diff --git a/core/artwork/serving.go b/core/artwork/serving.go
index 38a474355..109d0033d 100644
--- a/core/artwork/serving.go
+++ b/core/artwork/serving.go
@@ -286,8 +286,10 @@ func (s *service) dangling(ctx context.Context, artID model.ArtworkID) (*Image,
 	return nil, ErrUnavailable
 }
 
+// enqueue schedules a request-triggered re-resolution. It uses EnqueueBump so an incidental
+// read-through never resets a failed resolution's backoff (unlike scan/manual re-resolve).
 func (s *service) enqueue(ctx context.Context, artID model.ArtworkID, priority int) {
-	err := s.ds.ArtworkQueue(ctx).Enqueue(model.ArtworkQueueItem{
+	err := s.ds.ArtworkQueue(ctx).EnqueueBump(model.ArtworkQueueItem{
 		ItemKind:  artID.Kind.Prefix(),
 		ItemID:    artID.ID,
 		ImageType: model.ImageTypePrimary,
diff --git a/model/artwork.go b/model/artwork.go
index 88b2d009d..6d343946e 100644
--- a/model/artwork.go
+++ b/model/artwork.go
@@ -91,8 +91,12 @@ type ArtworkRepository interface {
 }
 
 type ArtworkQueueRepository interface {
-	// Enqueue upserts; an existing row keeps the higher of the two priorities.
+	// Enqueue upserts; an existing row keeps the higher of the two priorities and has its
+	// retry_at reset (a detected change wants immediate re-resolution).
 	Enqueue(items ...ArtworkQueueItem) error
+	// EnqueueBump upserts like Enqueue but preserves an existing row's retry_at, so a
+	// request-triggered read-through never resets a failed resolution's backoff.
+	EnqueueBump(items ...ArtworkQueueItem) error
 	// DequeueBatch returns up to n items with retry_at <= now, priority desc, enqueued_at asc.
 	DequeueBatch(n int) ([]ArtworkQueueItem, error)
 	// MarkFailed increments attempts and pushes retry_at into the future.
diff --git a/persistence/artwork_queue_repository.go b/persistence/artwork_queue_repository.go
index 59e130204..81f674dd9 100644
--- a/persistence/artwork_queue_repository.go
+++ b/persistence/artwork_queue_repository.go
@@ -26,6 +26,18 @@ func NewArtworkQueueRepository(ctx context.Context, db dbx.Builder) model.Artwor
 }
 
 func (r *artworkQueueRepository) Enqueue(items ...model.ArtworkQueueItem) error {
+	return r.enqueue(`ON CONFLICT (item_kind, item_id, image_type) DO UPDATE SET
+		priority = MAX(priority, excluded.priority), retry_at = excluded.retry_at`, items)
+}
+
+// EnqueueBump raises priority like Enqueue but leaves an existing row's retry_at intact, so a
+// request-triggered read-through never resets a failed resolution's backoff. New rows insert eligible.
+func (r *artworkQueueRepository) EnqueueBump(items ...model.ArtworkQueueItem) error {
+	return r.enqueue(`ON CONFLICT (item_kind, item_id, image_type) DO UPDATE SET
+		priority = MAX(priority, excluded.priority)`, items)
+}
+
+func (r *artworkQueueRepository) enqueue(conflict string, items []model.ArtworkQueueItem) error {
 	now := time.Now()
 	for chunk := range slices.Chunk(items, enqueueChunkSize) {
 		ins := Insert(r.tableName).Columns("item_kind", "item_id", "image_type", "priority", "attempts", "retry_at", "enqueued_at")
@@ -35,8 +47,7 @@ func (r *artworkQueueRepository) Enqueue(items ...model.ArtworkQueueItem) error
 			}
 			ins = ins.Values(it.ItemKind, it.ItemID, it.ImageType, it.Priority, 0, now, now)
 		}
-		ins = ins.Suffix(`ON CONFLICT (item_kind, item_id, image_type) DO UPDATE SET
-			priority = MAX(priority, excluded.priority), retry_at = excluded.retry_at`)
+		ins = ins.Suffix(conflict)
 		if _, err := r.executeSQL(ins); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/persistence/artwork_queue_repository_test.go b/persistence/artwork_queue_repository_test.go
index 9a4054cb9..f5eafec00 100644
--- a/persistence/artwork_queue_repository_test.go
+++ b/persistence/artwork_queue_repository_test.go
@@ -41,6 +41,30 @@ var _ = Describe("ArtworkQueueRepository", func() {
 		Expect(got[0].Priority).To(Equal(model.ArtworkPriorityBump))
 	})
 
