diff --git a/crates/notebook/src/background.rs b/crates/notebook/src/background.rs
index 3c38eae5c1bb4957f896617a9741f5c73dc76fc8..ea43b8477df8bcb5e6a42dc5c30a5fa6afc3b96e 100644
--- a/crates/notebook/src/background.rs
+++ b/crates/notebook/src/background.rs
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ impl Background {
                 news |= match outcome {
                     Ok((stamp, moved)) => {
                         watch.stamp = Some(stamp);
-                        watch.due = now + interval;
+                        watch.due = watch.due.min(now + interval);
                         if moved {
                             changed.push(path);
                         }
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ impl Background {
                         moved || before != summary(&watch.status)
                     }
                     Err(error) => {
-                        watch.due = now + RETRY;
+                        watch.due = watch.due.min(now + RETRY);
                         watch.fail(&error, queued)
                     }
                 };
@@ -846,6 +846,8 @@ impl Watched {
                 watch.due = now + interval;
                 continue;
             }
+            // Anything asking for the section during the check can only bring this forward.
+            watch.due = now + interval.max(RETRY);
             return Next::Check {
                 path: watch.path.clone(),
                 replica: watch.replica.clone(),
@@ -1200,7 +1202,7 @@ mod tests {
                         .find(|watch| watch.path == path)
                         .unwrap();
                     watch.current = false;
-                    watch.due = now + interval;
+                    watch.due = watch.due.min(now + interval);
                     checks.push((now, path, !current));
                 }
             }
@@ -1468,6 +1470,45 @@ mod tests {
         drop(rewatch);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn a_section_released_during_its_check_is_checked_again_at_once() {
+        let (sender, stamps) = mpsc::channel();
+        let files = Files {
+            images: Arc::default(),
+            stamps: sender,
+        };
+        let section = path(0);
+        files.write(
+            &section,
+            onestore::create_section("s.one", &section, "Author").unwrap(),
+        );
+        let (armed, watches) = mpsc::channel();
+        let remote = files.clone();
+        let background = Background::start(
+            false,
+            move |reports| {
+                armed.send(reports).unwrap();
+                let (files, listed) = (remote.clone(), remote.clone());
+                let bind = move |path: &str| File(files.clone(), path.to_owned());
+                let list = move |folder: String| std::future::ready(Ok(listed.list(&folder)));
+                Ok(((bind, list), true))
+            },
+            || {},
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        background.watch(vec![files.known(&section)]);
+        let watch = watches.recv().unwrap();
+        assert!(quiet(&stamps, SETTLE).is_empty());
+        // Holding the files parks the check reported next inside its stamp read.
+        let parked = files.images.lock().unwrap();
+        watch.touched(std::slice::from_ref(&section));
+        assert_eq!(stamps.recv_timeout(SETTLE * 2).unwrap(), section);
+        background.0.released(&section);
+        drop(parked);
+        assert_eq!(stamps.recv_timeout(SETTLE).unwrap(), section);
+        drop(background);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn held_status_tracks_its_worker_without_retaining_the_replica() {
         use crate::session::SyncState;