diff --git a/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater-upgradecmd.yml b/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater-upgradecmd.yml
index 87de53a..fdd36b8 100644
--- a/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater-upgradecmd.yml
+++ b/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater-upgradecmd.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
----
 # sot-updater.yml — Read fw on Dev1 + Dev2, publish to NetBox via Rabbit (telemetry mode)
 
 - name: Read fw on Dev1 + Dev2, publish NetBox custom fields (full base, AIRPINGs, soft-fail telemetry)
@@ -37,6 +36,9 @@
     rmq_exchange: "{{ lookup('env','RMQ_EXCHANGE') | default('controls', true) }}"
     control_queue: "{{ lookup('env','CONTROLQUEUE') | default('queue_controls', true) }}"
 
+    # === NEW (surgical): requeue attempt counter from environment, default 0 ===
+    requeue_attempt: "{{ (lookup('env','REQUEUE_ATTEMPT') | default('0', true)) | int }}"
+
   pre_tasks:
     - name: "NB preflight | Verify script exists"
       delegate_to: localhost
@@ -239,6 +241,7 @@
         - nb_script.stat.exists
         - nb_ip_changed | default(false)
         - (nb_preflight.rc | default(1)) == 0      # <— extra safety
+        - (requeue_attempt | int) < 3              # <— NEW: limit to 3 tries
       delegate_to: localhost
       uri:
         url: "http://{{ rmq_host }}:{{ rmq_port }}/api/exchanges/app/deviceconfig.delayed/publish"
@@ -254,9 +257,15 @@
         body:
           properties:
             content_type: "application/json"
-            headers: { x-delay: 3000 }
+            # === NEW (surgical): 20s delay instead of 3s ===
+            headers: { x-delay: 20000 }
           routing_key: "deviceconfig"
-          payload: "{{ {'inscope_device': (ansible_hostname | default(inventory_hostname)), 'task_name': 'sot-updater'} | to_json }}"
+          # === NEW (surgical): include attempt counter in payload ===
+          payload: "{{ {
+            'inscope_device': (ansible_hostname | default(inventory_hostname)),
+            'task_name': 'sot-updater',
+            'attempt': ((requeue_attempt | int) + 1)
+          } | to_json }}"
           payload_encoding: "string"
       register: rmq_requeue
       changed_when: false
@@ -267,6 +276,7 @@
         - nb_script.stat.exists
         - nb_ip_changed | default(false)
         - (nb_preflight.rc | default(1)) == 0      # <— extra safety
+        - (requeue_attempt | int) < 3              # <— NEW: only if we actually published
       delegate_to: localhost
       ansible.builtin.debug:
         msg: