diff --git a/worker/config/custom-environment-variables.mjs b/worker/config/custom-environment-variables.mjs
index a87e1670..563424c1 100644
--- a/worker/config/custom-environment-variables.mjs
+++ b/worker/config/custom-environment-variables.mjs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ export default {
     }
   },
   maxFailures: 'MAX_FAILURES',
+  maxFailuresCooldown: 'MAX_FAILURES_COOLDOWN',
   mongoUrl: 'MONGO_URL',
   secretKeys: {
     events: 'SECRET_EVENTS'
diff --git a/worker/config/default.mjs b/worker/config/default.mjs
index 00b88630..9168cf9b 100644
--- a/worker/config/default.mjs
+++ b/worker/config/default.mjs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ export default {
     }
   },
   maxFailures: 10,
+  maxFailuresCooldown: 12, // in hours
   mongoUrl: 'mongodb://localhost:27017/data-fair-processings',
   privateEventsUrl: null,
   secretKeys: {
diff --git a/worker/config/development.mjs b/worker/config/development.mjs
index c6dbb051..dca073e6 100644
--- a/worker/config/development.mjs
+++ b/worker/config/development.mjs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ export default {
   dataFairAdminMode: true,
   dataFairAPIKey: '', // override in local-development.cjs
   maxFailures: 2,
+  maxFailuresCooldown: 0.05, // 3 minutes
   mongoUrl: 'mongodb://localhost:27017/data-fair-processings-development',
   secretKeys: {
     events: 'secret-events'
diff --git a/worker/config/type/schema.json b/worker/config/type/schema.json
index 21d1b79a..a5f559e9 100644
--- a/worker/config/type/schema.json
+++ b/worker/config/type/schema.json
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
     "defaultLimits",
     "mails",
     "maxFailures",
+    "maxFailuresCooldown",
     "mongoUrl",
     "locks",
     "observer",
@@ -70,6 +71,10 @@
       "type": "number",
       "description": "Number of failures before a processing becomes inactive"
     },
+    "maxFailuresCooldown": {
+      "type": "number",
+      "description": "Minimum time in hours between first failure and last failure to disable a processing. Set to 0 to disable cooldown."
+    },
     "mongoUrl": {
       "type": "string"
     },
diff --git a/worker/src/utils/runs.ts b/worker/src/utils/runs.ts
index 6dafb53a..d04e52f6 100644
--- a/worker/src/utils/runs.ts
+++ b/worker/src/utils/runs.ts
@@ -102,23 +102,44 @@ export const finish = async (run: Run, errorMessage: string | undefined = undefi
   } else if (lastRun.status === 'error') {
     sendProcessingEvent(run, 'a échoué', 'finish-error', errorMessage)
 
-    const reachedMaxFailures = (await mongo.runs.aggregate([
-      { $match: { 'processing._id': run.processing._id } }, // filter by processing
-      { $sort: { finishedAt: -1 } },                        // sort by finishedAt descending (most recent first)
-      { $limit: config.maxFailures },                       // take the last X runs
+    const raw = (await mongo.runs.aggregate([
+      { $match: { 'processing._id': run.processing._id } },
+      { $sort: { finishedAt: -1 } },
       {
-        $group: {                                          // aggregate
-          _id: null,
-          total: { $sum: 1 },                              // count total runs in this slice
-          errors: { $sum: { $cond: [{ $eq: ['$status', 'error'] }, 1, 0] } } // count runs with status 'error'
-        }
-      },
-      {
-        $project: {
-          allErrors: { $eq: [config.maxFailures, '$errors'] }       // true if all X runs are errors
+        $facet: {
+          lastRuns: [ // for maxFailures
+            { $limit: config.maxFailures },
+            {
+              $group: {
+                _id: null,
+                errors: { $sum: { $cond: [{ $eq: ['$status', 'error'] }, 1, 0] } }
+              }
+            }
+          ],
+          allErrors: [ // for cooldown
+            { $match: { status: 'error' } },
+            {
+              $group: {
+                _id: null,
+                firstError: { $min: '$finishedAt' },
+                lastError: { $max: '$finishedAt' }
+              }
+            }
+          ]
         }
       }
-    ]).toArray())[0]?.allErrors ?? false
+    ]).toArray())[0]
+
+    const errors = raw?.lastRuns?.[0]?.errors ?? 0 // number of errors among the last maxFailures runs
+    const firstError = raw?.allErrors?.[0]?.firstError ? new Date(raw.allErrors[0].firstError) : null     // date of the first error (across all runs)
+    const lastError = raw?.allErrors?.[0]?.lastError ? new Date(raw.allErrors[0].lastError) : null        // date of the last error (across all runs)
+
+    const allErrors = errors === config.maxFailures
+    const cooldownReached = firstError && lastError
+      ? (lastError.getTime() - firstError.getTime()) / (1000 * 60 * 60) >= config.maxFailuresCooldown // (1000 * 60 * 60) convert to hours
+      : false
+
+    const reachedMaxFailures = allErrors && cooldownReached
 
     // Disable processing if reached max failures
     if (reachedMaxFailures) {