diff --git a/.changeset/forget-rejected-hold.md b/.changeset/forget-rejected-hold.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5906ec48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/forget-rejected-hold.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"ftw": patch
+---
+
+Keep a rejected held value unknown until its source reports again. A charger that finished while silent no longer comes back as a phantom charge when the house later uses more power.
diff --git a/go/internal/state/history_source_bridge_test.go b/go/internal/state/history_source_bridge_test.go
index 8f79b324..645bbd65 100644
--- a/go/internal/state/history_source_bridge_test.go
+++ b/go/internal/state/history_source_bridge_test.go
@@ -109,6 +109,41 @@ func TestSourceLoadDayForgivesShortGaps(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// A held value the balance rejects stays rejected until its source reports
+// again. A later rise in house use must not revive it as a phantom charge.
+func TestSourceLoadForgetsARejectedHold(t *testing.T) {
+	const minute = int64(60000)
+	s := sourceStore(t)
+	base := time.Now().UTC().Truncate(24*time.Hour).UnixMilli() - 24*3600000
+	for at := base; at <= base+60*minute; at += 5000 {
+		off := at - base
+		// A 1 kW house and a 2 kW charge. The charger falls silent at 10
+		// minutes, the car finishes at 20, a heater adds 3 kW at 30, and the
+		// charger reports again, at 0 W, after 50.
+		v := HistorySources{GridW: 3000, EVW: 2000}
+		switch {
+		case off >= 30*minute:
+			v.GridW, v.EVW = 4000, 0
+		case off >= 20*minute:
+			v.GridW, v.EVW = 1000, 0
+		}
+		if off > 10*minute && off <= 50*minute {
+			v.Missing, v.EVW = MissingEV, 0
+		}
+		sourceTick(t, s, at, v)
+	}
+	var phantomWh float64
+	var unknownMinutes int
+	if err := s.history.QueryRow(`SELECT COALESCE(SUM(e.ev_charge_wh),0),COALESCE(SUM(COALESCE(q.missing,0)&?<>0),0) FROM history_source_energy e
+ LEFT JOIN history_quality q ON q.kind='source_energy' AND q.start_ms=e.start_ms AND q.resolution_ms=e.resolution_ms
+ WHERE e.start_ms>=? AND e.start_ms<?`, MissingEV, base+21*minute, base+50*minute).Scan(&phantomWh, &unknownMinutes); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if phantomWh != 0 || unknownMinutes != 29 {
+		t.Fatalf("rejected charge revived: %v Wh charged, %d of 29 minutes unknown", phantomWh, unknownMinutes)
+	}
+}
+
 // Training reads only measured minutes, so every minute the display holds
 // or bridges keeps its marker, also after retention merges minutes.
 func TestSourceLoadMarksEveryEstimatedMinute(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/go/internal/state/history_sources.go b/go/internal/state/history_sources.go
index 1599a167..d47b25a7 100644
--- a/go/internal/state/history_sources.go
+++ b/go/internal/state/history_sources.go
@@ -115,9 +115,14 @@ func (s *Store) recordSourceEnergyTx(ctx context.Context, tx *sql.Tx, p *History
 			last.Start = at
 		}
 	default:
-		if err := holdSourceIntervalTx(ctx, tx, last, cur); err != nil {
+		rejected, err := holdSourceIntervalTx(ctx, tx, last, cur)
+		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+		// A rejected value stays unknown until its source reports again.
+		if last.Held != nil {
+			last.Held.Missing |= rejected
+		}
 	}
 	if last.Held == nil {
 		last.Held = &HistorySources{Missing: MissingPower &^ MissingLoad}
@@ -153,9 +158,10 @@ func (s *Store) recordSourceEnergyTx(ctx context.Context, tx *sql.Tx, p *History
 // for at most the bridge budget. Only two fully measured snapshots a safe
 // tick apart, of one topology and one process, make a measured interval;
 // every other interval carries EstimatedLoad, which readers never clear.
-func holdSourceIntervalTx(ctx context.Context, tx *sql.Tx, last sourceCursor, cur sourceReceipt) error {
+// It returns the held sources the balance rejected.
+func holdSourceIntervalTx(ctx context.Context, tx *sql.Tx, last sourceCursor, cur sourceReceipt) (HistoryMissing, error) {
 	v := last.Sources
-	var missing, held HistoryMissing
+	var missing, held, rejected HistoryMissing
 	flows := sourceFlows(&v)
 	for flag, w := range flows {
 		switch {
@@ -170,6 +176,7 @@ func holdSourceIntervalTx(ctx context.Context, tx *sql.Tx, last sourceCursor, cu
 	// A household never feeds the site. If a held value says it does, the
 	// source changed while unknown, such as a charger that finished.
 	if held != 0 && v.GridW-v.PVW-v.BatteryW-v.EVW-v.V2XW < 0 {
+		rejected = held
 		for flag, w := range flows {
 			if held&flag != 0 {
 				missing, *w = missing|flag, 0
@@ -183,7 +190,7 @@ func holdSourceIntervalTx(ctx context.Context, tx *sql.Tx, last sourceCursor, cu
 	if (v.Missing|cur.Missing)&(MissingPower|EstimatedLoad) != 0 || cur.Stopped || cur.AtMS-v.AtMS > maxLoadEstimateTickMS || v.Topology != cur.Topology {
 		missing |= EstimatedLoad
 	}
-	return writeSourceIntervalTx(ctx, tx, v.AtMS, cur.AtMS, v, missing)
+	return rejected, writeSourceIntervalTx(ctx, tx, v.AtMS, cur.AtMS, v, missing)
 }
 
 func writeSourceIntervalTx(ctx context.Context, tx *sql.Tx, from, until int64, v HistorySources, missing HistoryMissing) error {