+	It("EnqueueBump raises priority without resetting a backing-off row's retry_at", func() {
+		Expect(repo.Enqueue(item("al", "b1", model.ArtworkPriorityScan))).To(Succeed())
+		// Push retry_at into the future so the row is backing off and hidden from dequeue.
+		Expect(repo.MarkFailed("al", "b1", model.ImageTypePrimary, time.Now().Add(time.Hour))).To(Succeed())
+		Expect(repo.DequeueBatch(10)).To(BeEmpty())
+
+		// A request-triggered bump raises priority but must leave the backoff intact.
+		Expect(repo.EnqueueBump(item("al", "b1", model.ArtworkPriorityBump))).To(Succeed())
+		Expect(repo.DequeueBatch(10)).To(BeEmpty(), "bump must not reset retry_at")
+
+		// Enqueue (scan/manual), by contrast, resets retry_at and makes it eligible now.
+		Expect(repo.Enqueue(item("al", "b1", model.ArtworkPriorityScan))).To(Succeed())
+		got, _ := repo.DequeueBatch(10)
+		Expect(got).To(HaveLen(1))
+		Expect(got[0].Priority).To(Equal(model.ArtworkPriorityBump), "bump's higher priority is preserved")
+	})
+
+	It("EnqueueBump inserts a brand-new row eligible immediately", func() {
+		Expect(repo.EnqueueBump(item("ar", "n1", model.ArtworkPriorityBump))).To(Succeed())
+		got, _ := repo.DequeueBatch(10)
+		Expect(got).To(HaveLen(1))
+		Expect(got[0].ItemID).To(Equal("n1"))
+	})
+
 	It("hides failed items until retry_at", func() {
 		Expect(repo.Enqueue(item("al", "f1", model.ArtworkPriorityScan))).To(Succeed())
 		Expect(repo.MarkFailed("al", "f1", model.ImageTypePrimary, time.Now().Add(time.Hour))).To(Succeed())
diff --git a/tests/mock_artwork_queue_repo.go b/tests/mock_artwork_queue_repo.go
index 500fdf4fd..cbb2f3f58 100644
--- a/tests/mock_artwork_queue_repo.go
+++ b/tests/mock_artwork_queue_repo.go
@@ -160,6 +160,32 @@ func (m *MockArtworkQueueRepo) Count() (int64, error) {
 	return int64(len(m.Data)), nil
 }
 
+func (m *MockArtworkQueueRepo) EnqueueBump(items ...model.ArtworkQueueItem) error {
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	defer m.mu.Unlock()
+	if m.Err != nil {
+		return m.Err
+	}
+	now := time.Now()
+	for _, it := range items {
+		if it.ImageType == "" {
+			it.ImageType = model.ImageTypePrimary
+		}
+		k := iaKey(it.ItemKind, it.ItemID, it.ImageType)
+		// Preserve an existing row's retry_at: a bump raises priority without resetting backoff.
+		if prev, ok := m.Data[k]; ok {
+			prev.Priority = max(prev.Priority, it.Priority)
+			m.Data[k] = prev
+			continue
+		}
+		it.Attempts = 0
+		it.RetryAt = now
+		it.EnqueuedAt = now
+		m.Data[k] = it
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (m *MockArtworkQueueRepo) EnqueueStaleAbsent(kind string, attemptedBefore time.Time) (int64, error) {
 	m.mu.Lock()
 	defer m.mu.Unlock()