diff --git a/internal/ai/patrol_run.go b/internal/ai/patrol_run.go
index 4280a5e02..38477446c 100644
--- a/internal/ai/patrol_run.go
+++ b/internal/ai/patrol_run.go
@@ -263,6 +263,26 @@ func shouldSkipInitialFullPatrol(runHistory []PatrolRunRecord, now time.Time) bo
 	return false
 }
 
+// LastSuccessfulFullPatrolAt returns the completion time of the most recent
+// full patrol run that finished without errors, or the zero time when none
+// exists. The manual-run cadence gate uses this rather than lastFullPatrol so
+// a failed run does not consume the Community hourly slot.
+func (p *PatrolService) LastSuccessfulFullPatrolAt() time.Time {
+	if p == nil || p.runHistoryStore == nil {
+		return time.Time{}
+	}
+	var last time.Time
+	for _, run := range p.runHistoryStore.GetAll() {
+		if run.CompletedAt.IsZero() || !isSuccessfulFullPatrolRun(run) {
+			continue
+		}
+		if run.CompletedAt.After(last) {
+			last = run.CompletedAt
+		}
+	}
+	return last
+}
+
 func patrolRecencyFromHistory(runHistory []PatrolRunRecord) (time.Time, time.Time) {
 	var lastActivity time.Time
 	var lastFullPatrol time.Time
diff --git a/internal/api/ai_handlers.go b/internal/api/ai_handlers.go
index 2f7e2777b..3d01a12d8 100644
--- a/internal/api/ai_handlers.go
+++ b/internal/api/ai_handlers.go
@@ -5925,10 +5925,13 @@ func (h *AISettingsHandler) HandleForcePatrol(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Req
 	}
 
 	// Cadence cap: Community tier is limited to 1 patrol run per hour.
-	// Patrol itself is free (ai_patrol), but higher cadence is gated behind Pro/Cloud.
+	// Patrol itself is free (ai_patrol), but higher cadence is gated behind
+	// Pro/Cloud. Only successful runs consume the hourly slot: a failed run
+	// delivered no coverage, and counting it turns every configuration or
+	// provider problem into an hour-long retest loop.
 	if !aiService.HasLicenseFeature(featureAIAutoFixValue) {
-		if last := patrol.GetStatus().LastPatrolAt; last != nil {
-			if since := time.Since(*last); since < 1*time.Hour {
+		if last := patrol.LastSuccessfulFullPatrolAt(); !last.IsZero() {
+			if since := time.Since(last); since < 1*time.Hour {
 				remaining := (1*time.Hour - since).Round(time.Minute)
 				writeErrorResponse(w, http.StatusTooManyRequests, "patrol_rate_limited",
 					fmt.Sprintf("Community tier is limited to 1 patrol run per hour. Try again in %s.", remaining), nil)
diff --git a/internal/api/ai_handlers_patrol_actions_additional_test.go b/internal/api/ai_handlers_patrol_actions_additional_test.go
index 01917ca1e..66b34277a 100644
--- a/internal/api/ai_handlers_patrol_actions_additional_test.go
+++ b/internal/api/ai_handlers_patrol_actions_additional_test.go
@@ -1062,6 +1062,37 @@ func TestHandleForcePatrol_CommunityTierIgnoresRecentScopedActivityForFullPatrol
 	}
 }
 
+func TestHandleForcePatrol_CommunityTierFailedRunDoesNotConsumeHourlySlot(t *testing.T) {
+	handler, patrol, _, _ := setupAIHandlerWithPatrol(t)
+	seedReadyAnthropicPatrolRuntime(t, handler)
+	handler.defaultAIService.SetLicenseChecker(communityLicenseChecker{})
+
+	// A recent full run that FAILED must not consume the Community hourly
+	// slot: retesting a broken provider or configuration would otherwise cost
+	// an hour per attempt (discussion #1571).
+	failedHistory := ai.NewPatrolRunHistoryStore(ai.MaxPatrolRunHistory)
+	failedHistory.Add(ai.PatrolRunRecord{
+		ID:          "run-recent-failure",
+		Type:        "patrol",
+		CompletedAt: time.Now().Add(-10 * time.Minute),
+		Status:      "error",
+		ErrorCount:  1,
+	})
+	setUnexportedField(t, patrol, "runHistoryStore", failedHistory)
+	setUnexportedField(t, patrol, "lastFullPatrol", time.Now().Add(-10*time.Minute))
+
+	req := newLoopbackRequest(http.MethodPost, "/api/ai/patrol/run", nil)
+	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	handler.HandleForcePatrol(rec, req)
+
+	if rec.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("status = %d, want 200: %s", rec.Code, rec.Body.String())
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(rec.Body.String(), "patrol_rate_limited") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected failed run to leave the hourly slot free, got %s", rec.Body.String())
+	}
+}
+
 func TestBuildManualScopedPatrolScope(t *testing.T) {
 	cases := []struct {
 		name   string
@@ -1136,8 +1167,16 @@ func TestHandleForcePatrol_ScopedRequestBypassesFullRunCadenceGate(t *testing.T)
 	}})
 	handler.defaultAIService.SetLicenseChecker(communityLicenseChecker{})
 
-	// A recent full patrol puts Community tier inside the 1/hour full-run gate,
-	// so a fleet-wide request would be rate-limited.
+	// A recent successful full patrol puts Community tier inside the 1/hour
+	// full-run gate, so a fleet-wide request would be rate-limited.
+	recentHistory := ai.NewPatrolRunHistoryStore(ai.MaxPatrolRunHistory)
+	recentHistory.Add(ai.PatrolRunRecord{
+		ID:          "run-recent-success",
+		Type:        "patrol",
+		CompletedAt: time.Now().Add(-10 * time.Minute),
+		Status:      "healthy",
+	})
+	setUnexportedField(t, patrol, "runHistoryStore", recentHistory)
 	setUnexportedField(t, patrol, "lastFullPatrol", time.Now().Add(-10*time.Minute))
 
 	// Scoped request: must succeed despite the full-run cadence window.