diff --git a/backend/internal/repository/proxy_inactive_backup_integration_test.go b/backend/internal/repository/proxy_inactive_backup_integration_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e8f9fee39f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/internal/repository/proxy_inactive_backup_integration_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+//go:build integration
+
+package repository
+
+import (
+	"github.com/Wei-Shaw/sub2api/internal/service"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func (s *ProxyExpirySuite) TestSweep_SkipsInactiveBackup() {
+	for _, chain := range []bool{false, true} {
+		s.Run(map[bool]string{false: "unresolved", true: "next active backup"}[chain], func() {
+			now := time.Now()
+			past := now.Add(-time.Hour)
+			future := now.Add(time.Hour)
+			healthy := s.mkProxy("active-tail", service.FallbackModeNone, &future, nil)
+			backup := s.mkProxy("disabled-backup", service.FallbackModeNone, &future, nil)
+			disabled, err := s.repo.GetByID(s.ctx, backup)
+			s.Require().NoError(err)
+			disabled.Status = "inactive"
+			if chain {
+				disabled.FallbackMode = service.FallbackModeProxy
+				disabled.BackupProxyID = &healthy
+			}
+			s.Require().NoError(s.repo.Update(s.ctx, disabled))
+			source := s.mkProxy("expired-source", service.FallbackModeProxy, &past, &backup)
+			account := s.mkAccountWithProxy(source)
+			_, err = s.repo.SweepExpiredProxies(s.ctx, now)
+			s.Require().NoError(err)
+			if chain {
+				s.Equal(&healthy, s.accountProxyID(account))
+			} else {
+				s.Equal(&source, s.accountProxyID(account))
+			}
+			got, err := s.repo.GetByID(s.ctx, backup)
+			s.Require().NoError(err)
+			s.Equal("inactive", got.Status, "fallback traversal must not reactivate disabled proxies")
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/backend/internal/service/proxy_fallback.go b/backend/internal/service/proxy_fallback.go
index aae32d0f32..7986988854 100644
--- a/backend/internal/service/proxy_fallback.go
+++ b/backend/internal/service/proxy_fallback.go
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ func ResolveProxyFallbackTarget(start Proxy, byID map[int64]Proxy, now time.Time
 			if !ok {
 				return nil, false
 			}
-			if !(&p).IsExpired(now) && p.Status != StatusExpired {
+			// Disabled nodes may define a fallback, but cannot be selected as targets.
+			if p.IsActive() && !p.IsExpired(now) {
 				id := p.ID
 				return &id, true
 			}
diff --git a/backend/internal/service/proxy_fallback_test.go b/backend/internal/service/proxy_fallback_test.go
index c0223a5028..04bf6a0a34 100644
--- a/backend/internal/service/proxy_fallback_test.go
+++ b/backend/internal/service/proxy_fallback_test.go
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func mkProxy(id int64, mode string, backup *int64, expiresInDays *int, now time.Time) Proxy {
-	p := Proxy{ID: id, FallbackMode: mode, BackupProxyID: backup}
+	p := Proxy{ID: id, Status: StatusActive, FallbackMode: mode, BackupProxyID: backup}
 	if expiresInDays != nil {
 		t := now.AddDate(0, 0, *expiresInDays)
 		p.ExpiresAt = &t
@@ -71,3 +71,35 @@ func TestResolveFallbackTarget(t *testing.T) {
 		require.Nil(t, target)
 	})
 }
+
+func TestResolveFallbackSkipsInactiveBackup(t *testing.T) {
+	now := time.Now()
+	for _, mode := range []string{FallbackModeNone, FallbackModeProxy, FallbackModeDirect} {
+		t.Run(mode, func(t *testing.T) {
+			source := mkProxy(1, FallbackModeProxy, i64(2), di(-1), now)
+			disabled := mkProxy(2, mode, i64(3), di(30), now)
+			disabled.Status = "inactive"
+			healthy := mkProxy(3, FallbackModeNone, nil, di(30), now)
+			target, change := ResolveProxyFallbackTarget(source, map[int64]Proxy{1: source, 2: disabled, 3: healthy}, now)
+			switch mode {
+			case FallbackModeNone:
+				require.False(t, change)
+				require.Nil(t, target)
+			case FallbackModeProxy:
+				require.True(t, change)
+				require.Equal(t, i64(3), target)
+			case FallbackModeDirect:
+				require.True(t, change)
+				require.Nil(t, target)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+	t.Run("inactive cycle", func(t *testing.T) {
+		source := mkProxy(1, FallbackModeProxy, i64(2), di(-1), now)
+		disabled := mkProxy(2, FallbackModeProxy, i64(1), nil, now)
+		disabled.Status = "inactive"
+		target, change := ResolveProxyFallbackTarget(source, map[int64]Proxy{1: source, 2: disabled}, now)
+		require.False(t, change)
+		require.Nil(t, target)
+	})
+}