diff --git a/src/data/placeBelow.js b/src/data/placeBelow.js
index e8456973a..609c90907 100644
--- a/src/data/placeBelow.js
+++ b/src/data/placeBelow.js
@@ -47,7 +47,11 @@ const PACKS = {
   ),
 };
 
-/** The packs on their way now, and those whose last load failed. */
+/**
+ * The packs on their way now, and those that failed in the current load (or
+ * the last one): a load starts with no failures, so a retry that lands is
+ * not blamed for a pack that failed before.
+ */
 const loadingPacks = new Set();
 const failedPacks = new Set();
 // One lookup loads its packs one after another (countries and seas, then
@@ -67,9 +71,14 @@ function notifyLoading() {
   }
 }
 
+/** Whether the status shows a load on its way. */
+function loadingNow() {
+  return loadingPacks.size > 0 || (lookupLoaded && lookupsInFlight > 0);
+}
+
 /**
  * A pack load that the loading status follows: on its way while it runs,
- * failed from a failure until it is tried again.
+ * and failed, if it fails, until the next load starts.
  * @template T
  * @param {string} name
  * @param {() => Promise<T>} load
@@ -77,15 +86,13 @@ function notifyLoading() {
  */
 export function reportedPlacePackLoad(name, load) {
   return async () => {
-    // A retry is a fresh try: its batch ends on what this load does.
-    failedPacks.delete(name);
+    // A fresh load forgets earlier failures: it ends on what it loads.
+    if (!loadingNow()) failedPacks.clear();
     if (lookupsInFlight > 0) lookupLoaded = true;
     loadingPacks.add(name);
     notifyLoading();
     try {
-      const result = await load();
-      failedPacks.delete(name);
-      return result;
+      return await load();
     } catch (error) {
       failedPacks.add(name);
       throw error;
@@ -104,7 +111,7 @@ export function reportedPlacePackLoad(name, load) {
  */
 export function placePacksStatus() {
   return {
-    loading: loadingPacks.size > 0 || (lookupLoaded && lookupsInFlight > 0),
+    loading: loadingNow(),
     failed: failedPacks.size > 0,
   };
 }
diff --git a/src/data/placePacksLoading.test.mjs b/src/data/placePacksLoading.test.mjs
index 6aa3f69d3..e58fa9948 100644
--- a/src/data/placePacksLoading.test.mjs
+++ b/src/data/placePacksLoading.test.mjs
@@ -55,3 +55,37 @@ test('one lookup that loads several packs reads as one load', async () => {
   assert.deepEqual(heard, [true, false], 'no gap between the packs');
   stop();
 });
+
+test('a load is not blamed for packs that failed in an earlier one', async () => {
+  const place = await import('./placeBelow.js?two-failed');
+  let fail = true;
+  const pack = (name) =>
+    place.reportedPlacePackLoad(name, async () => {
+      if (fail) throw new Error('offline');
+      return name;
+    });
+  const divisions = pack('divisions');
+  const places = pack('places');
+  await assert.rejects(divisions());
+  await assert.rejects(places());
+  assert.equal(place.placePacksStatus().failed, true);
+  fail = false;
+  // One lookup retries both, one after the other.
+  const lookup = place.placeBelow(48.86, 2.35, {
+    detail: {
+      division: async () => divisions(),
+      near: async () => places(),
+    },
+  });
+  const statuses = [];
+  const stop = place.onPlacePacksLoadingChange(() =>
+    statuses.push(place.placePacksStatus()),
+  );
+  await lookup;
+  stop();
+  assert.ok(statuses.length > 0);
+  assert.ok(
+    statuses.every((status) => status.failed === false),
+    'the earlier failures do not colour this load',
+  );
+});