diff --git a/worker/src/worker.ts b/worker/src/worker.ts
index 66de9d8..53e77b2 100644
--- a/worker/src/worker.ts
+++ b/worker/src/worker.ts
@@ -560,13 +560,23 @@ export async function runWorkerForAccount(
               pipelineCtx.sourceTopicId = topic.topicId;
               pipelineCtx.channelTitle = `${channel.title} › ${topic.name}`;
 
-              const maxProcessedId = await processArchiveSets(pipelineCtx, scanResult, run.id, progress?.lastProcessedMessageId);
+              const { maxProcessedId, minFailedId } = await processArchiveSets(
+                pipelineCtx,
+                scanResult,
+                run.id,
+                progress?.lastProcessedMessageId
+              );
               // Sync client back in case it was recreated during upload stall recovery
               client = pipelineCtx.client;
 
-              // Advance progress: use archive watermark if available, fall back to scan watermark
-              const topicWatermark = maxProcessedId ?? scanResult.maxScannedMessageId;
-              if (topicWatermark) {
+              // Advance progress: prefer archive watermark, fall back to scan watermark.
+              // Cap at one less than the lowest failed message ID so failed sets stay
+              // above the next scan boundary and get retried on the next cycle.
+              let topicWatermark = maxProcessedId ?? scanResult.maxScannedMessageId;
+              if (minFailedId !== null && topicWatermark !== null && topicWatermark >= minFailedId) {
+                topicWatermark = minFailedId - 1n;
+              }
+              if (topicWatermark !== null) {
                 await upsertTopicProgress(
                   mapping.id,
                   topic.topicId,
@@ -639,13 +649,23 @@ export async function runWorkerForAccount(
           pipelineCtx.sourceTopicId = null;
           pipelineCtx.channelTitle = channel.title;
 
-          const maxProcessedId = await processArchiveSets(pipelineCtx, scanResult, run.id, mapping.lastProcessedMessageId);
+          const { maxProcessedId, minFailedId } = await processArchiveSets(
+            pipelineCtx,
+            scanResult,
+            run.id,
+            mapping.lastProcessedMessageId
+          );
           // Sync client back in case it was recreated during upload stall recovery
           client = pipelineCtx.client;
 
-          // Advance progress: use archive watermark if available, fall back to scan watermark
-          const channelWatermark = maxProcessedId ?? scanResult.maxScannedMessageId;
-          if (channelWatermark) {
+          // Advance progress: prefer archive watermark, fall back to scan watermark.
+          // Cap at one less than the lowest failed message ID so failed sets stay
+          // above the next scan boundary and get retried on the next cycle.
+          let channelWatermark = maxProcessedId ?? scanResult.maxScannedMessageId;
+          if (minFailedId !== null && channelWatermark !== null && channelWatermark >= minFailedId) {
+            channelWatermark = minFailedId - 1n;
+          }
+          if (channelWatermark !== null) {
             await updateLastProcessedMessage(mapping.id, channelWatermark);
           }
         }
@@ -705,7 +725,7 @@ async function processArchiveSets(
   scanResult: ChannelScanResult,
   ingestionRunId: string,
   lastProcessedMessageId?: bigint | null
-): Promise<bigint | null> {
+): Promise<{ maxProcessedId: bigint | null; minFailedId: bigint | null }> {
   const { client, runId, channelTitle, channel, throttled, counters, accountLog } = ctx;
 
   // Group into archive sets
@@ -754,8 +774,11 @@ async function processArchiveSets(
     messagesScanned: counters.messagesScanned,
   });
 
-  // Track the highest message ID that was successfully processed
+  // Track the highest message ID that was successfully processed and the
+  // lowest message ID of any failed set. The caller uses minFailedId to cap
+  // the watermark so failures get retried on the next cycle.
   let maxProcessedId: bigint | null = null;
+  let minFailedId: bigint | null = null;
   const indexedPackageRefs: IndexedPackageRef[] = [];
 
   for (let setIdx = 0; setIdx < archiveSets.length; setIdx++) {
@@ -796,6 +819,16 @@ async function processArchiveSets(
         "Archive set failed, watermark will not advance past this set"
       );
 
+      // Record the lowest part ID of this set as a failure boundary so the
+      // caller can cap the watermark below it and the next scan re-picks it up.
+      const setMinId = archiveSets[setIdx].parts.reduce(
+        (min, p) => (p.id < min ? p.id : min),
+        archiveSets[setIdx].parts[0].id
+      );
+      if (minFailedId === null || setMinId < minFailedId) {
+        minFailedId = setMinId;
+      }
+
       // ── TDLib client recreation on repeated upload stalls ──
       // When the TDLib event stream degrades, uploads complete (bytes sent)
       // but confirmations never arrive. Retrying with the same broken client
@@ -929,7 +962,7 @@ async function processArchiveSets(
     await detectGroupingConflicts(channel.id, indexedPackageRefs);
   }
 
-  return maxProcessedId;
+  return { maxProcessedId, minFailedId };
 }
 
 /**