diff --git a/cmd/artwork.go b/cmd/artwork.go
index 7be9bf7d2..e73ed46ed 100644
--- a/cmd/artwork.go
+++ b/cmd/artwork.go
@@ -71,15 +71,27 @@ func walksPriorityChain(kind model.Kind) bool {
 	return kind == model.KindArtistArtwork || kind == model.KindAlbumArtwork
 }
 
-// explainResult states the verdict of the walk. Offline runs skip the external tier, so a
-// local miss is unknown rather than unresolvable.
+// explainResult states the verdict of the walk. An external tier that was skipped or that failed
+// leaves the outcome unknown: nothing observed that the item has no artwork.
 func explainResult(source string, steps []artwork.TraceStep) string {
 	if source != "" {
+		for _, s := range steps {
+			if s.Outcome == "hit" {
+				break
+			}
+			if s.Outcome == "would-try" {
+				return "resolved from " + source +
+					" (offline: a higher-priority external candidate was not tried; re-run with --live)"
+			}
+		}
 		return "resolved from " + source
 	}
 	for _, s := range steps {
-		if s.Outcome == "would-try" {
+		switch {
+		case s.Outcome == "would-try":
 			return "indeterminate (external agents not called; re-run with --live)"
+		case s.Outcome == "error" && strings.HasPrefix(s.Candidate, "external:"):
+			return "indeterminate (an external lookup failed; the item may resolve on a later attempt)"
 		}
 	}
 	return "not resolved"
diff --git a/cmd/artwork_test.go b/cmd/artwork_test.go
index 1da8df3f9..a299c5222 100644
--- a/cmd/artwork_test.go
+++ b/cmd/artwork_test.go
@@ -44,6 +44,34 @@ var _ = Describe("explainResult", func() {
 		Expect(explainResult("", steps)).To(Equal("not resolved"))
 	})
 
+	It("reports indeterminate when an external lookup failed transiently", func() {
+		steps := []artwork.TraceStep{
+			{Candidate: "artist.*", Outcome: "miss"},
+			{Candidate: "external:deezer", Outcome: "error", Detail: "context deadline exceeded"},
+		}
+		Expect(explainResult("", steps)).To(ContainSubstring("indeterminate"),
+			"a failed network call is not evidence that the item has no artwork")
+	})
+
+	It("qualifies a win a skipped higher-priority external candidate could have taken", func() {
+		steps := []artwork.TraceStep{
+			{Candidate: "external:deezer", Outcome: "would-try"},
+			{Candidate: "artist.*", Outcome: "hit", Detail: "/music/artist.jpg"},
+		}
+		res := explainResult("artist.*", steps)
+		Expect(res).To(ContainSubstring("resolved from artist.*"))
+		Expect(res).To(ContainSubstring("--live"),
+			"offline, the winner is only the winner because the external tier was skipped")
+	})
+
+	It("does not qualify a win that no skipped candidate outranked", func() {
+		steps := []artwork.TraceStep{
+			{Candidate: "artist.*", Outcome: "hit"},
+			{Candidate: "external:deezer", Outcome: "would-try"},
+		}
+		Expect(explainResult("artist.*", steps)).To(Equal("resolved from artist.*"))
+	})
+
 	It("reports indeterminate when external agents were never called", func() {
 		steps := []artwork.TraceStep{
 			{Candidate: "artist.*", Outcome: "miss"},