunch where the only configured provider errored out must not
+    // count as success, otherwise focus/show/restore recovery stays suppressed.
+    const cycleHadFreshData = [claude, codex, gemini, opencodeGo, kimi].some(
+      (result) => result.status === 'ok'
+    )
+    if (cycleHadFreshData) {
+      this.lastSuccessfulFetchAt = Date.now()
+    }
   }
 
   private async runFetchCodexOnlyCycle(): Promise<void> {
@@ -1039,7 +1053,10 @@ export class RateLimitService {
       codex: shouldApplyCodex ? this.applyStalePolicy(codex, previousState.codex) : this.state.codex
     })
 
-    this.lastFetchAt = Date.now()
+    // Why: a failed Codex read must not poison the success-debounce window.
+    if (codex.status === 'ok') {
+      this.lastSuccessfulFetchAt = Date.now()
+    }
   }
 
   private async runFetchClaudeOnlyCycle(): Promise<void> {
@@ -1082,7 +1099,10 @@ export class RateLimitService {
         : this.state.claude
     })
 
-    this.lastFetchAt = Date.now()
+    // Why: a failed Claude read must not poison the success-debounce window.
+    if (claude.status === 'ok') {
+      this.lastSuccessfulFetchAt = Date.now()
+    }
   }
 
   private applyStalePolicy(