diff --git a/lib/metadata_db.py b/lib/metadata_db.py
index 29a3f15..5b3676c 100644
--- a/lib/metadata_db.py
+++ b/lib/metadata_db.py
@@ -2130,16 +2130,25 @@ class MetadataDB:
         return self._stats_row(filename, int(arrangement))
 
     def add_play_seconds(self, filename: str, arrangement: int, seconds: float) -> dict:
-        """Accrue wall-clock play time only (no plays/score/position change) —
+        """Accrue wall-clock play time (no plays/score/position change) —
         the recorder's seconds-only flush for unscored plays that ran to the
         song's natural end (no resume position to touch there: `song:ended`
-        must not overwrite Continue with the end-of-song offset)."""
+        must not overwrite Continue with the end-of-song offset). Stamps
+        last_played_at like touch_position does: the song WAS played, so
+        /api/stats/recent and Continue ordering must see it. Accepted skew:
+        the recorder retries FAILED flushes later, which stamps recency at
+        retry time — rare (offline corner), self-healing on the next play,
+        and preferable to the alternative (keep-existing would leave repeat
+        plays looking stale, the common case)."""
         with self._lock:
             self.conn.execute(
-                """INSERT INTO song_stats (filename, arrangement, seconds_total, updated_at)
-                   VALUES (?, ?, ?, strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%f','now'))
+                """INSERT INTO song_stats (filename, arrangement, seconds_total,
+                                           last_played_at, updated_at)
+                   VALUES (?, ?, ?, strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%f','now'),
+                           strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%f','now'))
                    ON CONFLICT(filename, arrangement) DO UPDATE SET
                        seconds_total = song_stats.seconds_total + excluded.seconds_total,
+                       last_played_at = excluded.last_played_at,
                        updated_at = excluded.updated_at""",
                 (filename, int(arrangement), float(seconds)),
             )
diff --git a/static/v3/stats-recorder.js b/static/v3/stats-recorder.js
index 4dedd4b..cb25235 100644
--- a/static/v3/stats-recorder.js
+++ b/static/v3/stats-recorder.js
@@ -101,6 +101,10 @@
                 headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
                 body: JSON.stringify(body),
             });
+            // A 4xx/5xx JSON error body must read as FAILURE — callers
+            // re-queue accrued seconds on null, and a parsed error object
+            // would silently drop them.
+            if (!r.ok) return null;
             try { return await r.json(); } catch (e) { return null; }
         } catch (e) { return null; /* offline / endpoint absent — non-fatal */ }
     }
diff --git a/tests/test_song_stats_api.py b/tests/test_song_stats_api.py
index cb2ebf9..28e0a33 100644
--- a/tests/test_song_stats_api.py
+++ b/tests/test_song_stats_api.py
@@ -480,6 +480,8 @@ def test_seconds_only_post_accrues_without_touching_position(client):
     # overwrite Continue with the end-of-song offset).
     assert row["plays"] == 0
     assert row["last_position"] == pytest.approx(42.0)
+    # But the song WAS played — recency ordering must see it.
+    assert row["last_played_at"]
     # Still counts as playing today for the streak.
     assert r.json()["progress"]["current_streak"] == 1