diff --git a/src/lib/jobs/__tests__/document-content-index-backfill-failing.test.ts b/src/lib/jobs/__tests__/document-content-index-backfill-failing.test.ts
index dcdd6126e..98ea5f7ab 100644
--- a/src/lib/jobs/__tests__/document-content-index-backfill-failing.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/jobs/__tests__/document-content-index-backfill-failing.test.ts
@@ -77,6 +77,9 @@ vi.mock("@/lib/ai/coach/budget", () => ({
   resolveCostOwner: () => "user",
 }));
 vi.mock("@/lib/jobs/boss-instance", () => ({ getGlobalBoss: vi.fn() }));
+vi.mock("@/lib/ai/capabilities/egress", () => ({
+  aiEgressRefusal: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(null),
+}));
 
 import {
   BACKFILL_FAILURES_IN_A_ROW,
diff --git a/src/lib/jobs/__tests__/document-content-index-backfill.test.ts b/src/lib/jobs/__tests__/document-content-index-backfill.test.ts
index 189bcc9b9..3a668daf3 100644
--- a/src/lib/jobs/__tests__/document-content-index-backfill.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/jobs/__tests__/document-content-index-backfill.test.ts
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ vi.mock("@/lib/ai/coach/budget", () => ({
   resolveCostOwner: vi.fn(() => "operator" as const),
 }));
 vi.mock("@/lib/jobs/boss-instance", () => ({ getGlobalBoss: vi.fn() }));
+vi.mock("@/lib/ai/capabilities/egress", () => ({
+  aiEgressRefusal: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(null),
+}));
 
 import { runContentIndexBackfillForUser } from "../document-content-index-backfill";
 import { prisma } from "@/lib/db";
@@ -62,7 +65,8 @@ import { rasterizePdf } from "@/lib/documents/rasterize-pdf";
 import { transcribeDocument } from "@/lib/documents/describe";
 import { resolveDocumentVisionProvider } from "@/lib/documents/provider-order";
 import { AiUnavailableError } from "@/lib/ai/capabilities/refusal";
-import { reserveBudget } from "@/lib/ai/coach/budget";
+import { reconcileSpend, reserveBudget } from "@/lib/ai/coach/budget";
+import { aiEgressRefusal } from "@/lib/ai/capabilities/egress";
 import { aiCapabilityForJob } from "@/lib/ai/capabilities/gate";
 import {
   decryptIndexText,
@@ -137,6 +141,14 @@ function seedIndexRows(
   }) as never);
 }
 
+/** A pick, and one page of candidates with these ids. */
+function walk(ids: string[]) {
+  vi.mocked(resolveDocumentVisionProvider).mockResolvedValue(PICK as never);
+  vi.mocked(prisma.inboundDocument.findMany).mockResolvedValue(
+    ids.map((id) => ({ id })) as never,
+  );
+}
+
 describe("runContentIndexBackfillForUser", () => {
   it("no-ops with no provider", async () => {
     vi.mocked(resolveDocumentVisionProvider).mockResolvedValue({
@@ -253,13 +265,9 @@ describe("runContentIndexBackfillForUser", () => {
   );
 
   it("indexes the not-yet-indexed documents", async () => {
-    vi.mocked(resolveDocumentVisionProvider).mockResolvedValue(PICK as never);
     // One short page (< PAGE_SIZE) — the walk breaks after it, so a single
     // findMany return is enough (a trailing once would leak to the next test).
-    vi.mocked(prisma.inboundDocument.findMany).mockResolvedValue([
-      { id: "d1" },
-      { id: "d2" },
-    ] as never);
+    walk(["d1", "d2"]);
 
     const result = await runContentIndexBackfillForUser("user-1");
     expect(result).toEqual({
@@ -276,6 +284,36 @@ describe("runContentIndexBackfillForUser", () => {
     ).toMatchObject({ aiReadDeferred: false });
   });
 
