diff --git a/src/claude_statusbar/scoped_usage.py b/src/claude_statusbar/scoped_usage.py
index 93baa8b..71235d7 100644
--- a/src/claude_statusbar/scoped_usage.py
+++ b/src/claude_statusbar/scoped_usage.py
@@ -69,10 +69,13 @@ def refresh(account):
             if 0 <= time.time() - old['ts'] < 300:
                 return
         except (OSError, ValueError, KeyError, TypeError):
-            pass
+            old = {}
         if account_id() != account:
             return
-        limits = []
+        # A failed fetch keeps the last good limits (still bounded by ok_ts in
+        # cached_limits) instead of blanking the segment until the next retry.
+        limits = old.get('limits', [])
+        ok_ts = old.get('ok_ts', old.get('ts'))
         try:
             token = _token()
             if not isinstance(token, str) or not token:
@@ -86,10 +89,11 @@ def redirect_request(self, *args, **kwargs):
                 'anthropic-beta': 'oauth-2025-04-20'})
             with build_opener(NoRedirect).open(req, timeout=3) as response:
                 limits = parse_limits(json.loads(response.read(1024 * 1024)))
+            ok_ts = time.time()
         except Exception:
-            pass  # Negative-cache failures; never expose credentials/errors.
+            pass  # Keep last good limits; ts still backs off retries. Never expose credentials/errors.
         if account_id() == account:
-            atomic_write_text(path, json.dumps(dict(ts=time.time(), limits=limits)))
+            atomic_write_text(path, json.dumps(dict(ts=time.time(), ok_ts=ok_ts, limits=limits)))
     finally:
         lock.close()
 
@@ -102,12 +106,13 @@ def cached_limits(*, spawn=True):
     try:
         data = json.loads(_path(account).read_text())
         age = time.time() - data['ts']
+        ok_age = time.time() - (data.get('ok_ts') or data['ts'])
     except (OSError, ValueError, KeyError, TypeError):
-        data, age = {}, float('inf')
+        data, age, ok_age = {}, float('inf'), float('inf')
     if spawn and not 0 <= age < 300:
         from .refresh_pool import submit
         submit(('scoped', account), refresh, account)
-    return data.get('limits', []) if 0 <= age < 600 else []
+    return data.get('limits', []) if 0 <= ok_age < 600 else []
 
 
 def render_limits(limits, theme, use_color, warning, critical, projection=True):
diff --git a/tests/test_performance_pipeline.py b/tests/test_performance_pipeline.py
index 182140f..9fcc896 100644
--- a/tests/test_performance_pipeline.py
+++ b/tests/test_performance_pipeline.py
@@ -114,6 +114,43 @@ def test_scoped_auth_failure_is_cached(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     assert 'token' not in scoped_usage._path('fixture-account').read_text()
 
 
+def test_scoped_failed_refresh_keeps_last_good_limits(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    from claude_statusbar import scoped_usage, predict
+    monkeypatch.setenv('HOME', str(tmp_path))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(predict, 'account_id', lambda: 'fixture-account')
+    monkeypatch.setattr(scoped_usage, '_token', lambda: None)  # every fetch fails
+    good = [dict(label='Fable', percent=40.0, resets_at=time.time() + 86400)]
+    path = scoped_usage._path('fixture-account')
+    path.parent.mkdir(parents=True)
+    path.write_text(json.dumps(dict(ts=time.time() - 301, limits=good)))
+    scoped_usage.refresh('fixture-account')
+    assert scoped_usage.cached_limits(spawn=False) == good  # one blip: still shown
+    data = json.loads(path.read_text())
+    path.write_text(json.dumps(dict(data, ok_ts=time.time() - 601)))
+    assert scoped_usage.cached_limits(spawn=False) == []  # long outage: hidden
+
+
+def test_scoped_successful_refresh_stamps_ok_ts(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    import io
+    import urllib.request
+    from claude_statusbar import scoped_usage, predict
+    monkeypatch.setenv('HOME', str(tmp_path))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(predict, 'account_id', lambda: 'fixture-account')
+    monkeypatch.setattr(scoped_usage, '_token', lambda: 'tok')
+    reset = (datetime.now(timezone.utc) + timedelta(days=1)).isoformat()
+    body = json.dumps({'limits': [{'kind': 'weekly_scoped', 'percent': 40,
+        'resets_at': reset, 'scope': {'model': {'display_name': 'Fable'}}}]}).encode()
+
+    class Opener:
+        def open(self, req, timeout):
+            return io.BytesIO(body)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(urllib.request, 'build_opener', lambda *a: Opener())
+    scoped_usage.refresh('fixture-account')
+    data = json.loads(scoped_usage._path('fixture-account').read_text())
+    assert abs(data['ok_ts'] - time.time()) < 5
+    assert [r['label'] for r in scoped_usage.cached_limits(spawn=False)] == ['Fable']
+
+
 def test_scoped_account_switch_never_reuses_previous_account(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     from claude_statusbar import scoped_usage, predict
     monkeypatch.setenv('HOME', str(tmp_path))