diff --git a/backend/internal/service/grok_quota_service_test.go b/backend/internal/service/grok_quota_service_test.go
index 2ee2196429..0bfe577af3 100644
--- a/backend/internal/service/grok_quota_service_test.go
+++ b/backend/internal/service/grok_quota_service_test.go
@@ -155,6 +155,14 @@ func TestShouldAutoPauseGrokAccountByQuota(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			want: true,
 		},
+		{
+			name: "retry after expired",
+			snapshot: xai.QuotaSnapshot{
+				RetryAfterSeconds: &retryAfter,
+				UpdatedAt:         time.Now().Add(-time.Duration(retryAfter+1) * time.Second).UTC().Format(time.RFC3339),
+			},
+			want: false,
+		},
 		{
 			name: "stale snapshot ignored",
 			snapshot: xai.QuotaSnapshot{
diff --git a/backend/internal/service/openai_gateway_service.go b/backend/internal/service/openai_gateway_service.go
index 3e80cb7a2a..aaa99d1292 100644
--- a/backend/internal/service/openai_gateway_service.go
+++ b/backend/internal/service/openai_gateway_service.go
@@ -1418,7 +1418,7 @@ func shouldAutoPauseGrokAccountByQuota(account *Account) (bool, openAIQuotaAutoP
 	if grokQuotaSnapshotStaleForPause(snapshot, now) {
 		return false, openAIQuotaAutoPauseDecision{}
 	}
-	if snapshot.RetryAfterSeconds != nil && *snapshot.RetryAfterSeconds > 0 {
+	if grokQuotaRetryAfterActive(snapshot, now) {
 		return true, openAIQuotaAutoPauseDecision{window: "retry_after", threshold: 1, utilization: 1}
 	}
 	if paused, decision := shouldAutoPauseGrokQuotaWindow("requests", snapshot.Requests, now); paused {
@@ -1430,6 +1430,21 @@ func shouldAutoPauseGrokAccountByQuota(account *Account) (bool, openAIQuotaAutoP
 	return false, openAIQuotaAutoPauseDecision{}
 }
 
+func grokQuotaRetryAfterActive(snapshot *xai.QuotaSnapshot, now time.Time) bool {
+	if snapshot == nil || snapshot.RetryAfterSeconds == nil || *snapshot.RetryAfterSeconds <= 0 {
+		return false
+	}
+	if strings.TrimSpace(snapshot.UpdatedAt) == "" {
+		return true
+	}
+	updatedAt, err := parseTime(snapshot.UpdatedAt)
+	if err != nil {
+		return true
+	}
+	retryAfterUntil := updatedAt.Add(time.Duration(*snapshot.RetryAfterSeconds) * time.Second)
+	return now.Before(retryAfterUntil)
+}
+
 func shouldAutoPauseGrokQuotaWindow(name string, window *xai.QuotaWindow, now time.Time) (bool, openAIQuotaAutoPauseDecision) {
 	if window == nil || window.Limit == nil || window.Remaining == nil || *window.Limit <= 0 {
 		return false, openAIQuotaAutoPauseDecision{}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/account/AccountUsageCell.vue b/frontend/src/components/account/AccountUsageCell.vue
index c1c7bdd395..3d565e1c60 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/account/AccountUsageCell.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/account/AccountUsageCell.vue
@@ -102,7 +102,11 @@
       </div>
 
       <!-- No data yet -->
-      <div v-else class="text-xs text-gray-400">-</div>
+      <div v-else class="space-y-1">
+        <div class="text-xs text-gray-400">-</div>
+        <!-- Always allow on-demand upstream quota probe, even before passive headers exist. -->
+        <GrokQuotaProbeCell :account="account" />
+      </div>
     </template>
 
     <!-- OpenAI OAuth accounts: single source from /usage API -->