diff --git a/src/plugin_system/resource_monitor.py b/src/plugin_system/resource_monitor.py
index 1891cde3..bd9a0d18 100644
--- a/src/plugin_system/resource_monitor.py
+++ b/src/plugin_system/resource_monitor.py
@@ -377,11 +377,14 @@ class PluginResourceMonitor:
 
         Caller must hold ``self._lock``.
         """
-        now = time.time()
+        # Monotonic, not wall clock: these devices have no RTC, so the clock
+        # jumps by however far off boot-time was the moment NTP first syncs.
+        # A forward jump would allow an early write, a backward one would
+        # stall the snapshot well past the interval.
+        now = time.monotonic()
         if not force and now - self._metrics_persisted_at.get(plugin_id, 0.0) \
                 < _METRICS_PERSIST_INTERVAL:
             return
-        self._metrics_persisted_at[plugin_id] = now
         cache_key = self._get_metrics_key(plugin_id)
         self.cache_manager.set(cache_key, {
             'memory_mb': metrics.memory_mb,
@@ -395,6 +398,9 @@ class PluginResourceMonitor:
                                    else 0.0),
             'last_update_time': metrics.last_update_time,
         })
+        # Only after the write lands. Marking it first would mean a failed
+        # set() bought the next interval's silence without leaving a snapshot.
+        self._metrics_persisted_at[plugin_id] = now
 
     def reset_metrics(self, plugin_id: str) -> None:
         """Reset metrics for a plugin."""
diff --git a/test/test_resource_monitor.py b/test/test_resource_monitor.py
index 9f672764..49ab4bf6 100644
--- a/test/test_resource_monitor.py
+++ b/test/test_resource_monitor.py
@@ -174,3 +174,20 @@ class TestMetricsPersistenceChurn:
         writes = [c for c in cache.set.call_args_list
                   if c.args and str(c.args[0]).startswith("plugin_metrics:")]
         assert len(writes) == 2, "reset should clear the throttle timestamp"
+
+    def test_a_failed_write_does_not_buy_the_next_interval_of_silence(self):
+        """A set() that raises must not count as having persisted.
+
+        Marking the timestamp before the write would leave no snapshot in the
+        cache and still suppress the next 30 seconds of attempts.
+        """
+        cache = _cache()
+        cache.set.side_effect = [OSError("disk full"), None]
+        mon = PluginResourceMonitor(cache, enable_monitoring=False)
+        with pytest.raises(OSError):
+            mon.monitor_call("p", lambda: None)
+        # the very next call must try again rather than skip the interval
+        mon.monitor_call("p", lambda: None)
+        writes = [c for c in cache.set.call_args_list
+                  if c.args and str(c.args[0]).startswith("plugin_metrics:")]
+        assert len(writes) == 2, "a failed write should be retried, not skipped"