diff --git a/crates/lib/mysql_queries/src/queries/generic_inference/job/list_available_generic_inference_jobs.rs b/crates/lib/mysql_queries/src/queries/generic_inference/job/list_available_generic_inference_jobs.rs
index 741cd5b95d..c9ce668d99 100644
--- a/crates/lib/mysql_queries/src/queries/generic_inference/job/list_available_generic_inference_jobs.rs
+++ b/crates/lib/mysql_queries/src/queries/generic_inference/job/list_available_generic_inference_jobs.rs
@@ -65,6 +65,11 @@ pub struct AvailableInferenceJob {
   pub created_at: chrono::DateTime<Utc>,
   pub updated_at: chrono::DateTime<Utc>,
   pub retry_at: Option<chrono::DateTime<Utc>>,
+
+  /// "Keep alive" signals may have a race condition where Redis doesn't set the timestamp
+  /// in time. If so, we'll compare `created_at` versus `now` with some reasonable delta
+  /// (perhaps 30 sec).
+  pub database_clock: chrono::DateTime<Utc>,
 }
 
 pub struct ListAvailableGenericInferenceJobArgs<'a> {
@@ -129,6 +134,7 @@ pub async fn list_available_generic_inference_jobs(
           created_at: record.created_at,
           updated_at: record.updated_at,
           retry_at: record.retry_at,
+          database_clock: record.database_clock,
         };
         Ok(record)
       })
@@ -187,7 +193,9 @@ SELECT
 
   created_at,
   updated_at,
-  retry_at
+  retry_at,
+  NOW() as database_clock
+
 FROM generic_inference_jobs"#.to_string();
 
   query.push_str(&format!(r#"
@@ -271,7 +279,9 @@ SELECT
 
   created_at,
   updated_at,
-  retry_at
+  retry_at,
+  NOW() as database_clock
+
 FROM generic_inference_jobs"#.to_string();
 
 
@@ -358,6 +368,8 @@ struct AvailableInferenceJobRawInternal {
   pub created_at: chrono::DateTime<Utc>,
   pub updated_at: chrono::DateTime<Utc>,
   pub retry_at: Option<chrono::DateTime<Utc>>,
+
+  pub database_clock: chrono::DateTime<Utc>,
 }
 
 /// Return a comma-separated predicate, since SQLx does not yet support WHERE IN(?) for Vec<T>, etc.
diff --git a/crates/service/job/inference_job/config/inference-job.development.env b/crates/service/job/inference_job/config/inference-job.development.env
index 1c039ab567..27aa2b7b77 100644
--- a/crates/service/job/inference_job/config/inference-job.development.env
+++ b/crates/service/job/inference_job/config/inference-job.development.env
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 # NB: For my crapy internet connection
 BUCKET_TIMEOUT_SECONDS=6000
 
+# NB: To not step on storyteller-web (the main API gateway)
+HTTP_BIND_ADDRESS=0.0.0.0:11223
+
 # NB: Disable if not testing Redis
 REDIS_FOR_KEEPALIVE_URL="redis://localhost/0"
 
diff --git a/crates/service/job/inference_job/src/job/job_loop/process_single_job.rs b/crates/service/job/inference_job/src/job/job_loop/process_single_job.rs
index 163631ba7f..587412f3fb 100644
--- a/crates/service/job/inference_job/src/job/job_loop/process_single_job.rs
+++ b/crates/service/job/inference_job/src/job/job_loop/process_single_job.rs
@@ -110,8 +110,19 @@ pub async fn process_single_job(
 
         let _ : Option<String> = match redis.get(&keepalive_key) {
           Ok(None) => {
-            warn!("Job keepalive elapsed: {:?}", job.inference_job_token);
-            return Err(ProcessSingleJobError::KeepAliveElapsed)
+            // NB: There's a chance that we're racing the keepalive function.
+            // As a second check, we'll compare the database clock versus the `created_at`.
+            // If the delta is small, we'll allow it.
+            let delta = job.database_clock.signed_duration_since(job.created_at);
+            let delta = delta.num_seconds();
+
+            if delta < 60 && delta > -60 {
+              warn!("could not get redis keepalive, but time was within delta seconds: {}", delta);
+              None // Allow it
+            } else {
+              warn!("Job keepalive elapsed: {:?}", job.inference_job_token);
+              return Err(ProcessSingleJobError::KeepAliveElapsed)
+            }
           },
           Ok(Some(value)) => Some(value),
           Err(e) => {