diff --git a/cmd/artwork.go b/cmd/artwork.go
index 2fb696ca4..72291460c 100644
--- a/cmd/artwork.go
+++ b/cmd/artwork.go
@@ -149,6 +149,8 @@ type sourceCount struct {
 type absentCount struct {
 	kind  model.Kind
 	count int64
+	// afterFailure is the subset that gave up rather than being told "no image".
+	afterFailure int64
 }
 
 type statusReport struct {
@@ -192,7 +194,11 @@ func collectStatus(ctx context.Context, ds model.DataStore) (statusReport, error
 			rep.sources = append(rep.sources, sourceCount{kind: k, source: s, count: n})
 			// An absent state is exactly a row with no source, so it needs no second query.
 			if s == "" {
-				rep.absent = append(rep.absent, absentCount{kind: k, count: n})
+				failed, err := q.CountAbsentAfterFailure(k)
+				if err != nil {
+					return rep, fmt.Errorf("counting absent %s artwork that gave up: %w", k, err)
+				}
+				rep.absent = append(rep.absent, absentCount{kind: k, count: n, afterFailure: failed})
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -222,11 +228,12 @@ func formatStatus(rep statusReport) string {
 	}
 
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "\nAbsent (resolved, no image found)")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "  KIND\tABSENT")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "  KIND\tABSENT\tGAVE UP")
 	for _, a := range rep.absent {
-		fmt.Fprintf(w, "  %s\t%d\n", a.kind, a.count)
+		fmt.Fprintf(w, "  %s\t%d\t%d\n", a.kind, a.count, a.afterFailure)
 	}
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "  (never retried on their own; run 'artwork reprocess --source absent')")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "  (gave up: the retry budget ran out rather than a source answering; most likely to resolve)")
 
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "\nConfig")
 	fmt.Fprintf(w, "  State:\t%s\n", configState(rep))
diff --git a/cmd/artwork_test.go b/cmd/artwork_test.go
index b24fd5d06..4bee2f203 100644
--- a/cmd/artwork_test.go
+++ b/cmd/artwork_test.go
@@ -862,7 +862,7 @@ var _ = Describe("formatStatus", func() {
 				{kind: model.KindArtistArtwork, source: "", count: 2},
 			},
 			absent: []absentCount{
-				{kind: model.KindArtistArtwork, count: 2},
+				{kind: model.KindArtistArtwork, count: 2, afterFailure: 1},
 			},
 			inputs:  []artwork.FingerprintInput{{Name: "Agents", Value: "deezer,lastfm"}},
 			stored:  "abc123",
@@ -895,6 +895,12 @@ var _ = Describe("formatStatus", func() {
 		Expect(sources).To(MatchRegexp(`artist\s+absent\s+2`))
 	})
 
+	It("splits the absent total by how it was reached", func() {
+		out := block(formatStatus(rep), "Absent (resolved, no image found)")
+		Expect(out).To(MatchRegexp(`artist\s+2\s+1`), "2 absent, of which 1 gave up")
+		Expect(formatStatus(rep)).To(ContainSubstring("the retry budget ran out"))
+	})
+
 	It("says absent states are never retried on their own, and names the command that does", func() {
 		Expect(formatStatus(rep)).To(ContainSubstring("never retried on their own"))
 		Expect(formatStatus(rep)).To(ContainSubstring("artwork reprocess --source absent"))
diff --git a/model/artwork.go b/model/artwork.go
index d4413ec9c..c6bfadf1d 100644
--- a/model/artwork.go
+++ b/model/artwork.go
@@ -146,6 +146,9 @@ type ArtworkQueueRepository interface {
 	CountBySource(kind Kind, sources []string) (int64, error)
 	// SourcesInUse lists the distinct sources items of a kind currently resolve from, "" included.
 	SourcesInUse(kind Kind) ([]string, error)
+	// CountAbsentAfterFailure reports absent states a kind recorded because the retry budget ran
+	// out, not because every source answered. Those are the ones a reprocess is likely to resolve.
+	CountAbsentAfterFailure(kind Kind) (int64, error)
 	// EnqueueBySource inserts queue rows for items of a kind whose current source matches.
 	// It does not clear existing artwork state: the current image stays until it is replaced.
 	EnqueueBySource(kind Kind, sources []string, priority int) (int64, error)
diff --git a/persistence/artwork_queue_repository.go b/persistence/artwork_queue_repository.go
index 3ad368772..2889bddaa 100644
--- a/persistence/artwork_queue_repository.go
+++ b/persistence/artwork_queue_repository.go
@@ -223,4 +223,11 @@ func (r *artworkQueueRepository) Count() (int64, error) {
 	return res.Count, err
 }
 