+  it("settles a document's reservation once when its index write fails after the read", async () => {
+    walk(["d1"]);
+    vi.mocked(upsertContentIndex).mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error("write"));
+
+    const result = await runContentIndexBackfillForUser("user-1");
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({ indexed: 0, failed: 1 });
+    // The read happened and is charged; nothing is handed back a second time.
+    expect(reconcileSpend).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(vi.mocked(reconcileSpend).mock.calls[0]![2]).toBe(1);
+  });
+
+  it("asks the wire again before every document's read", async () => {
+    walk(["d1", "d2"]);
+    // Consent withdrawn while the walk is between the two documents.
+    vi.mocked(aiEgressRefusal)
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(null)
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(
+        new AiUnavailableError("documentAi", "consent_required"),
+      );
+
+    const result = await runContentIndexBackfillForUser("user-1");
+    expect(transcribeDocument).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(aiEgressRefusal).toHaveBeenCalledWith("documentAi", "user-1", [
+      "anthropic",
+    ]);
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({ indexed: 1, reason: "no-consent" });
+    // The second document's reservation went back untouched.
+    expect(vi.mocked(reconcileSpend).mock.calls.at(-1)![2]).toBe(0);
+  });
+
   it("includes PDFs as candidates for an image-input provider and rasterises them", async () => {
     // The per-document authority (`prepareVisionInput`) renders a PDF to page
     // images when the provider cannot take PDFs natively. The candidate MIME
diff --git a/src/lib/jobs/document-content-index-backfill.ts b/src/lib/jobs/document-content-index-backfill.ts
index e6e59197a..45fc3d078 100644
--- a/src/lib/jobs/document-content-index-backfill.ts
+++ b/src/lib/jobs/document-content-index-backfill.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
  * (`src/lib/jobs/reminder/register-maintenance.ts`) so pg-boss provisions it.
  */
 import { AI_BUDGETS } from "@/lib/ai/ai-budgets";
+import { aiEgressRefusal } from "@/lib/ai/capabilities/egress";
 import { aiCapabilityForJob } from "@/lib/ai/capabilities/gate";
 import { PICK_DECIDED_REASONS } from "@/lib/ai/capabilities/types";
 import {
@@ -333,6 +334,22 @@ export async function runContentIndexBackfillForUser(
         continue;
       }
 
+      // The wire again, before every read: a consent withdrawn or a switch
+      // turned off while the walk runs stops it at the next document, not
+      // at the next run.
+      const refusal = await aiEgressRefusal("documentAi", userId, [
+        pick.providerType,
+      ]);
+      if (refusal) {
+        await reconcileSpend(userId, reservation.reserved, 0, dateKey, 0, {
+          servedBy: null,
+          reservedOwner: reservation.owner,
+        });
+        reason =
+          refusal.reason === "consent_required" ? "no-consent" : "unavailable";
+        break outer;
+      }
+
       calls += 1;
       const read = await transcribeAndIndex(userId, document.id, pick, vision, {
         reserved: reservation.reserved,
@@ -392,14 +409,24 @@ async function transcribeAndIndex(
       servedBy,
       reservedOwner: budget.owner,
     });
+  let text: string;
   try {
-    const { text } = await transcribeDocument({
+    ({ text } = await transcribeDocument({
       provider: pick.entry.instance,
       providerType: pick.providerType,
       images: vision.images,
       documents: vision.documents,
-    });
-    await settle(budget.reserved, pick.entry.providerType);
+    }));
+  } catch (err) {
+    await settle(spentTokensOf(err) ?? 0, null);
+    // Counted into the run's `failed` tally by the caller.
+    return { error: err };
+  }
+  // Settled once, for the read that was made. The index write below is ours,
+  // not the provider's: a failure there charges nothing back, or the
+  // reservation would be handed back a second time.
+  await settle(budget.reserved, pick.entry.providerType);
+  try {
     await upsertContentIndex({
       userId,
       documentId,
@@ -407,12 +434,10 @@ async function transcribeAndIndex(
       source: "vision",
       providerType: pick.providerType,
     });
-    return "indexed";
   } catch (err) {
-    await settle(spentTokensOf(err) ?? 0, null);
-    // Counted into the run's `failed` tally by the caller.
     return { error: err };
   }
+  return "indexed";
 }
 
 /**