diff --git a/app/Actions/CreateCommit.php b/app/Actions/CreateCommit.php
index 74965228a..72e6d4958 100644
--- a/app/Actions/CreateCommit.php
+++ b/app/Actions/CreateCommit.php
@@ -54,13 +54,16 @@ public function handle(User $user, string $body, ?Commit $parent = null, ?Commit
             $linkPreview = $this->linkPreviewFor($url);
             $createdAt = now();
             $hasGoodReputation = $user->hasGoodReputation();
+            $status = $user->isAdmin() || ($hasGoodReputation && ! $user->hasRecentReports()) ? CommitStatus::Approved : CommitStatus::Pending;
+            $isModerated = $status === CommitStatus::Pending && ! $hasGoodReputation && filled(config('services.openai.key'));
 
             $commit = $user->commits()->create([
                 'body' => $this->emojiShortcodes->replace($body),
                 'mentions' => $this->mentionedUsers->get($body),
                 'parent_id' => $parent?->id,
                 'root_id' => $parent?->threadRootId(),
-                'status' => $user->isAdmin() || ($hasGoodReputation && ! $user->hasRecentReports()) ? CommitStatus::Approved : CommitStatus::Pending,
+                'status' => $status,
+                'ai_decision' => $isModerated ? CommitStatus::Pending : null,
                 'link_preview_id' => $linkPreview?->id,
                 'quoted_commit_id' => $quotedCommit?->id,
                 'hot_score' => $this->theAlgorithm->score($createdAt, 0, 0),
@@ -86,7 +89,7 @@ public function handle(User $user, string $body, ?Commit $parent = null, ?Commit
             }
 
             $this->createWorldReply->handle($commit);
-            if ($commit->status === CommitStatus::Pending && ! $hasGoodReputation && filled(config('services.openai.key'))) {
+            if ($isModerated) {
                 dispatch(new ModerateCommit($commit))->afterCommit();
             }
 
diff --git a/app/Jobs/ModerateCommit.php b/app/Jobs/ModerateCommit.php
index 77a996a66..55a200213 100644
--- a/app/Jobs/ModerateCommit.php
+++ b/app/Jobs/ModerateCommit.php
@@ -27,12 +27,13 @@ public function __construct(public readonly Commit $commit)
     }
 
     /**
-     * A commit that was moderated or deleted in the meantime no longer needs the AI's decision. Once every attempt
-     * has failed, the commit is simply left without one.
+     * A commit that was moderated or deleted in the meantime no longer needs the AI's decision.
      */
     public function handle(UpdateCommitAiDecision $action, UpdateCommitStatuses $updateCommitStatuses): void
     {
         if ($this->commit->status !== CommitStatus::Pending || $this->commit->trashed()) {
+            $this->leaveUnchecked();
+
             return;
         }
 
@@ -41,9 +42,30 @@ public function handle(UpdateCommitAiDecision $action, UpdateCommitStatuses $upd
                 $updateCommitStatuses->handle([$this->commit->id], CommitStatus::Approved, onlyPending: true);
             }
 
+            $this->leaveUnchecked();
+
             return;
         }
 
         $action->handle($this->commit);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Once every attempt has failed, the commit is left without a decision and simply waits for a moderator.
+     */
+    public function failed(): void
+    {
+        $this->leaveUnchecked();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Clears only the pending AI decision, so a decision written in the meantime stays.
+     */
+    private function leaveUnchecked(): void
+    {
+        Commit::withTrashed()
+            ->whereKey($this->commit->id)
+            ->where('ai_decision', CommitStatus::Pending)
+            ->update(['ai_decision' => null]);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/app/Models/Commit.php b/app/Models/Commit.php
index 0c0dd2bf6..a9cc9a00d 100644
--- a/app/Models/Commit.php
+++ b/app/Models/Commit.php
@@ -170,14 +170,13 @@ public function isVisibleTo(?User $user): bool
     }
 