+func (r *artworkQueueRepository) CountAbsentAfterFailure(kind model.Kind) (int64, error) {
+	var res struct{ Count int64 }
+	err := r.queryOne(Select("count(*) as count").From(itemArtworkTable).
+		Where(And{Eq{"item_kind": kind.Prefix(), "hash": ""}, NotEq{"last_failure": ""}}), &res)
+	return res.Count, err
+}
+
 var _ model.ArtworkQueueRepository = (*artworkQueueRepository)(nil)
diff --git a/persistence/artwork_queue_repository_test.go b/persistence/artwork_queue_repository_test.go
index a4a1ea76f..2b936eca2 100644
--- a/persistence/artwork_queue_repository_test.go
+++ b/persistence/artwork_queue_repository_test.go
@@ -400,6 +400,29 @@ var _ = Describe("ArtworkQueueRepository", func() {
 			))
 		})
 
+		It("counts only the absent states that gave up, not those a source answered", func() {
+			awRepo := NewArtworkRepository(context.Background(), GetDBXBuilder())
+			for _, ia := range []model.ItemArtwork{
+				{ItemKind: "ar", ItemID: "gaveup", ImageType: model.ImageTypePrimary, LastFailure: "[]"},
+				{ItemKind: "ar", ItemID: "toldno", ImageType: model.ImageTypePrimary},
+				{ItemKind: "ar", ItemID: "hasart", ImageType: model.ImageTypePrimary, Hash: "hX", LastFailure: "[]"},
+			} {
+				Expect(awRepo.PutItemArtwork(&ia)).To(Succeed())
+			}
+
+			Expect(repo.CountAbsentAfterFailure(model.KindArtistArtwork)).To(Equal(int64(1)),
+				"an item still serving art is not absent, however its last attempt went")
+
+			// A later success rewrites the row, clearing the record.
+			Expect(awRepo.PutItemArtwork(&model.ItemArtwork{ItemKind: "ar", ItemID: "gaveup",
+				ImageType: model.ImageTypePrimary, Hash: "hZ"})).To(Succeed())
+			Expect(repo.CountAbsentAfterFailure(model.KindArtistArtwork)).To(Equal(int64(0)))
+		})
+
+		It("reports a kind that never gave up as zero", func() {
+			Expect(repo.CountAbsentAfterFailure(model.KindRadioArtwork)).To(Equal(int64(0)))
+		})
+
 		It("reports an empty queue as no rows", func() {
 			Expect(repo.CountQueued(nil, nil)).To(BeEmpty())
 		})
diff --git a/tests/mock_artwork_queue_repo.go b/tests/mock_artwork_queue_repo.go
index a1b7b3e3d..f0e09d4cf 100644
--- a/tests/mock_artwork_queue_repo.go
+++ b/tests/mock_artwork_queue_repo.go
@@ -275,6 +275,21 @@ func (m *MockArtworkQueueRepo) CountBySource(kind model.Kind, sources []string)
 	return int64(len(m.matchingSource(kind, sources))), nil
 }
 
+func (m *MockArtworkQueueRepo) CountAbsentAfterFailure(kind model.Kind) (int64, error) {
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	defer m.mu.Unlock()
+	if m.Err != nil || m.ItemArtworkSource == nil {
+		return 0, m.Err
+	}
+	var n int64
+	for _, ia := range m.ItemArtworkSource.ItemData {
+		if ia.ItemKind == kind.Prefix() && ia.Hash == "" && ia.LastFailure != "" {
+			n++
+		}
+	}
+	return n, nil
+}
+
 func (m *MockArtworkQueueRepo) SourcesInUse(kind model.Kind) ([]string, error) {
 	m.mu.Lock()
 	defer m.mu.Unlock()