diff --git a/internal/classification/client.go b/internal/classification/client.go
index 984d003..cef5caa 100644
--- a/internal/classification/client.go
+++ b/internal/classification/client.go
@@ -365,6 +365,12 @@ func (c *Client) complete(ctx context.Context, gate *ratelimit.Controller, r com
 			Code int `json:"code"`
 		}
 		_ = json.Unmarshal(envelope.Error, &detail)
+		if detail.Code == http.StatusTooManyRequests {
+			// An upstream rate limit tunneled through HTTP 200 must arm the
+			// same cooldown as a transport 429: later Acquire calls fail fast
+			// instead of pacing more requests into a throttled endpoint.
+			return "", gate.ReportLimit()
+		}
 		if detail.Code != 0 {
 			return "", fmt.Errorf("AI provider reported an error (code %d)", detail.Code)
 		}
diff --git a/internal/classification/client_test.go b/internal/classification/client_test.go
index 42f6f44..de8f422 100644
--- a/internal/classification/client_test.go
+++ b/internal/classification/client_test.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"finance-duck/internal/domain"
 	"finance-duck/internal/ratelimit"
@@ -358,6 +359,30 @@ func TestMalformedEnvelopesRejected(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// An upstream rate limit tunneled inside an HTTP 200 envelope must arm the
+// shared cooldown like a transport 429: the next classification fails fast
+// instead of pacing another request into a throttled endpoint.
+func TestEnvelope429ArmsSharedCooldown(t *testing.T) {
+	f, d := fixture()
+	calls := 0
+	c := mockClient(t, func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		calls++
+		_, _ = io.WriteString(w, `{"error":{"code":429,"message":"private"},"choices":[]}`)
+	})
+	c.rate.Store(&ratelimit.Controller{InitialBackoff: time.Minute})
+	_, err := c.Classify(context.Background(), f, d, true)
+	var limit *ratelimit.RateLimitError
+	if err == nil || !errors.As(err, &limit) || strings.Contains(err.Error(), "private") {
+		t.Fatalf("envelope 429 not reported as a rate limit: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, err = c.Classify(context.Background(), f, d, true); err == nil || !errors.As(err, &limit) {
+		t.Fatalf("cooldown not armed: %v", err)
+	}
+	if calls != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("throttled endpoint was contacted again: %d calls", calls)
+	}
+}
+
 type failingTransport struct{}
 
 func (failingTransport) RoundTrip(*http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
diff --git a/internal/ratelimit/controller.go b/internal/ratelimit/controller.go
index 00b5fed..cb0a2c5 100644
--- a/internal/ratelimit/controller.go
+++ b/internal/ratelimit/controller.go
@@ -109,6 +109,43 @@ func (g *Controller) Release() {
 	<-g.active
 }
 
+// recordLimit escalates the consecutive-failure backoff, retains the cooldown
+// and learns spacing. Callers hold the Acquire gate, like Do's 429 branch.
+func (g *Controller) recordLimit(header string) *RateLimitError {
+	if g.backoff <= 0 {
+		g.backoff = g.InitialBackoff
+		if g.backoff <= 0 {
+			g.backoff = time.Second
+		}
+	} else if g.backoff >= maxBackoff/2 {
+		g.backoff = max(g.backoff, maxBackoff)
+	} else {
+		g.backoff *= 2
+	}
+	fallback := max(g.backoff, g.MinimumInterval, g.learnedInterval)
+	limit := retryLimit(header, time.Now(), fallback)
+	g.mu.Lock()
+	g.limit = limit
+	g.mu.Unlock()
+	// Keep the most conservative learned cadence for this controller's
+	// lifetime, capped at 30 seconds. The actual provider deadline is never
+	// capped; persistent failures separately escalate up to 15 minutes.
+	learned := maxLearnedInterval
+	if !limit.unbounded {
+		learned = min(learned, time.Until(limit.next))
+	}
+	g.learnedInterval = max(g.learnedInterval, learned)
+	return limit
+}
+
+// ReportLimit records a rate limit the provider communicated outside the HTTP
+// status — typically inside an HTTP 200 error envelope — so later Acquire
+// calls fail fast during the cooldown exactly as after a transport HTTP 429.
+// It must be called while holding an Acquire, like Do.
+func (g *Controller) ReportLimit() *RateLimitError {
+	return g.recordLimit("")
+}
+
 // retryLimit never converts a positive overflowing delay into a short wait.
 // Delays beyond time.Duration's range disable retries rather than truncate the
 // provider's instruction. HTTP dates retain their absolute timestamp unchanged.
@@ -202,29 +239,7 @@ func (g *Controller) Do(ctx context.Context, attempt func(context.Context) (*htt
 			}
 			return resp, nil
 		}
-		if g.backoff <= 0 {
-			g.backoff = g.InitialBackoff
-			if g.backoff <= 0 {
-				g.backoff = time.Second
-			}
-		} else if g.backoff >= maxBackoff/2 {
-			g.backoff = max(g.backoff, maxBackoff)
-		} else {
-			g.backoff *= 2
-		}
-		fallback := max(g.backoff, g.MinimumInterval, g.learnedInterval)
-		limit := retryLimit(resp.Header.Get("Retry-After"), time.Now(), fallback)
-		g.mu.Lock()
-		g.limit = limit
-		g.mu.Unlock()
-		// Keep the most conservative learned cadence for this controller's
-		// lifetime, capped at 30 seconds. The actual provider deadline is never
-		// capped; persistent failures separately escalate up to 15 minutes.
-		learned := maxLearnedInterval
-		if !limit.unbounded {
-			learned = min(learned, time.Until(limit.next))
-		}
-		g.learnedInterval = max(g.learnedInterval, learned)
+		limit := g.recordLimit(resp.Header.Get("Retry-After"))
 		// Never read or expose provider errors, and release each response before
 		// any sleep or retry. Other responses are processed by the caller.
 		resp.Body.Close()