diff --git a/lib/gstack-memory-helpers.ts b/lib/gstack-memory-helpers.ts
index 504752af7..efc17568d 100644
--- a/lib/gstack-memory-helpers.ts
+++ b/lib/gstack-memory-helpers.ts
@@ -131,6 +131,14 @@ let _gitleaksAvailability: boolean | null = null;
 // suppress the permanent "not in PATH; scanning disabled" warning later.
 let _gitleaksSlowWarned = false;
 let _gitleaksAbsentWarned = false;
+// Per-run cooldown: retrying a slow probe on EVERY file re-pays up to
+// probe+retry (12s default) per file — an 887-file ingest on a loaded box
+// spent hours asking the same slow question. After this many consecutive
+// slow answers the run stops probing; the availability cache is still never
+// written (slow != absent — the next PROCESS probes fresh).
+const GITLEAKS_SLOW_PROBE_LIMIT = 3;
+let _gitleaksConsecutiveSlow = 0;
+let _gitleaksCooldownWarned = false;
 
 // Probe budgets. The first is short because the common answers (a real
 // gitleaks, or ENOENT) are both immediate; the second is generous because by
@@ -176,17 +184,32 @@ function probeGitleaks(timeoutMs: number): GitleaksProbe {
  */
 function gitleaksAvailable(): boolean {
   if (_gitleaksAvailability !== null) return _gitleaksAvailability;
+  if (_gitleaksConsecutiveSlow >= GITLEAKS_SLOW_PROBE_LIMIT) {
+    if (!_gitleaksCooldownWarned) {
+      _gitleaksCooldownWarned = true;
+      process.stderr.write(
+        "[gstack-memory-helpers] gitleaks did not answer in " +
+        `${GITLEAKS_SLOW_PROBE_LIMIT} consecutive probes; skipping the probe ` +
+        "for the rest of this run — remaining files go unscanned. Re-run when " +
+        "the machine is less loaded to scan them.\n"
+      );
+    }
+    return false;
+  }
 
   let probe = probeGitleaks(_probeMs);
   if (probe === "slow") probe = probeGitleaks(_retryMs);
 
   if (probe === "ok") {
     _gitleaksAvailability = true;
+    _gitleaksConsecutiveSlow = 0;
     return true;
   }
 
   if (probe === "slow") {
-    // No cache write: leave the question open for the next call.
+    // No cache write: leave the question open for the next call — but count
+    // it, so a persistently loaded box stops paying probe+retry per file.
+    _gitleaksConsecutiveSlow++;
     if (!_gitleaksSlowWarned) {
       _gitleaksSlowWarned = true;
       process.stderr.write(
@@ -578,6 +601,8 @@ export function _resetGitleaksAvailabilityCache(): void {
   _gitleaksAvailability = null;
   _gitleaksSlowWarned = false;
   _gitleaksAbsentWarned = false;
+  _gitleaksConsecutiveSlow = 0;
+  _gitleaksCooldownWarned = false;
   _probeMs = GITLEAKS_PROBE_MS;
   _retryMs = GITLEAKS_RETRY_MS;
 }
diff --git a/test/gstack-memory-helpers.test.ts b/test/gstack-memory-helpers.test.ts
index 1b06a4303..c22e4c611 100644
--- a/test/gstack-memory-helpers.test.ts
+++ b/test/gstack-memory-helpers.test.ts
@@ -276,6 +276,34 @@ exit 2
     }
   });
 
+  it("stops probing after 3 consecutive slow answers (per-run cooldown), never caching unavailability", () => {
+    const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "gstack-test-"));
+    const binDir = join(dir, "bin");
+    const log = join(dir, "calls.log");
+    const file = join(dir, "clean.txt");
+    writeFileSync(file, "no secrets here\n");
+    // Empty marker: EVERY call hangs, so both budgets expire on each probe.
+    fakeGitleaks(binDir, log, "");
+    try {
+      _setGitleaksProbeTimeouts(800, 800);
+      // Three slow rounds: each pays probe+retry (2 spawns), each unscanned.
+      for (let i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
+        const r = withFakeOnPath(binDir, () => secretScanFile(file));
+        expect(r.scanner).toBe("missing");
+      }
+      const probesAtLimit = versionProbes(log);
+      expect(probesAtLimit).toBe(6);
+      // Fourth file: cooldown short-circuits — no spawn, still unscanned,
+      // and the question stays open for the NEXT process (cache never set).
+      const fourth = withFakeOnPath(binDir, () => secretScanFile(file));
+      expect(fourth.scanner).toBe("missing");
+      expect(versionProbes(log)).toBe(probesAtLimit);
+      expect(_gitleaksCacheState()).toBeNull();
+    } finally {
+      rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
   it("caches an absent binary, so it is probed once per process", () => {
     const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "gstack-test-"));
     const binDir = join(dir, "empty-bin");