diff --git a/py/services/metadata_sync_service.py b/py/services/metadata_sync_service.py
index e7d1d6d9..1c14eaf0 100644
--- a/py/services/metadata_sync_service.py
+++ b/py/services/metadata_sync_service.py
@@ -243,17 +243,27 @@ class MetadataSyncService:
                 last_error = error or last_error
 
             if civitai_metadata is None or metadata_provider is None:
+                # Track if we need to save metadata
+                needs_save = False
+
                 if sqlite_attempted:
                     model_data["db_checked"] = True
+                    needs_save = True
 
                 if civitai_api_not_found:
                     model_data["from_civitai"] = False
                     model_data["civitai_deleted"] = True
                     model_data["db_checked"] = sqlite_attempted or (enable_archive and model_data.get("db_checked", False))
                     model_data["last_checked_at"] = datetime.now().timestamp()
+                    needs_save = True
 
+                # Save metadata if any state was updated
+                if needs_save:
                     data_to_save = model_data.copy()
                     data_to_save.pop("folder", None)
+                    # Update last_checked_at for sqlite-only attempts if not already set
+                    if "last_checked_at" not in data_to_save:
+                        data_to_save["last_checked_at"] = datetime.now().timestamp()
                     await self._metadata_manager.save_metadata(file_path, data_to_save)
 
                 default_error = (
diff --git a/tests/services/test_metadata_sync_service.py b/tests/services/test_metadata_sync_service.py
index f415262f..d9e4a90c 100644
--- a/tests/services/test_metadata_sync_service.py
+++ b/tests/services/test_metadata_sync_service.py
@@ -482,6 +482,81 @@ async def test_relink_metadata_raises_when_version_missing():
             model_version_id=None,
         )
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_fetch_and_update_model_persists_db_checked_when_sqlite_fails(tmp_path):
+    """
+    Regression test: When a deleted model is checked against sqlite and not found,
+    db_checked=True must be persisted to disk so the model is skipped in future refreshes.
+
+    Previously, db_checked was set in memory but never saved because the save_metadata
+    call was inside the `if civitai_api_not_found:` block, which is False for deleted
+    models (since the default CivitAI API is never tried).
+    """
+    default_provider = SimpleNamespace(
+        get_model_by_hash=AsyncMock(),
+        get_model_version=AsyncMock(),
+    )
+    civarchive_provider = SimpleNamespace(
+        get_model_by_hash=AsyncMock(return_value=(None, "Model not found")),
+        get_model_version=AsyncMock(),
+    )
+    sqlite_provider = SimpleNamespace(
+        get_model_by_hash=AsyncMock(return_value=(None, "Model not found")),
+        get_model_version=AsyncMock(),
+    )
+
+    async def select_provider(name: str):
+        if name == "civarchive_api":
+            return civarchive_provider
+        if name == "sqlite":
+            return sqlite_provider
+        return default_provider
+
+    provider_selector = AsyncMock(side_effect=select_provider)
+    helpers = build_service(
+        settings_values={"enable_metadata_archive_db": True},
+        default_provider=default_provider,
+        provider_selector=provider_selector,
+    )
+
+    model_path = tmp_path / "model.safetensors"
+    model_data = {
+        "civitai_deleted": True,
+        "db_checked": False,
+        "from_civitai": False,
+        "file_path": str(model_path),
+        "model_name": "Deleted Model",
+    }
+    update_cache = AsyncMock()
+
+    ok, error = await helpers.service.fetch_and_update_model(
+        sha256="deadbeef",
+        file_path=str(model_path),
+        model_data=model_data,
+        update_cache_func=update_cache,
+    )
+
+    # The call should fail because neither provider found metadata
+    assert not ok
+    assert error is not None
+    assert "Model not found" in error or "not found in metadata archive DB" in error
+
+    # Both providers should have been tried
+    assert civarchive_provider.get_model_by_hash.await_count == 1
+    assert sqlite_provider.get_model_by_hash.await_count == 1
+
+    # db_checked should be True in memory
+    assert model_data["db_checked"] is True
+
+    # CRITICAL: metadata should have been saved to disk with db_checked=True
+    helpers.metadata_manager.save_metadata.assert_awaited_once()
+    saved_call = helpers.metadata_manager.save_metadata.await_args
+    saved_data = saved_call.args[1]
+    assert saved_data["db_checked"] is True
+    assert "folder" not in saved_data  # folder should be stripped
+    assert "last_checked_at" in saved_data  # timestamp should be set
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_fetch_and_update_model_does_not_overwrite_api_metadata_with_archive(tmp_path):
     helpers = build_service()