     /**
-     * A pending commit is being checked until its moderation job leaves an AI decision behind. After that, or once every
-     * attempt has had its chance, it simply waits for a moderator.
+     * A pending commit is being checked while its moderation job holds a pending AI decision. The time bound covers a
+     * job that was lost before it could leave a decision or clear the pending one.
      */
     public function isBeingChecked(): bool
     {
         return $this->status === CommitStatus::Pending
-            && $this->ai_decision === null
-            && filled(config('services.openai.key'))
+            && $this->ai_decision === CommitStatus::Pending
             && $this->created_at->greaterThan(now()->subMinutes(self::CHECKING_MINUTES));
     }
 
diff --git a/resources/js/types/commit.ts b/resources/js/types/commit.ts
index 7ea9c940c..b9c44a3b4 100644
--- a/resources/js/types/commit.ts
+++ b/resources/js/types/commit.ts
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ export type Commit = {
     quoted_commit_id: string | null;
     quoted_commit?: QuotedCommit | DeletedCommit | null;
     images?: CommitImage[];
-    ai_decision?: Exclude<CommitStatus, 'pending'> | null;
+    ai_decision?: CommitStatus | null;
     ai_categories?: string[] | null;
 };
 
diff --git a/tests/Feature/Controllers/CommitStatusControllerTest.php b/tests/Feature/Controllers/CommitStatusControllerTest.php
index 64e0dd0df..7b1998ca2 100644
--- a/tests/Feature/Controllers/CommitStatusControllerTest.php
+++ b/tests/Feature/Controllers/CommitStatusControllerTest.php
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 it('returns that the authors own pending commit is being checked', function (): void {
     $author = User::factory()->create();
-    $commit = Commit::factory()->for($author)->pending()->create();
+    $commit = Commit::factory()->for($author)->pending()->create(['ai_decision' => CommitStatus::Pending]);
 
     $this->actingAs($author)
         ->getJson(route('commit-status.show', $commit))
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 it('returns that a pending commit is no longer being checked once every attempt has had its chance', function (): void {
     $author = User::factory()->create();
     $commit = Commit::factory()->for($author)->pending()->create([
+        'ai_decision' => CommitStatus::Pending,
         'created_at' => now()->subMinutes(Commit::CHECKING_MINUTES + 1),
     ]);
 
@@ -43,9 +44,7 @@
         ->assertExactJson(['status' => 'pending', 'is_checking' => false]);
 });
 
-it('returns that a pending commit is not being checked without moderation', function (): void {
-    config(['services.openai.key' => null]);
-
+it('returns that a pending commit is not being checked when no check was queued', function (): void {
     $author = User::factory()->create();
     $commit = Commit::factory()->for($author)->pending()->create();
 
diff --git a/tests/Unit/Actions/CreateCommitTest.php b/tests/Unit/Actions/CreateCommitTest.php
index b708c731a..abc400b7b 100644
--- a/tests/Unit/Actions/CreateCommitTest.php
+++ b/tests/Unit/Actions/CreateCommitTest.php
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
 
     expect($commit->refresh())
         ->status->toBe($approved ? CommitStatus::Approved : CommitStatus::Pending)
-        ->ai_decision->toBeNull()
+        ->ai_decision->toBe($approved ? null : CommitStatus::Pending)
         ->and($commit->poll->opened_at?->toIso8601String())->toBe($approved ? now()->toIso8601String() : null);
 
     if ($approved) {
@@ -242,9 +242,12 @@
 
     $action = resolve(CreateCommit::class);
 
-    $action->handle(User::factory()->create(), 'Initial commit');
+    $commit = $action->handle(User::factory()->create(), 'Initial commit');
 
     Queue::assertNotPushed(ModerateCommit::class);
+    expect($commit->refresh())
+        ->ai_decision->toBeNull()
+        ->isBeingChecked()->toBeFalse();
 });
 
 it('attaches a link preview for the first url in the body', function (): void {
@@ -487,7 +490,9 @@
     $approved = $reputable && $dismissed;
 
     expect($commit->status)->toBe($approved ? CommitStatus::Approved : CommitStatus::Pending)
-        ->and($commit->poll->opened_at !== null)->toBe($approved);
+        ->and($commit->poll->opened_at !== null)->toBe($approved)
+        ->and($commit->ai_decision)->toBe($reputable ? null : CommitStatus::Pending)
+        ->and($commit->isBeingChecked())->toBe(! $reputable);
 
     if ($reputable) {
         Queue::assertNotPushed(ModerateCommit::class);
diff --git a/tests/Unit/Jobs/ModerateCommitTest.php b/tests/Unit/Jobs/ModerateCommitTest.php
index 7e023ec83..274d17095 100644
--- a/tests/Unit/Jobs/ModerateCommitTest.php
+++ b/tests/Unit/Jobs/ModerateCommitTest.php
@@ -361,10 +361,10 @@ function reviewResponses(array $responses = []): Closure
         ->ai_categories->toBe(['harmful-text']);
 })->with('unclear answers');
 
