diff --git a/src/utils/__tests__/usage-token-buffer.test.ts b/src/utils/__tests__/usage-token-buffer.test.ts
index b6cb78286..db3970a1f 100644
--- a/src/utils/__tests__/usage-token-buffer.test.ts
+++ b/src/utils/__tests__/usage-token-buffer.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import * as childProcess from 'child_process';
+import * as fs from 'fs';
 import { createRequire } from 'module';
 import type { Mock } from 'vitest';
 import {
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ describe('getUsageToken dump-keychain behavior', () => {
         mockedExecFileSync.mockReset();
         mockedExecFileSync.mockImplementation(realExecFileSync);
         vi.spyOn(process, 'platform', 'get').mockReturnValue('darwin');
+        vi.spyOn(fs, 'statSync').mockImplementation(() => { throw new Error('cache missing'); });
     });
 
     afterEach(() => {
diff --git a/src/utils/__tests__/usage-token.test.ts b/src/utils/__tests__/usage-token.test.ts
index 38fabdaad..56c761d3f 100644
--- a/src/utils/__tests__/usage-token.test.ts
+++ b/src/utils/__tests__/usage-token.test.ts
@@ -138,6 +138,9 @@ describe('getUsageToken', () => {
     beforeEach(() => {
         vi.restoreAllMocks();
         vi.spyOn(claudeSettings, 'getClaudeConfigDir').mockReturnValue('/fake/claude');
+        vi.spyOn(fs, 'statSync').mockImplementation(() => { throw new Error('cache missing'); });
+        vi.spyOn(fs, 'mkdirSync').mockReturnValue(undefined);
+        vi.spyOn(fs, 'writeFileSync').mockReturnValue(undefined);
         mockedExecFileSync.mockReset();
     });
 
@@ -242,6 +245,48 @@ describe('getUsageToken', () => {
         ]);
     });
 
+    it('reuses empty keychain scans for 30 seconds without hiding direct credentials or file changes', () => {
+        let now = 100_000;
+        let missTime: number | undefined;
+        let exactToken = '';
+        vi.spyOn(Date, 'now').mockImplementation(() => now);
+        vi.spyOn(process, 'platform', 'get').mockReturnValue('darwin');
+        vi.spyOn(fs, 'statSync').mockImplementation(() => {
+            if (missTime === undefined) {
+                throw new Error('cache missing');
+            }
+            return { mtimeMs: missTime } as fs.Stats;
+        });
+        vi.spyOn(fs, 'writeFileSync').mockImplementation((filePath, data) => {
+            expect(String(filePath)).toMatch(/keychain-fallback-empty$/);
+            expect(data).toBe('');
+            missTime = now;
+        });
+        mockCredentialsFile();
+        mockedExecFileSync.mockImplementation((_command: string, args: string[]) => {
+            return args[0] === 'dump-keychain' ? '' : exactToken ? makeTokenPayload(exactToken) : '{}';
+        });
+
+        expect(getUsageToken()).toBeNull();
+        now += 29_999;
+        expect(getUsageToken()).toBeNull();
+        expect(getSecurityCallLog().filter(call => call === 'dump-keychain')).toHaveLength(1);
+
+        now += 1;
+        expect(getUsageToken()).toBeNull();
+        expect(getSecurityCallLog().filter(call => call === 'dump-keychain')).toHaveLength(2);
+
+        now -= 1;
+        expect(getUsageToken()).toBeNull();
+        expect(getSecurityCallLog().filter(call => call === 'dump-keychain')).toHaveLength(3);
+
+        mockCredentialsFile(makeTokenPayload('file-token'));
+        expect(getUsageToken()).toBe('file-token');
+        exactToken = 'new-login';
+        expect(getUsageToken()).toBe('new-login');
+        expect(getSecurityCallLog().filter(call => call === 'dump-keychain')).toHaveLength(3);
+    });
+
     it('uses the credentials file on non-macOS', () => {
         vi.spyOn(process, 'platform', 'get').mockReturnValue('linux');
         mockCredentialsFile(makeTokenPayload('linux-file-token'));
diff --git a/src/utils/usage-fetch.ts b/src/utils/usage-fetch.ts
index 315212dde..c63e791b3 100644
--- a/src/utils/usage-fetch.ts
+++ b/src/utils/usage-fetch.ts
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ const DEFAULT_RATE_LIMIT_BACKOFF = 300; // seconds
 const MAX_LOCK_HORIZON = 24 * 60 * 60; // seconds
 const MACOS_USAGE_CREDENTIALS_SERVICE = 'Claude Code-credentials';
 const MACOS_SECURITY_DUMP_MAX_BUFFER = 8 * 1024 * 1024;
+const MACOS_KEYCHAIN_MISS_FILE = path.join(CACHE_DIR, 'keychain-fallback-empty');
+const MACOS_KEYCHAIN_MISS_TTL_MS = 30_000;
 
 export interface FetchUsageDataOptions { requiredFields?: readonly UsageDataField[] }
 
@@ -548,6 +550,18 @@ function listMacKeychainCredentialCandidates(): string[] {
 }
 
 function readUsageCredentialsFromMacKeychainCandidates(): UsageCredentials | null {
+    // Each repaint is a new process. Remember empty scans across processes,
+    // while the exact service and credentials file still get checked every time.
+    // ponytail: new hashed logins may wait 30s; invalidate on keychain changes if instant detection is needed.
+    try {
+        const age = Date.now() - fs.statSync(MACOS_KEYCHAIN_MISS_FILE).mtimeMs;
+        if (age >= 0 && age < MACOS_KEYCHAIN_MISS_TTL_MS) {
+            return null;
+        }
+    } catch {
+        // No previous miss, or the cache is unavailable: scan normally.
+    }
+
     const candidates = listMacKeychainCredentialCandidates();
 
     for (const service of candidates) {
@@ -557,6 +571,13 @@ function readUsageCredentialsFromMacKeychainCandidates(): UsageCredentials | nul
         }
     }
 
+    try {
+        ensureCacheDirExists();
+        fs.writeFileSync(MACOS_KEYCHAIN_MISS_FILE, '');
+    } catch {
+        // A read-only cache must not prevent credentials-file fallback.
+    }
+
     return null;
 }