diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b8443a62..e9b4125a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/).
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Changed
+- Keep save-query retry policy internal and retry transient misses every 10 server ticks instead of exposing a retry-count setting.
+
 ## [0.1.3] - 2026-10-06
 
 ### Fixed
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e5f7d750..899c5ffc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -77,7 +77,6 @@ The plugin writes `plugins/endkeep/config.toml` on first start.
 enabled = true
 
 [capture]
-query_retries = 300
 times = [
     "12:00",
     "16:30",
@@ -108,9 +107,8 @@ path = "backups"
 min_free_space_gib = 5
 ```
 
-`capture.query_retries` is the number of additional `save query` attempts allowed after the first unsuccessful
-attempt. The default is 300; `0` disables additional retries. The existing 15-second query deadline remains a
-hard safety cap. Older configuration files that omit this field automatically use 300.
+Transient `save query` misses are retried internally every 10 server ticks. The capture still has a fixed
+15-second query deadline, after which EndKeep enters the fail-safe `save resume` recovery path.
 
 Retention keeps a snapshot when it is **within `keep_days` OR among the last `keep_last`**.
 The raw hard limits are safety limits: if the queue cannot be logicalized and a hard limit must be
diff --git a/src/endstone_endkeep/config.py b/src/endstone_endkeep/config.py
index d7d1b8ee..bae98fa1 100644
--- a/src/endstone_endkeep/config.py
+++ b/src/endstone_endkeep/config.py
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ def _section(mapping: Mapping[str, Any], name: str) -> Mapping[str, Any]:
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
 class CaptureConfig:
     times: tuple[str, ...]
-    query_retries: int
 
 
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
@@ -115,10 +114,6 @@ def from_mapping(cls, mapping: Mapping[str, Any]) -> EndKeepConfig:
         retention = _section(mapping, "retention")
         storage = _section(mapping, "storage")
 
-        query_retries = capture.get("query_retries", 300)
-        if not isinstance(query_retries, int) or isinstance(query_retries, bool) or query_retries < 0:
-            raise ConfigError("capture.query_retries must be a non-negative integer")
-
         storage_path = storage.get("path")
         if not isinstance(storage_path, str) or not storage_path.strip():
             raise ConfigError("storage.path must be a non-empty path string")
@@ -138,7 +133,7 @@ def from_mapping(cls, mapping: Mapping[str, Any]) -> EndKeepConfig:
 
         return cls(
             enabled=enabled,
-            capture=CaptureConfig(times=_string_list(capture, "times"), query_retries=query_retries),
+            capture=CaptureConfig(_string_list(capture, "times")),
             maintenance=MaintenanceConfig(_string_list(maintenance, "times")),
             raw=RawConfig(
                 max_pending=_positive_int(raw, "max_pending"),
diff --git a/src/endstone_endkeep/config.toml b/src/endstone_endkeep/config.toml
index ea25469f..baf1f409 100644
--- a/src/endstone_endkeep/config.toml
+++ b/src/endstone_endkeep/config.toml
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 enabled = true
 
 [capture]
-query_retries = 300
 times = [
     "12:00",
     "16:30",
diff --git a/src/endstone_endkeep/coordinator.py b/src/endstone_endkeep/coordinator.py
index 886caf2d..d5f1b9c7 100644
--- a/src/endstone_endkeep/coordinator.py
+++ b/src/endstone_endkeep/coordinator.py
@@ -30,29 +30,27 @@ class CaptureCoordinator:
     """Main-thread BDS state machine with exact staging/durability on one worker."""
