diff --git a/internal/monitor/monitor.go b/internal/monitor/monitor.go
index 7e9f560..f046314 100644
--- a/internal/monitor/monitor.go
+++ b/internal/monitor/monitor.go
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ type Monitor struct {
 	armVolts  float64
 	inhibited bool
 	firedShut bool
+	retries   int
 }
 
 // New returns a Monitor with the given policy.
@@ -245,6 +246,26 @@ func (m *Monitor) evaluateShutdown(r sensor.Reading) ([]Log, bool) {
 		r.Volts, r.SOC, m.armCount)}}, true
 }
 
+// ActuationFailed reports that the poweroff command did not succeed.
+//
+// It clears the fired latch so a later qualifying tick tries again. Without
+// this, one failed `systemctl poweroff` — a transient polkit denial, a busy
+// D-Bus, logind restarting — would silently disarm the feature for the rest of
+// the discharge, and the battery would reach cell cutoff and hard-cut the
+// machine. That is precisely the outcome shutdown exists to prevent, so a
+// failed attempt must not be treated as a completed one.
+//
+// The arming state is left intact: the battery is still draining, so the next
+// qualifying tick retries one interval later rather than restarting the whole
+// sample window.
+func (m *Monitor) ActuationFailed() {
+	m.firedShut = false
+	m.retries++
+}
+
+// Retries reports how many times actuation has failed and been re-armed.
+func (m *Monitor) Retries() int { return m.retries }
+
 func (m *Monitor) disarm(reason string) []Log {
 	m.inhibited = false
 	if !m.armed {
diff --git a/internal/monitor/monitor_test.go b/internal/monitor/monitor_test.go
index 2d6cb05..24e8f43 100644
--- a/internal/monitor/monitor_test.go
+++ b/internal/monitor/monitor_test.go
@@ -270,6 +270,61 @@ func TestWithoutDischargeGuardAFalseACReadingIsEnough(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// A failed poweroff must not count as a completed one. If it latched, the
+// battery would reach cell cutoff and the HAT would hard-cut the machine —
+// exactly what the feature prevents.
+func TestFailedActuationRetriesOnTheNextTick(t *testing.T) {
+	m := New(shutdownConfig())
+	settle(t, m)
+
+	for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
+		m.Tick(onBattery(i), nil)
+	}
+	if !m.Tick(onBattery(3), nil).Shutdown {
+		t.Fatal("expected the first shutdown")
+	}
+
+	// systemctl poweroff failed: polkit denied it, or D-Bus was busy.
+	m.ActuationFailed()
+
+	res := m.Tick(onBattery(4), nil)
+	if !res.Shutdown {
+		t.Fatal("a failed poweroff must be retried on the next qualifying tick")
+	}
+	if m.Retries() != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("Retries() = %d, want 1", m.Retries())
+	}
+
+	// Still latched while the retry is outstanding.
+	if m.Tick(onBattery(5), nil).Shutdown {
+		t.Error("must not fire again before the second attempt is reported failed")
+	}
+}
+
+// Retrying must not defeat the safety guards: if AC returns between attempts,
+// the machine must stay up.
+func TestRetryStillRespectsACReturn(t *testing.T) {
+	m := New(shutdownConfig())
+	settle(t, m)
+
+	for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
+		m.Tick(onBattery(i), nil)
+	}
+	if !m.Tick(onBattery(3), nil).Shutdown {
+		t.Fatal("expected the first shutdown")
+	}
+	m.ActuationFailed()
+
+	if m.Tick(onMains(), nil).Shutdown {
+		t.Fatal("AC returned; a pending retry must not power the machine off")
+	}
+	for i := 4; i < 7; i++ {
+		if m.Tick(onBattery(i), nil).Shutdown {
+			t.Fatalf("fired at tick %d; the window must restart after AC returned", i)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestLowSOCAloneCanArm(t *testing.T) {
 	m := New(shutdownConfig())
 	settle(t, m)
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index b9e23d8..2fefec4 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -168,7 +168,14 @@ func tick(ctx context.Context, src sensor.Sensor, mon *monitor.Monitor, opts *op
 	}
 
 	if res.Shutdown {
-		powerOff(opts.shutdownCmd, log)
+		if err := powerOff(opts.shutdownCmd, log); err != nil {
+			// Re-arm. A failed poweroff must not count as a completed one, or
+			// the battery reaches cell cutoff and the HAT hard-cuts the
+			// machine — the exact outcome this feature prevents.
+			mon.ActuationFailed()
+			log.Error("poweroff failed; will retry on the next qualifying tick",
+				"attempt", mon.Retries(), "err", err)
+		}
 	}
 }
 
@@ -247,24 +254,25 @@ func startWatchdog(ctx context.Context, lastTick *atomic.Int64, interval time.Du
 	return func() { close(done) }
 }
 
-func powerOff(command string, log *slog.Logger) {
+// powerOff runs the configured poweroff command and reports whether it
+// succeeded. The caller re-arms on failure.
+func powerOff(command string, log *slog.Logger) error {
 	fields := strings.Fields(command)
 	if len(fields) == 0 {
-		log.Error("shutdown requested but -shutdown-cmd is empty")
-		return
-	}
-
-	if _, err := daemon.SdNotify(false, daemon.SdNotifyStopping); err != nil {
-		log.Warn("could not notify systemd that we are stopping", "err", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("-shutdown-cmd is empty")
 	}
 
+	// Deliberately NOT sending SdNotifyStopping before the attempt. Announcing
+	// a stop that then fails leaves systemd believing the unit is going away
+	// while it keeps running. logind ends the session on a successful poweroff
+	// regardless.
 	out, err := exec.Command(fields[0], fields[1:]...).CombinedOutput()
 	if err != nil {
-		// Do not retry. A poweroff that fails needs a human, and a retry loop
-		// would fork repeatedly while the battery drains.
-		log.Error("poweroff command failed",
-			"cmd", command, "err", err, "output", strings.TrimSpace(string(out)))
-		return
+		if trimmed := strings.TrimSpace(string(out)); trimmed != "" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("%s: %w: %s", command, err, trimmed)
+		}
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", command, err)
 	}
 	log.Warn("poweroff requested", "cmd", command)
+	return nil
 }