diff --git a/scrape/scrape.go b/scrape/scrape.go
index a5562a0397..e36ed1a052 100644
--- a/scrape/scrape.go
+++ b/scrape/scrape.go
@@ -1779,7 +1779,7 @@ loop:
 		}
 
 		if err == nil {
-			if (parsedTimestamp == nil || sl.trackTimestampsStaleness) && ce != nil {
+			if (parsedTimestamp == nil || sl.trackTimestampsStaleness) && ce != nil && ce.ref != 0 {
 				sl.cache.trackStaleness(ce.ref, ce)
 			}
 		}
@@ -1798,7 +1798,7 @@ loop:
 		// it in the scrape cache because we don't need to emit StaleNaNs for it when it disappears.
 		if !seriesCached && sampleAdded {
 			ce = sl.cache.addRef(met, ref, lset, hash)
-			if ce != nil && (parsedTimestamp == nil || sl.trackTimestampsStaleness) {
+			if ce != nil && ce.ref != 0 && (parsedTimestamp == nil || sl.trackTimestampsStaleness) {
 				// Bypass staleness logic if there is an explicit timestamp.
 				// But make sure we only do this if we have a cache entry (ce) for our series.
 				sl.cache.trackStaleness(ref, ce)
diff --git a/scrape/scrape_test.go b/scrape/scrape_test.go
index 4864426cd4..50e3130847 100644
--- a/scrape/scrape_test.go
+++ b/scrape/scrape_test.go
@@ -1971,6 +1971,23 @@ test_metric 15
 	require.Equal(t, 1, total)
 	require.Equal(t, 1, added)
 	require.Equal(t, 0, seriesAdded)
+
+	// Third Scrape: Counter is missing.
+	// Since it was never successfully appended (anchored on first scrape, failed with OOO on second),
+	// it should NOT have been tracked for staleness. Thus, no StaleNaN should be appended.
+	ts3 := ts2.Add(time.Second)
+	scrapeC := []byte(`# TYPE test_metric counter
+# EOF
+`)
+
+	app = sl.appender()
+	_, _, _, err = app.append(scrapeC, "application/openmetrics-text", ts3)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, app.Commit())
+
+	// Verify that still no samples are appended (specifically no stale marker).
+	got = appTest.ResultSamples()
+	require.Empty(t, got, "Expected no samples (specifically no stale markers) because the series was never tracked for staleness")
 }
 
 func requireSampleHist(t *testing.T, s teststorage.Sample, name, expectedHist string, ts, st int64, isNaN bool) {