 
     QUERY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS = 15.0
-    QUERY_POLL_SECONDS = 0.05
+    QUERY_RETRY_TICKS = 10
 
     def __init__(
         self,
         plugin: Plugin,
         raw_store: RawSnapshotStore,
         *,
-        query_retries: int = 300,
         space_guard: Callable[[int], bool] | None = None,
         space_recovery: Callable[[int, str | None], bool] | None = None,
     ) -> None:
         self._plugin = plugin
         self._adapter = BdsSaveAdapter(plugin.server)
         self._raw_store = raw_store
-        self._query_retries = query_retries
         self._query_failures = 0
+        self._query_retry_ticks = 0
         self._space_guard = space_guard
         self._space_recovery = space_recovery
         self._executor = ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=1, thread_name_prefix="endkeep-capture")
         self._state: CaptureState = "idle"
         self._scheduled_for: str | None = None
         self._deadline = 0.0
-        self._next_query = 0.0
         self._hold_started = 0.0
         self._hold_elapsed = 0.0
         self._cancel = Event()
@@ -88,6 +86,7 @@ def start_capture(self, *, scheduled_for: str | None) -> bool:
         self._future = None
         self._space_retry_bytes = None
         self._query_failures = 0
+        self._query_retry_ticks = 0
 
         hold_started = time.monotonic()
         try:
@@ -100,7 +99,6 @@ def start_capture(self, *, scheduled_for: str | None) -> bool:
         now = time.monotonic()
         self._hold_started = hold_started
         self._deadline = now + self.QUERY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS
-        self._next_query = now
         self._state = "querying"
         return True
 
@@ -136,14 +134,15 @@ def _pump_query(self) -> None:
         if now >= self._deadline:
             self._fail_held(f"save query timed out after {self._query_failures} unsuccessful attempt(s)")
             return
-        if now < self._next_query:
-            return
-        self._next_query = now + self.QUERY_POLL_SECONDS
+        if self._query_retry_ticks > 0:
+            self._query_retry_ticks -= 1
+            if self._query_retry_ticks > 0:
+                return
 
         try:
             capture = self._adapter.query()
         except Exception as exc:
-            self._retry_query_or_fail(f"save query raised: {exc}")
+            self._schedule_query_retry(f"save query raised: {exc}")
             return
 
         try:
@@ -152,7 +151,7 @@ def _pump_query(self) -> None:
             # Endstone's dispatch_command() return value reflects command success,
             # not whether the vanilla command reached BDS. A false result is expected
             # while save query is waiting for the held save to become ready.
-            self._retry_query_or_fail("save query did not return a valid manifest")
+            self._schedule_query_retry("save query did not return a valid manifest")
             return
 
         if self._space_guard is not None and not self._space_guard(manifest.total_bytes):
@@ -168,11 +167,9 @@ def _pump_query(self) -> None:
         )
         self._state = "staging"
 
-    def _retry_query_or_fail(self, reason: str) -> None:
+    def _schedule_query_retry(self, _reason: str) -> None:
         self._query_failures += 1
-        if self._query_failures <= self._query_retries:
-            return
-        self._fail_held(f"{reason}; retry limit exhausted after {self._query_failures} unsuccessful attempt(s)")
+        self._query_retry_ticks = self.QUERY_RETRY_TICKS
 
     def _defer_for_space(self, required_bytes: int) -> None:
         self._space_retry_bytes = required_bytes
@@ -290,7 +287,6 @@ def _reset(self) -> None:
         self._state = "idle"
         self._scheduled_for = None
         self._deadline = 0.0
-        self._next_query = 0.0
         self._hold_started = 0.0
         self._hold_elapsed = 0.0
         self._future = None
@@ -298,3 +294,4 @@ def _reset(self) -> None:
         self._staged = None
         self._space_retry_bytes = None
         self._query_failures = 0
+        self._query_retry_ticks = 0
diff --git a/src/endstone_endkeep/plugin.py b/src/endstone_endkeep/plugin.py
index 2b51c623..acbfba3c 100644
--- a/src/endstone_endkeep/plugin.py
+++ b/src/endstone_endkeep/plugin.py
@@ -132,7 +132,6 @@ def _configure_runtime(self, runtime_config: EndKeepConfig | None = None) -> Non
         capture = CaptureCoordinator(
             self,
             raw_store,
-            query_retries=config.capture.query_retries,
             space_guard=repository.queue.free_space_allows,
             space_recovery=self._request_capture_space_recovery,
         )
diff --git a/tests/test_capture_coordinator.py b/tests/test_capture_coordinator.py
index 1a0336f7..f3f2ab07 100644
--- a/tests/test_capture_coordinator.py
+++ b/tests/test_capture_coordinator.py
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ def __init__(
         self.query_messages = query_messages
         self.query_dispatched = query_dispatched
         self.resume_failures = resume_failures