-it('skips commits that were moderated in the meantime', function (): void {
+it('skips commits that were moderated in the meantime, and stops checking them', function (): void {
     Http::fake();
 
-    $commit = Commit::factory()->create();
+    $commit = Commit::factory()->create(['ai_decision' => CommitStatus::Pending]);
 
     dispatch_sync(new ModerateCommit($commit));
 
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ function reviewResponses(array $responses = []): Closure
 
     $user = User::factory()->create(['created_at' => now()->subHour()->subSecond()]);
     Commit::factory()->for($user)->create();
-    $commit = Commit::factory()->for($user)->pending()->create();
+    $commit = Commit::factory()->for($user)->pending()->create(['ai_decision' => CommitStatus::Pending]);
     followersOf($user, 10);
 
     dispatch_sync(new ModerateCommit($commit));
@@ -393,21 +393,24 @@ function reviewResponses(array $responses = []): Closure
 it('skips commits that were deleted in the meantime', function (): void {
     Http::fake();
 
-    $commit = Commit::factory()->pending()->create();
+    $commit = Commit::factory()->pending()->create(['ai_decision' => CommitStatus::Pending]);
     $commit->delete();
 
     dispatch_sync(new ModerateCommit($commit));
 
     Http::assertNothingSent();
+
+    expect($commit->refresh()->ai_decision)->toBeNull();
 });
 
-it('throws when the ai is unavailable, so the job is retried', function (): void {
+it('throws when the ai is unavailable, so the job is retried while the commit is still being checked', function (): void {
     Http::fake(['api.openai.com/v1/moderations' => Http::response([], 503)]);
 
-    $commit = Commit::factory()->pending()->create();
+    $commit = Commit::factory()->pending()->create(['ai_decision' => CommitStatus::Pending]);
 
-    expect(fn () => dispatch_sync(new ModerateCommit($commit)))->toThrow(RequestException::class)
-        ->and($commit->refresh()->ai_decision)->toBeNull();
+    expect(fn () => app()->call([new ModerateCommit($commit), 'handle']))->toThrow(RequestException::class)
+        ->and($commit->refresh()->ai_decision)->toBe(CommitStatus::Pending)
+        ->and($commit->isBeingChecked())->toBeTrue();
 });
 
 it('holds clean commits when their author has a recent undismissed report', function (int $reportAge, bool $dismissed, bool $deleted, bool $sameAuthor, bool $held): void {
@@ -448,7 +451,7 @@ function reviewResponses(array $responses = []): Closure
     $user = User::factory()->create(['created_at' => now()->subHours(2)]);
     $reported = Commit::factory()->for($user)->create();
     followersOf($user, 10);
-    $commit = Commit::factory()->for($user)->pending()->create();
+    $commit = Commit::factory()->for($user)->pending()->create(['ai_decision' => CommitStatus::Pending]);
     CommitReport::factory()->for($reported)->create();
 
     dispatch_sync(new ModerateCommit($commit));
@@ -477,3 +480,16 @@ function reviewResponses(array $responses = []): Closure
         ->ai_decision->toBe(CommitStatus::Approved)
         ->status->toBe(CommitStatus::Pending);
 });
+
+it('stops checking a commit once every attempt has failed, keeping a decision written in the meantime', function (?CommitStatus $decision, ?CommitStatus $kept): void {
+    $commit = Commit::factory()->pending()->create(['ai_decision' => $decision]);
+
+    new ModerateCommit($commit)->failed();
+
+    expect($commit->refresh())
+        ->ai_decision->toBe($kept)
+        ->isBeingChecked()->toBeFalse();
+})->with([
+    'still pending' => [CommitStatus::Pending, null],
+    'decided meanwhile' => [CommitStatus::Rejected, CommitStatus::Rejected],
+]);