diff --git a/changelog.d/fixed-write-counter-read-errors.md b/changelog.d/fixed-write-counter-read-errors.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c73b6d127c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/fixed-write-counter-read-errors.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- Preserve durable write counter totals and retry pending counts after transient file read errors ([#14531](https://github.com/hivecommons/hive/issues/14531)).
diff --git a/src/crux/proxy/write_counters_store.go b/src/crux/proxy/write_counters_store.go
index c0d4fad9d6..ba9ee43337 100644
--- a/src/crux/proxy/write_counters_store.go
+++ b/src/crux/proxy/write_counters_store.go
@@ -181,6 +181,8 @@ func (d DurableWriteCounts) empty() bool {
 	return len(d.Totals) == 0 && len(d.Weeks) == 0
 }
 
+var errInvalidWriteCounts = errors.New("invalid write counters JSON")
+
 // LoadDurableWriteCounts reads the file at path. A missing file is an empty
 // result, not an error.
 func LoadDurableWriteCounts(path string) (DurableWriteCounts, error) {
@@ -193,7 +195,7 @@ func LoadDurableWriteCounts(path string) (DurableWriteCounts, error) {
 		return d, err
 	}
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(data, &d); err != nil {
-		return newDurableWriteCounts(), fmt.Errorf("parse %s: %w", path, err)
+		return newDurableWriteCounts(), fmt.Errorf("parse %s: %w: %w", path, errInvalidWriteCounts, err)
 	}
 	return d, nil
 }
@@ -220,7 +222,10 @@ func (c *writeCounters) flush(path string, now time.Time) error {
 func mergeIntoFile(path string, pending DurableWriteCounts, now time.Time) error {
 	cur, err := LoadDurableWriteCounts(path)
 	if err != nil {
-		// A corrupt file must not stall persistence forever; start over.
+		// Only corrupt JSON can safely be replaced; preserve unreadable files.
+		if !errors.Is(err, errInvalidWriteCounts) {
+			return err
+		}
 		cur = newDurableWriteCounts()
 	}
 	cur.merge(pending)
diff --git a/src/crux/proxy/write_counters_store_test.go b/src/crux/proxy/write_counters_store_test.go
index 5374325d1c..bec4831883 100644
--- a/src/crux/proxy/write_counters_store_test.go
+++ b/src/crux/proxy/write_counters_store_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"syscall"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -88,6 +89,59 @@ func TestWriteCountersFlushFailureKeepsPending(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestWriteCountersReadFailureKeepsFileAndPending(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	path := filepath.Join(dir, "counters.json")
+	now := time.Date(2026, 10, 15, 12, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	var c writeCounters
+	c.now = func() time.Time { return now }
+	c.record("ADVISORY", "")
+	if err := c.flush(path, now); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	original, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.Rename(path, path+".saved"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	// A symlink loop produces a deterministic read error even when CI runs as root.
+	if err := os.Symlink(filepath.Base(path), path); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	c.record("ADVISORY", DenyReasonMode)
+	if err := c.flush(path, now); !errors.Is(err, syscall.ELOOP) {
+		t.Fatalf("flush error = %v, want ELOOP", err)
+	}
+	if info, err := os.Lstat(path); err != nil || info.Mode()&os.ModeSymlink == 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("unreadable path was replaced: %v, %v", info, err)
+	}
+	saved, err := os.ReadFile(path + ".saved")
+	if err != nil || string(saved) != string(original) {
+		t.Fatalf("durable data changed: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := os.Remove(path); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.Rename(path+".saved", path); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := c.flush(path, now.Add(time.Minute)); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	got, err := LoadDurableWriteCounts(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if wc := got.Totals["ADVISORY"]; wc.Attempted != 2 || wc.Blocked != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("retry totals = %+v", wc)
+	}
+	if !got.RecordedSince.Equal(time.Date(2026, 10, 12, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)) {
+		t.Errorf("recorded_since changed: %s", got.RecordedSince)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestLoadDurableWriteCountsMissingAndCorrupt(t *testing.T) {
 	dir := t.TempDir()
 	if d, err := LoadDurableWriteCounts(filepath.Join(dir, "none.json")); err != nil || !d.empty() {
@@ -95,8 +149,8 @@ func TestLoadDurableWriteCountsMissingAndCorrupt(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	bad := filepath.Join(dir, "bad.json")
 	_ = os.WriteFile(bad, []byte("{"), 0o644)
-	if _, err := LoadDurableWriteCounts(bad); err == nil {
-		t.Error("expected parse error")
+	if _, err := LoadDurableWriteCounts(bad); !errors.Is(err, errInvalidWriteCounts) {
+		t.Errorf("expected parse error, got %v", err)
 	}
 	var c writeCounters
 	c.record("ADVISORY", "")