diff --git a/core/http/middleware/failover.go b/core/http/middleware/failover.go
index e2df6285f..8c68e7de4 100644
--- a/core/http/middleware/failover.go
+++ b/core/http/middleware/failover.go
@@ -220,8 +220,10 @@ func resetResponse(resp *echo.Response, base http.Header) {
 	resp.Size = 0
 }
 
-// failoverWriter holds back an error response (status >= 500) of a chain
-// request until the handler returns, so the retry can drop it.
+// failoverWriter holds back an error response of a chain request until the
+// handler returns, so the retry can drop it. It holds every 5xx, and 429 too
+// because admission control rejects with 429 and that must spill to the next
+// target; any other 429 is not retryable and is released unchanged.
 type failoverWriter struct {
 	http.ResponseWriter
 	active    func() bool
@@ -236,7 +238,7 @@ func (w *failoverWriter) WriteHeader(code int) {
 	if w.held != 0 {
 		return
 	}
-	if !w.committed && code >= 500 && w.active() {
+	if !w.committed && (code >= 500 || code == http.StatusTooManyRequests) && w.active() {
 		w.held = code
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/core/http/middleware/failover_test.go b/core/http/middleware/failover_test.go
index 17625621f..5c42b93dd 100644
--- a/core/http/middleware/failover_test.go
+++ b/core/http/middleware/failover_test.go
@@ -200,6 +200,18 @@ var _ = Describe("failover chains in the request pipeline", func() {
 		Expect(st.Targets[0].State).To(Equal(failover.StateHealthy))
 	})
 
+	It("sends a handler's own 429 as is, without retrying or tripping", func() {
+		behavior["a"] = func(c echo.Context) error {
+			return c.JSON(http.StatusTooManyRequests, map[string]string{"error": "slow down"})
+		}
+		rec := chat("chain")
+		Expect(rec.Code).To(Equal(http.StatusTooManyRequests))
+		Expect(rec.Body.String()).To(ContainSubstring("slow down"))
+		Expect(calls).To(Equal([]string{"a"}))
+		st, _ := fm.ChainStatus("chain")
+		Expect(st.Targets[0].State).To(Equal(failover.StateHealthy))
+	})
+
 	It("does not retry when the client cancelled", func() {
 		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 		behavior["a"] = func(echo.Context) error { cancel(); return context.Canceled }