diff --git a/docs/supply-chain.md b/docs/supply-chain.md
index c7b0aeb5..610d26b0 100644
--- a/docs/supply-chain.md
+++ b/docs/supply-chain.md
@@ -73,7 +73,8 @@ signature that could not be checked or a signer never established: a key
 taken from the signature itself, a key not held, a file not downloaded. A
 key that no publisher states anywhere passes it only while
 `tools/source-notes.tsv` records the routes that were tried
-(`no-usable-key`); such a note for a key that is held fails it as stale. A
+(`no-usable-key`); such a note for a key that is held fails it as stale,
+while a signature the run could not fetch leaves its note untried. A
 source that publishes no OpenPGP signature is not the gate's: the lock pins
 it, and `tools/verify-provenance.sh --strict` checks whatever else its
 publisher states.
diff --git a/tools/tests/verify-signatures.sh b/tools/tests/verify-signatures.sh
index 715c0883..4b5bb554 100755
--- a/tools/tests/verify-signatures.sh
+++ b/tools/tests/verify-signatures.sh
@@ -277,6 +277,17 @@ write_manifest good
 fresh_root; run --strict "--notes=${W}/notes-stale.tsv"
 expect_fail "a no-usable-key note for a source whose key is held fails --strict" "stale note"
 
+# A noted source whose signature could not be fetched this run: unverifiable,
+# and the note untried, not stale.
+printf 'fixture payload for unreached\n' > "${SRC}/unreached.tar.gz"
+rm -f "${SRC}/unreached.tar.gz.sig" "${SRC}/.signatures/unreached.tar.gz.sig"
+printf 'unreached  no-usable-key  https://example.invalid/  No route to the key was found. Checked 2026-09-28.\n' > "${W}/notes-unreached.tsv"
+write_manifest good; add_row unreached sig
+fresh_root; run --strict "--notes=${W}/notes-unreached.tsv"
+expect_fail "a signature that could not be fetched fails --strict as unverifiable" "unverifiable"
+if grep -q "stale note" "$OUT"; then red "a note for a signature that could not be fetched was called stale"; show
+else green "a note for a signature that could not be fetched is untried, not stale"; fi
+
 # A manifest row whose file was never downloaded.
 write_manifest good notfetched
 rm -f "${SRC}/notfetched.tar.gz"
diff --git a/tools/verify-signatures.sh b/tools/verify-signatures.sh
index 1809441f..92e8983d 100755
--- a/tools/verify-signatures.sh
+++ b/tools/verify-signatures.sh
@@ -72,9 +72,17 @@ chmod 700 "$GNUPGHOME"
 
 IMPORTED_MARK="${GNUPGHOME}/.kryptik-imported"
 
-quiet_fetch() {
-    curl -fL --no-progress-meter --connect-timeout 20 \
-         --retry 2 --retry-delay 2 -o "$2" "$1"
+# A host that throttles (freedesktop.org answers 418 to a busy runner, others
+# 429 or 503) is asked again after a pause; a 404 is an answer.
+quiet_fetch() {   # quiet_fetch URL OUT
+    local code try
+    for try in 1 2 3; do
+        if code="$(curl -fsL --connect-timeout 20 --retry 2 --retry-delay 2 \
+                        -o "$2" -w '%{http_code}' "$1" 2>/dev/null)"; then return 0; fi
+        case "$code" in 418|429|503) sleep $(( try * 5 )) ;; *) break ;; esac
+    done
+    rm -f "$2"
+    return 1
 }
 
 # --- keys ------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -911,9 +919,16 @@ if [[ "$NOTED" -gt 0 ]]; then
     printf '  - %s\n' "${NOTED_LIST[@]}"
 fi
 # A note that no unheld key needed: the key is held now, or the source went.
+# A signature that could not be checked this run tried no note.
+untried_this_run() {   # untried_this_run NAME
+    local u
+    for u in "${UNVERIFIABLE_LIST[@]}"; do [[ "$u" == "$1 ("* ]] && return 0; done
+    return 1
+}
 STALE_NOTES=()
 for n_pkg in "${!NOTED_NO_KEY[@]}"; do
     [[ -n "${NOTE_USED[$n_pkg]:-}" ]] && continue
+    untried_this_run "$n_pkg" && continue
     [[ -n "${SEEN_SOURCE[$n_pkg]:-}" ]] && STALE_NOTES+=("$n_pkg")
 done
 if [[ "${#STALE_NOTES[@]}" -gt 0 ]]; then