diff --git a/cmd/artwork.go b/cmd/artwork.go
index 13734c8f0..6d12037ca 100644
--- a/cmd/artwork.go
+++ b/cmd/artwork.go
@@ -147,11 +147,11 @@ type sourceCount struct {
 	count  int64
 }
 
+// absentCount partitions a kind's absent states: noImage was answered, failed gave up.
 type absentCount struct {
-	kind  model.Kind
-	count int64
-	// afterFailure is the subset that gave up rather than being told "no image".
-	afterFailure int64
+	kind    model.Kind
+	noImage int64
+	failed  int64
 }
 
 type statusReport struct {
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ func collectStatus(ctx context.Context, ds model.DataStore) (statusReport, error
 				if err != nil {
 					return rep, fmt.Errorf("counting failed %s artwork: %w", k, err)
 				}
-				rep.absent = append(rep.absent, absentCount{kind: k, count: n, afterFailure: failed})
+				rep.absent = append(rep.absent, absentCount{kind: k, noImage: n - failed, failed: failed})
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -229,12 +229,12 @@ func formatStatus(rep statusReport) string {
 	}
 
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "\nAbsent (resolved, no image found)")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "  KIND\tABSENT\tOF WHICH FAILED")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "  KIND\tNO IMAGE\tFAILED")
 	for _, a := range rep.absent {
-		fmt.Fprintf(w, "  %s\t%d\t%d\n", a.kind, a.count, a.afterFailure)
+		fmt.Fprintf(w, "  %s\t%d\t%d\n", a.kind, a.noImage, a.failed)
 	}
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "  (nothing retries these; 'artwork reprocess --source absent' retries all of them)")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "  (failed = gave up rather than being answered, so the subset most likely to resolve;\n"+
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "  (nothing retries these; 'artwork reprocess --source absent' retries both columns)")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "  (failed = gave up rather than being answered, so the ones most likely to resolve;\n"+
 		"   'artwork reprocess --source failed' retries just those)")
 
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "\nConfig")
diff --git a/cmd/artwork_test.go b/cmd/artwork_test.go
index 1caf4d9e8..f2ac45442 100644
--- a/cmd/artwork_test.go
+++ b/cmd/artwork_test.go
@@ -816,7 +816,9 @@ var _ = Describe("collectStatus", func() {
 		}
 		put(model.KindArtistArtwork, "ar-1", "external:deezer", "h1", time.Now())
 		put(model.KindArtistArtwork, "ar-2", "", "", time.Now().Add(-24*time.Hour))
-		put(model.KindArtistArtwork, "ar-3", "", "", time.Now())
+		// ar-3 is absent because it gave up, so the two absent artists split across the columns.
+		Expect(art.PutItemArtwork(&model.ItemArtwork{ItemKind: "ar", ItemID: "ar-3",
+			ImageType: model.ImageTypePrimary, LastFailure: "[]", AttemptedAt: time.Now()})).To(Succeed())
 		put(model.KindAlbumArtwork, "al-1", "folder", "h2", time.Now())
 		Expect(queue.Enqueue(model.ArtworkQueueItem{ItemKind: "ar", ItemID: "ar-9",
 			ImageType: model.ImageTypePrimary, Priority: model.ArtworkPriorityBackfill})).To(Succeed())
@@ -833,7 +835,8 @@ var _ = Describe("collectStatus", func() {
 			sourceCount{kind: model.KindArtistArtwork, source: "", count: 2},
 			sourceCount{kind: model.KindAlbumArtwork, source: "folder", count: 1},
 		))
-		Expect(rep.absent).To(ContainElement(absentCount{kind: model.KindArtistArtwork, count: 2}))
+		Expect(rep.absent).To(ContainElement(absentCount{kind: model.KindArtistArtwork, noImage: 1, failed: 1}),
+			"two absent artists, one answered and one that gave up")
 	})
 
 	It("compares the stored fingerprint against the current one", func() {
@@ -867,7 +870,7 @@ var _ = Describe("formatStatus", func() {
 				{kind: model.KindArtistArtwork, source: "", count: 2},
 			},
 			absent: []absentCount{
-				{kind: model.KindArtistArtwork, count: 2, afterFailure: 1},
+				{kind: model.KindArtistArtwork, noImage: 1, failed: 1},
 			},
 			inputs:  []artwork.FingerprintInput{{Name: "Agents", Value: "deezer,lastfm"}},
 			stored:  "abc123",
@@ -900,10 +903,10 @@ var _ = Describe("formatStatus", func() {
 		Expect(sources).To(MatchRegexp(`artist\s+absent\s+2`))
 	})
 
-	It("presents the failed count as a subset of the absent total, not a second bucket", func() {
+	It("partitions the absent states into answered and gave up", func() {
 		out := block(formatStatus(rep), "Absent (resolved, no image found)")
-		Expect(out).To(ContainSubstring("OF WHICH FAILED"))
-		Expect(out).To(MatchRegexp(`artist\s+2\s+1`), "2 absent, of which 1 failed")
+		Expect(out).To(ContainSubstring("NO IMAGE"))
+		Expect(out).To(MatchRegexp(`artist\s+1\s+1`), "1 answered plus 1 failed, summing to 2 absent")
 		Expect(formatStatus(rep)).To(ContainSubstring("artwork reprocess --source failed"))
 	})