diff --git a/includes/class-connectors.php b/includes/class-connectors.php
index f5358b8..aca16c6 100644
--- a/includes/class-connectors.php
+++ b/includes/class-connectors.php
@@ -476,22 +476,54 @@ private static function flatten_messages_lossy( array $messages ): string {
 	/**
 	 * Per-user rate limit for chat completions.
 	 *
-	 * Caps at RATE_LIMIT_PER_MINUTE requests per user per rolling 60s
-	 * window via a transient counter. Returns a WP_Error 429 when the
-	 * cap is exceeded, null otherwise.
+	 * Caps at RATE_LIMIT_PER_MINUTE requests per user per clock minute.
+	 * The counter is a row in the options table, incremented with a single
+	 * INSERT ... ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE statement. The database applies it
+	 * atomically, so concurrent requests can't read the same count and slip
+	 * past the limit. Returns a WP_Error 429 when the cap is exceeded, null
+	 * otherwise.
 	 *
 	 * @return \WP_Error|null
 	 */
 	private static function check_rate_limit(): ?\WP_Error {
+		global $wpdb;
+
 		$user_id = \get_current_user_id();
 		if ( ! $user_id ) {
 			return null;
 		}
 
-		$key   = 'agentic_admin_conn_rl_' . $user_id;
-		$count = (int) \get_transient( $key );
+		$prefix = 'agentic_admin_conn_rl_' . $user_id . '_';
+		$key    = $prefix . (int) floor( time() / MINUTE_IN_SECONDS );
+
+		// phpcs:disable WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.NoCaching -- Atomic counter; a cached value would defeat it.
+		$wpdb->query(
+			$wpdb->prepare(
+				"INSERT INTO {$wpdb->options} (option_name, option_value, autoload)
+				VALUES (%s, '1', 'off')
+				ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE option_value = option_value + 1",
+				$key
+			)
+		);
+
+		$count = (int) $wpdb->get_var(
+			$wpdb->prepare(
+				"SELECT option_value FROM {$wpdb->options} WHERE option_name = %s",
+				$key
+			)
+		);
+
+		// Drop this user's counters from earlier minutes.
+		$wpdb->query(
+			$wpdb->prepare(
+				"DELETE FROM {$wpdb->options} WHERE option_name LIKE %s AND option_name <> %s",
+				$wpdb->esc_like( $prefix ) . '%',
+				$key
+			)
+		);
+		// phpcs:enable WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.NoCaching
 
-		if ( $count >= self::RATE_LIMIT_PER_MINUTE ) {
+		if ( $count > self::RATE_LIMIT_PER_MINUTE ) {
 			return new \WP_Error(
 				'agentic_admin_rate_limited',
 				sprintf(
@@ -502,7 +534,6 @@ private static function check_rate_limit(): ?\WP_Error {
 			);
 		}
 
-		\set_transient( $key, $count + 1, MINUTE_IN_SECONDS );
 		return null;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/uninstall.php b/uninstall.php
index f1c5d10..2572142 100644
--- a/uninstall.php
+++ b/uninstall.php
@@ -10,7 +10,25 @@
 	exit;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Delete the connector rate-limit counters (one option row per user per minute).
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+function agentic_admin_delete_rate_limit_counters(): void {
+	global $wpdb;
+
+	// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.NoCaching -- One-off cleanup on uninstall.
+	$wpdb->query(
+		$wpdb->prepare(
+			"DELETE FROM {$wpdb->options} WHERE option_name LIKE %s",
+			$wpdb->esc_like( 'agentic_admin_conn_rl_' ) . '%'
+		)
+	);
+}
+
 // 1. Single Site Cleanup.
+agentic_admin_delete_rate_limit_counters();
 delete_option( 'agentic_admin_settings' );
 delete_option( 'agentic_admin_model_source' );
 delete_option( 'agentic_admin_version' );
@@ -24,6 +42,7 @@
 	foreach ( $agentic_admin_sites as $agentic_admin_site ) {
 		switch_to_blog( $agentic_admin_site->blog_id );
 
+		agentic_admin_delete_rate_limit_counters();
 		delete_option( 'agentic_admin_settings' );
 		delete_option( 'agentic_admin_model_source' );
 		delete_option( 'agentic_admin_version' );