diff --git a/cmd/artwork.go b/cmd/artwork.go
index 1ff2b8f85..0757c0e52 100644
--- a/cmd/artwork.go
+++ b/cmd/artwork.go
@@ -540,7 +540,9 @@ func explainResult(source string, steps []artwork.TraceStep) string {
 				return "resolved from " + source +
 					" (offline: a higher-priority external candidate was not tried; re-run with --live)"
 			}
-			if s.Outcome == artwork.OutcomeError && strings.HasPrefix(s.Candidate, artwork.ExternalPrefix) {
+			// An external winner discards the earlier error, so the resolver settles it with no retry.
+			if s.Outcome == artwork.OutcomeError && strings.HasPrefix(s.Candidate, artwork.ExternalPrefix) &&
+				!strings.HasPrefix(source, artwork.ExternalPrefix) {
 				return "resolved from " + source +
 					" (indeterminate: a higher-priority external lookup failed; this may resolve differently on a retry)"
 			}
diff --git a/cmd/artwork_test.go b/cmd/artwork_test.go
index c89c63ab0..cc8b12e07 100644
--- a/cmd/artwork_test.go
+++ b/cmd/artwork_test.go
@@ -99,6 +99,15 @@ var _ = Describe("explainResult", func() {
 			"the resolver serves this hit but retries later, so the winner is provisional")
 	})
 
+	It("does not qualify an external win that followed a failed external lookup", func() {
+		steps := []artwork.TraceStep{
+			{Candidate: "external:deezer", Outcome: "error", Detail: "context deadline exceeded"},
+			{Candidate: "external:lastfm", Outcome: "hit", Detail: "http://img"},
+		}
+		Expect(explainResult("external:lastfm", steps)).To(Equal("resolved from external:lastfm"),
+			"a later agent supplying the image discards the earlier error, so there is no retry to warn about")
+	})
+
 	It("does not qualify a win that outranked the failed external lookup", func() {
 		steps := []artwork.TraceStep{
 			{Candidate: "artist.*", Outcome: "hit"},