diff --git a/crates/native/src/feed_throttle.rs b/crates/native/src/feed_throttle.rs
--- a/crates/native/src/feed_throttle.rs
+++ b/crates/native/src/feed_throttle.rs
@@ -90,8 +90,9 @@ impl FeedThrottle {
     /// changes. A missing or malformed file just means no backoff is pending.
     pub fn load(file: &Path, now: i64) -> Self {
         let mut saved = std::fs::read(file).ok().and_then(|b| serde_json::from_slice::<Saved>(&b).ok()).unwrap_or_default();
-        // A wait far in the future means a broken file or a clock that jumped back: drop it.
-        if saved.not_before > now + MAX_THROTTLE_BACKOFF * 2 {
+        // Allow the longest Retry-After plus throttle jitter; anything further suggests a
+        // broken file or a clock that jumped back.
+        if saved.not_before > now.saturating_add(MAX_RETRY_AFTER * 3 / 2) {
             saved.not_before = 0;
         }
         Self { saved, file: Some(file.to_path_buf()), ..Self::new() }
@@ -364,6 +365,29 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(FeedThrottle::load(&file, NOW + THROTTLE_BACKOFF).wait(NOW + THROTTLE_BACKOFF), 0);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn a_long_retry_after_survives_a_restart_with_jitter() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let file = dir.path().join("feed-throttle.json");
+        for j in [0.0, 0.5, 0.99] {
+            let mut t = FeedThrottle::load(&file, NOW);
+            t.finished(Outcome::Throttled { retry_after: Some(MAX_RETRY_AFTER) }, NOW, j);
+            let again = FeedThrottle::load(&file, NOW + 60);
+            assert_eq!(again.wait(NOW + 60), t.wait(NOW + 60), "jitter: {j}");
+            assert!(again.throttled(NOW + 60));
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn a_saturated_clock_preserves_a_saved_deadline() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let file = dir.path().join("feed-throttle.json");
+        let saved = Saved { not_before: i64::MAX, ..Saved::default() };
+        std::fs::write(&file, serde_json::to_vec(&saved).unwrap()).unwrap();
+        let now = i64::MAX - 60;
+        assert_eq!(FeedThrottle::load(&file, now).wait(now), 60);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn a_broken_or_absurd_saved_file_means_no_wait() {
         let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();