diff --git a/src/plugin_system/plugin_manager.py b/src/plugin_system/plugin_manager.py
index 64b31dcf..07764dcb 100644
--- a/src/plugin_system/plugin_manager.py
+++ b/src/plugin_system/plugin_manager.py
@@ -734,18 +734,35 @@ class PluginManager:
                         if self.health_tracker:
                             self.health_tracker.record_success(plugin_id)
                     else:
-                        # Execution failed (timeout or error) — update timestamp so the
-                        # plugin waits one full interval before retrying, but keep state
-                        # ENABLED so can_execute() returns True and recovery is automatic.
-                        self.plugin_last_update[plugin_id] = current_time
+                        # Execution failed (timeout or executor error) — stamp with the
+                        # actual failure time (not current_time captured before execution)
+                        # so the full interval elapses before the next retry.
+                        failure_time = time.time()
+                        err = Exception(f"Plugin {plugin_id} execution failed (timeout or executor error)")
+                        error_info = {
+                            'error': str(err),
+                            'error_type': 'ExecutionFailure',
+                            'timestamp': failure_time,
+                            'recoverable': True,
+                        }
+                        self.logger.warning("Plugin %s update() failed; will retry after interval", plugin_id)
+                        self.plugin_last_update[plugin_id] = failure_time
                         self.state_manager.set_state(plugin_id, PluginState.ENABLED)
+                        self.state_manager.set_error_info(plugin_id, error_info)
                         if self.health_tracker:
-                            self.health_tracker.record_failure(plugin_id, Exception("Plugin execution failed"))
+                            self.health_tracker.record_failure(plugin_id, err)
                 except Exception as exc:  # pylint: disable=broad-except
+                    failure_time = time.time()
                     self.logger.exception("Error updating plugin %s: %s", plugin_id, exc)
-                    # Same as the failure path above: stay ENABLED and wait one interval.
-                    self.plugin_last_update[plugin_id] = current_time
+                    error_info = {
+                        'error': str(exc),
+                        'error_type': type(exc).__name__,
+                        'timestamp': failure_time,
+                        'recoverable': True,
+                    }
+                    self.plugin_last_update[plugin_id] = failure_time
                     self.state_manager.set_state(plugin_id, PluginState.ENABLED)
+                    self.state_manager.set_error_info(plugin_id, error_info)
                     if self.health_tracker:
                         self.health_tracker.record_failure(plugin_id, exc)
 
diff --git a/src/plugin_system/plugin_state.py b/src/plugin_system/plugin_state.py
index f9332ff9..1351c933 100644
--- a/src/plugin_system/plugin_state.py
+++ b/src/plugin_system/plugin_state.py
@@ -136,13 +136,29 @@ class PluginStateManager:
         """
         return self._state_history.get(plugin_id, [])
     
-    def get_error_info(self, plugin_id: str) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
+    def set_error_info(self, plugin_id: str, error_info: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
         """
-        Get error information for a plugin in ERROR state.
-        
+        Persist structured error context without changing plugin state.
+
+        Used for recoverable failures (e.g. update timeout) where the plugin
+        stays ENABLED but the error details should remain queryable.
+
         Args:
             plugin_id: Plugin identifier
-            
+            error_info: Arbitrary dict describing the error
+        """
+        self._error_info[plugin_id] = error_info
+
+    def get_error_info(self, plugin_id: str) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
+        """
+        Get error information for a plugin.
+
+        Returns the stored error dict whether the plugin is in ERROR state or
+        still ENABLED after a recoverable failure.
+
+        Args:
+            plugin_id: Plugin identifier
+
         Returns:
             Error information dict or None
         """