diff --git a/autopilot/contractor.go b/autopilot/contractor.go
index 7b2ea9863..49ba304ae 100644
--- a/autopilot/contractor.go
+++ b/autopilot/contractor.go
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ const (
 	// contract.
 	estimatedFileContractTransactionSetSize = 2048
 
+	// failedRenewalForgivenessPeriod is the amount of time we wait before
+	// punishing a contract for not being able to refresh
+	failedRefreshForgivenessPeriod = 24 * time.Hour
+
 	// leewayPctCandidateHosts is the leeway we apply when fetching candidate
 	// hosts, we fetch ~10% more than required
 	leewayPctCandidateHosts = 1.1
@@ -96,6 +100,8 @@ type (
 		revisionLastBroadcast     map[types.FileContractID]time.Time
 		revisionSubmissionBuffer  uint64
 
+		firstRefreshFailure map[types.FileContractID]time.Time
+
 		mu sync.Mutex
 
 		pruning          bool
@@ -162,6 +168,8 @@ func newContractor(ap *Autopilot, revisionSubmissionBuffer uint64, revisionBroad
 		revisionLastBroadcast:     make(map[types.FileContractID]time.Time),
 		revisionSubmissionBuffer:  revisionSubmissionBuffer,
 
+		firstRefreshFailure: make(map[types.FileContractID]time.Time),
+
 		resolver: newIPResolver(ap.shutdownCtx, resolverLookupTimeout, ap.logger.Named("resolver")),
 	}
 }
@@ -226,6 +234,9 @@ func (c *contractor) performContractMaintenance(ctx context.Context, w Worker) (
 	contracts := resp.Contracts
 	c.logger.Infof("fetched %d contracts from the worker, took %v", len(resp.Contracts), time.Since(start))
 
+	// prune contract refresh failure map
+	c.pruneContractRefreshFailures(contracts)
+
 	// run revision broadcast
 	c.runRevisionBroadcast(ctx, w, contracts, isInCurrentSet)
 
@@ -1624,6 +1635,27 @@ func (c *contractor) hostForContract(ctx context.Context, fcid types.FileContrac
 	return
 }
 
+func (c *contractor) pruneContractRefreshFailures(contracts []api.Contract) {
+	contractMap := make(map[types.FileContractID]struct{})
+	for _, contract := range contracts {
+		contractMap[contract.ID] = struct{}{}
+	}
+	for fcid := range c.firstRefreshFailure {
+		if _, ok := contractMap[fcid]; !ok {
+			delete(c.firstRefreshFailure, fcid)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (c *contractor) shouldForgiveFailedRefresh(fcid types.FileContractID) bool {
+	lastFailure, exists := c.firstRefreshFailure[fcid]
+	if !exists {
+		lastFailure = time.Now()
+		c.firstRefreshFailure[fcid] = lastFailure
+	}
+	return time.Since(lastFailure) < failedRefreshForgivenessPeriod
+}
+
 func addLeeway(n uint64, pct float64) uint64 {
 	if pct < 0 {
 		panic("given leeway percent has to be positive")
diff --git a/autopilot/contractor_test.go b/autopilot/contractor_test.go
index 575605612..9ce54daf5 100644
--- a/autopilot/contractor_test.go
+++ b/autopilot/contractor_test.go
@@ -3,8 +3,12 @@ package autopilot
 import (
 	"math"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
+	"go.sia.tech/core/types"
+	"go.sia.tech/renterd/api"
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
+	"lukechampine.com/frand"
 )
 
 func TestCalculateMinScore(t *testing.T) {
@@ -35,3 +39,30 @@ func TestCalculateMinScore(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("expected minScore to be math.SmallestNonzeroFLoat64 but was %v", minScore)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestShouldForgiveFailedRenewal(t *testing.T) {
+	var fcid types.FileContractID
+	frand.Read(fcid[:])
+	c := &contractor{
+		firstRefreshFailure: make(map[types.FileContractID]time.Time),
+	}
+
+	// try twice since the first time will set the failure time
+	if !c.shouldForgiveFailedRefresh(fcid) {
+		t.Fatal("should forgive")
+	} else if !c.shouldForgiveFailedRefresh(fcid) {
+		t.Fatal("should forgive")
+	}
+
+	// set failure to be a full period in the past
+	c.firstRefreshFailure[fcid] = time.Now().Add(-failedRefreshForgivenessPeriod - time.Second)
+	if c.shouldForgiveFailedRefresh(fcid) {
+		t.Fatal("should not forgive")
+	}
+
+	// prune map
+	c.pruneContractRefreshFailures([]api.Contract{})
+	if len(c.firstRefreshFailure) != 0 {
+		t.Fatal("expected no failures")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/autopilot/hostfilter.go b/autopilot/hostfilter.go
index f41a20c94..d64c1f3e3 100644
--- a/autopilot/hostfilter.go
+++ b/autopilot/hostfilter.go
@@ -254,8 +254,8 @@ func (c *contractor) isUsableContract(cfg api.AutopilotConfig, state state, ci c
 		}
 		if isOutOfFunds(cfg, pt, contract) {
 			reasons = append(reasons, errContractOutOfFunds.Error())
-			usable = false
-			recoverable = true
+			usable = usable && c.shouldForgiveFailedRefresh(contract.ID)
+			recoverable = !usable // only needs to be recoverable if !usable
 			refresh = true
 			renew = false
 		}