+        self.query_calls = 0
         self.resume_calls = 0
 
     @property
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ def hold(self):
         return SimpleNamespace(dispatched=True, messages=(), errors=())
 
     def query(self):
+        self.query_calls += 1
         if self.query_error is not None:
             raise self.query_error
         return SimpleNamespace(dispatched=self.query_dispatched, messages=self.query_messages, errors=())
@@ -91,22 +93,25 @@ def _coordinator(
     monkeypatch,
     tmp_path: Path,
     adapter: _FakeAdapter,
-    *,
-    query_retries: int = 300,
 ) -> tuple[CaptureCoordinator, _Plugin, _RawStore]:
     plugin = _Plugin()
     raw_store = _RawStore(tmp_path / "raw" / "snapshot")
     monkeypatch.setattr(coordinator_module, "BdsSaveAdapter", lambda _server: adapter)
-    coordinator = CaptureCoordinator(plugin, raw_store, query_retries=query_retries)
+    coordinator = CaptureCoordinator(plugin, raw_store)
     return coordinator, plugin, raw_store
 
 
 def test_held_failure_retries_resume_and_blocks_new_capture(monkeypatch, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     adapter = _FakeAdapter(query_error=RuntimeError("query failed"), resume_failures=1)
-    coordinator, plugin, _raw_store = _coordinator(monkeypatch, tmp_path, adapter, query_retries=0)
+    coordinator, plugin, _raw_store = _coordinator(monkeypatch, tmp_path, adapter)
     try:
         assert coordinator.start_capture(scheduled_for=None)
 
+        coordinator.pump()
+        assert coordinator.status().state == "querying"
+        assert coordinator.status().held
+
+        coordinator._deadline = 0.0
         coordinator.pump()
 
         assert coordinator.status().state == "resume_retry"
@@ -196,7 +201,7 @@ def test_space_shortage_resumes_and_requests_cleanup_before_fresh_capture(monkey
 
 def test_false_dispatch_result_is_retried_instead_of_failing_capture(monkeypatch, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     adapter = _FakeAdapter(query_dispatched=False)
-    coordinator, _plugin, _raw_store = _coordinator(monkeypatch, tmp_path, adapter, query_retries=1)
+    coordinator, _plugin, _raw_store = _coordinator(monkeypatch, tmp_path, adapter)
     try:
         assert coordinator.start_capture(scheduled_for="20:30")
 
@@ -206,12 +211,17 @@ def test_false_dispatch_result_is_retried_instead_of_failing_capture(monkeypatch
         assert coordinator.status().held
         assert adapter.resume_calls == 0
 
-        coordinator._next_query = 0.0
-        coordinator.pump()
+        assert adapter.query_calls == 1
 
-        assert coordinator.status().state == "idle"
-        assert not coordinator.status().held
-        assert adapter.resume_calls == 1
+        for _ in range(9):
+            coordinator.pump()
+        assert adapter.query_calls == 1
+
+        coordinator.pump()
+        assert adapter.query_calls == 2
+        assert coordinator.status().state == "querying"
+        assert coordinator.status().held
+        assert adapter.resume_calls == 0
     finally:
         coordinator.close()
 
@@ -221,7 +231,7 @@ def test_valid_manifest_is_accepted_even_when_dispatch_returns_false(monkeypatch
         query_dispatched=False,
         query_messages=("level/level.dat:3",),
     )
-    coordinator, _plugin, _raw_store = _coordinator(monkeypatch, tmp_path, adapter, query_retries=0)
+    coordinator, _plugin, _raw_store = _coordinator(monkeypatch, tmp_path, adapter)
     try:
         assert coordinator.start_capture(scheduled_for="20:35")
 
diff --git a/tests/test_config.py b/tests/test_config.py
index 741173a8..e66e4d30 100644
--- a/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/tests/test_config.py
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ def test_default_config() -> None:
     config = EndKeepConfig.from_mapping(_defaults())
     assert config.enabled is True
     assert config.capture.times == ("12:00", "16:30", "20:30", "23:45")
-    assert config.capture.query_retries == 300
     assert config.maintenance.times == ("06:00", "18:30")
     assert config.maintenance.mode_for("06:00") == "FULL"
     assert config.maintenance.mode_for("18:30") == "LOGIC_ONLY"
@@ -36,23 +35,3 @@ def test_default_config() -> None:
 def test_invalid_time(value: str) -> None:
     with pytest.raises(ConfigError):
         parse_hhmm(value)
-
-
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("value", [-1, 1.5, True, "3"])
-def test_invalid_query_retries(value: object) -> None:
-    mapping = _defaults()
-    mapping["capture"]["query_retries"] = value
-    with pytest.raises(ConfigError):
-        EndKeepConfig.from_mapping(mapping)
-
-
-def test_zero_query_retries_is_allowed() -> None:
-    mapping = _defaults()
-    mapping["capture"]["query_retries"] = 0
-    assert EndKeepConfig.from_mapping(mapping).capture.query_retries == 0
-
-
-def test_missing_query_retries_uses_backward_compatible_default() -> None:
-    mapping = _defaults()
-    del mapping["capture"]["query_retries"]
-    assert EndKeepConfig.from_mapping(mapping).capture.query_retries == 300