diff --git a/apps/backend/src/lib/email-queue-step.tsx b/apps/backend/src/lib/email-queue-step.tsx
index 2961ed2e4..c177c4d7b 100644
--- a/apps/backend/src/lib/email-queue-step.tsx
+++ b/apps/backend/src/lib/email-queue-step.tsx
@@ -708,44 +708,55 @@ async function processSingleEmail(context: TenancyProcessingContext, row: EmailO
     }
 
     if (context.billingTeamId != null && row.sendRetries === 0 && arePlanLimitsEnforced()) {
-      const app = getHexclaveServerApp();
-      const emailItem = await app.getItem({ itemId: ITEM_IDS.emailsPerMonth, teamId: context.billingTeamId });
-      const isDebited = await emailItem.tryDecreaseQuantity(1);
-      if (!isDebited) {
-        const errorMessage = "Monthly email sending limit exceeded for your plan. Please upgrade your plan or wait until next month.";
-        // Intentionally do NOT increment sendRetries or append to
-        // sendAttemptErrors. sendRetries tracks SMTP attempts, and a quota
-        // rejection never reaches SMTP; the DB-level
-        // EmailOutbox_sendAttemptErrors_requires_failure CHECK also forbids
-        // non-null sendAttemptErrors while sendRetries is 0. All the
-        // debugging info is captured in sendServerError* below. Keeping
-        // sendRetries at 0 means that if a future admin flow ever
-        // un-finalises this row (clearing finishedSendingAt), the
-        // `sendRetries === 0` quota gate above re-fires instead of being
-        // silently skipped.
-        await globalPrismaClient.emailOutbox.update({
-          where: {
-            tenancyId_id: {
-              tenancyId: row.tenancyId,
-              id: row.id,
+      // The monthly-email quota lives in bulldozer, but email delivery must not
+      // hard-depend on it: if bulldozer is unreachable, report it and send the
+      // email anyway (treat the quota as available) rather than failing
+      // transactional mail such as password resets, sign-in codes, and team
+      // invites. The quota is re-enforced on the next send once bulldozer is
+      // back. A DB error while recording a quota rejection also lands here and
+      // fails open, which is the same safe direction.
+      try {
+        const app = getHexclaveServerApp();
+        const emailItem = await app.getItem({ itemId: ITEM_IDS.emailsPerMonth, teamId: context.billingTeamId });
+        const isDebited = await emailItem.tryDecreaseQuantity(1);
+        if (!isDebited) {
+          const errorMessage = "Monthly email sending limit exceeded for your plan. Please upgrade your plan or wait until next month.";
+          // Intentionally do NOT increment sendRetries or append to
+          // sendAttemptErrors. sendRetries tracks SMTP attempts, and a quota
+          // rejection never reaches SMTP; the DB-level
+          // EmailOutbox_sendAttemptErrors_requires_failure CHECK also forbids
+          // non-null sendAttemptErrors while sendRetries is 0. All the
+          // debugging info is captured in sendServerError* below. Keeping
+          // sendRetries at 0 means that if a future admin flow ever
+          // un-finalises this row (clearing finishedSendingAt), the
+          // `sendRetries === 0` quota gate above re-fires instead of being
+          // silently skipped.
+          await globalPrismaClient.emailOutbox.update({
+            where: {
+              tenancyId_id: {
+                tenancyId: row.tenancyId,
+                id: row.id,
+              },
+              finishedSendingAt: null,
             },
-            finishedSendingAt: null,
-          },
-          data: {
-            finishedSendingAt: new Date(),
-            canHaveDeliveryInfo: false,
-            sendServerErrorExternalMessage: errorMessage,
-            sendServerErrorExternalDetails: { errorType: "monthly-email-limit-exceeded" },
-            sendServerErrorInternalMessage: errorMessage,
-            sendServerErrorInternalDetails: {
-              errorType: "monthly-email-limit-exceeded",
-              remainingQuota: emailItem.quantity,
-              billingTeamId: context.billingTeamId,
+            data: {
+              finishedSendingAt: new Date(),
+              canHaveDeliveryInfo: false,
+              sendServerErrorExternalMessage: errorMessage,
+              sendServerErrorExternalDetails: { errorType: "monthly-email-limit-exceeded" },
+              sendServerErrorInternalMessage: errorMessage,
+              sendServerErrorInternalDetails: {
+                errorType: "monthly-email-limit-exceeded",
+                remainingQuota: emailItem.quantity,
+                billingTeamId: context.billingTeamId,
+              },
+              shouldUpdateSequenceId: true,
             },
-            shouldUpdateSequenceId: true,
-          },
-        });
-        return;
+          });
+          return;
+        }
+      } catch (error) {
+        captureError("email-queue-step:monthly-email-quota-check", error);
       }
     }
     const baseContent = {