diff --git a/hive-ag3nt/src/forge_notify.rs b/hive-ag3nt/src/forge_notify.rs
index b99026a1..b56b4c7d 100644
--- a/hive-ag3nt/src/forge_notify.rs
+++ b/hive-ag3nt/src/forge_notify.rs
@@ -847,6 +847,15 @@ async fn poll_once(
         match deliver_result {
             Ok(()) => {
                 debug!(%id, "forge_notify: delivered");
+                // Record the delivered version in the dedupe cursor INSTEAD
+                // of marking the thread read. Leaving it unread is
+                // deliberate: the hive-forge read-before-comment guard keys
+                // off forge's own unread-state, and the agent reading the
+                // thread via the CLI is what marks it read. Recorded only
+                // here in the Ok arm — a failed delivery hits the Err arm
+                // and `continue`s without recording, so it re-delivers next
+                // tick.
+                delivered.insert(id, updated_at);
             }
             Err(e) => {
                 warn!(%id, error = ?e, "forge_notify: deliver failed — leaving unread");
@@ -854,14 +863,6 @@ async fn poll_once(
             }
         }
 
-        // Record the delivered version in the dedupe cursor INSTEAD of
-        // marking the thread read. Leaving it unread is deliberate: the
-        // hive-forge read-before-comment guard keys off forge's own
-        // unread-state, and the agent reading the thread via the CLI is
-        // what marks it read. A failed delivery (above) is left
-        // unrecorded so it re-delivers next tick.
-        delivered.insert(id, updated_at);
-
         // Auto-unsubscribe from broad repo watches after delivering a
         // `subscribed` notification. Gated by HIVE_FORGE_KEEP_SUBSCRIPTIONS
         // for triage / firehose agents (see