diff --git a/.kiro/specs/scheduler-dispatch-commit/tasks.md b/.kiro/specs/scheduler-dispatch-commit/tasks.md
index 63e81d02..30d5f244 100644
--- a/.kiro/specs/scheduler-dispatch-commit/tasks.md
+++ b/.kiro/specs/scheduler-dispatch-commit/tasks.md
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
   - _Requirements: 2.4_
   - _Boundary: WAL Dispatch Fact_
 
-- [ ] 1.3 (P) Track how many consecutive times a job's dispatch has failed for a retryable reason
+- [x] 1.3 (P) Track how many consecutive times a job's dispatch has failed for a retryable reason
   - Add an in-memory counter on the controller's job record that increments on each retryable dispatch failure and resets to zero on a successful dispatch
   - This counter does not need to survive a controller failover — resetting to zero after a failover is an acceptable, safe degradation
   - Observable completion: the counter can be incremented, read, and reset independently of any actual dispatch attempt
diff --git a/src/controller/meson.build b/src/controller/meson.build
index 931fbc64..0464c5dc 100644
--- a/src/controller/meson.build
+++ b/src/controller/meson.build
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ controller_unit_test_src = [
   'testsuite/test_apply_committed_entry.c',
   'testsuite/test_replay_apply_seam.c',
   'testsuite/test_wal_job_dispatch_fact.c',
+  'testsuite/test_job_dispatch_fail_count.c',
   'testsuite/test_apply_reapply_idempotency.c',
   'testsuite/test_apply_correctness_verification.c',
   'testsuite/test_apply_pump.c',
diff --git a/src/controller/testsuite/controller_test.c b/src/controller/testsuite/controller_test.c
index 791531ab..cf07de74 100644
--- a/src/controller/testsuite/controller_test.c
+++ b/src/controller/testsuite/controller_test.c
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ extern void test_apply_seam(void);
 extern void test_apply_committed_entry(void);
 extern void test_replay_apply_seam(void);
 extern void test_wal_job_dispatch_fact(void);
+extern void test_job_dispatch_fail_count(void);
 extern void test_apply_reapply_idempotency(void);
 extern void test_apply_correctness_verification(void);
 extern void test_apply_pump(void);
@@ -249,6 +250,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
     TEST(test_apply_committed_entry);
     TEST(test_replay_apply_seam);
     TEST(test_wal_job_dispatch_fact);
+    TEST(test_job_dispatch_fail_count);
     TEST(test_apply_reapply_idempotency);
     TEST(test_apply_correctness_verification);
     TEST(test_apply_pump);
diff --git a/src/controller/testsuite/test_job_dispatch_fail_count.c b/src/controller/testsuite/test_job_dispatch_fail_count.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..461ba12b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/controller/testsuite/test_job_dispatch_fail_count.c
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+/* test_job_dispatch_fail_count.c — scheduler-dispatch-commit task 1.3
+ *
+ * Proves job_t.dispatch_fail_count (xce/types.h) -- a new in-memory-only
+ * uint32_t counter on the job_t wrapper ({xce_job_t job; uint64_t
+ * submit_lsn;}), NOT on xce_job_t itself -- exists and behaves as a plain,
+ * directly settable/readable/resettable scalar (Requirement 4.3, design.md
+ * "Logical Data Model": "in-memory only... following submit_lsn's exact
+ * precedent... recomputed... never serialized").
+ *
+ * This task is the data-model addition ONLY. It does NOT wire any
+ * increment/reset call site into dispatch_a_job_() (task 3.1/3.3's job) and
+ * does NOT implement the bounded-retry threshold check (also task 3.3).
+ * Every test here manipulates the field directly on a bare stack-local
+ * job_t -- no jobmgr/RTTI/makeJob machinery -- mirroring
+ * test_persist_types.c's test_slot_key_t_fields precedent for a plain
+ * struct-field addition, since this is not a behavioral/dispatch-path test.
+ */
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include <unity/unity.h>
+
+#include "xce/types.h"
+
+static void test_dispatch_fail_count_default_zero(void)
+{
+    job_t j;
+    memset(&j, 0, sizeof(j));
+
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_UINT32(0, j.dispatch_fail_count);
+    printf("test_dispatch_fail_count_default_zero: PASS\n");
+}
+
+static void test_dispatch_fail_count_increments_independently(void)
+{
+    job_t j;
+    memset(&j, 0, sizeof(j));
+
+    /* Simulates 3 consecutive retryable dispatch failures with no
+     * intervening successful dispatch (Requirement 4.3) -- incremented
+     * directly, with no actual dispatch attempt involved. */
+    j.dispatch_fail_count++;
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_UINT32(1, j.dispatch_fail_count);
+
+    j.dispatch_fail_count++;
+    j.dispatch_fail_count++;
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_UINT32_MESSAGE(3, j.dispatch_fail_count,
+        "counter must be incrementable directly, independent of any actual "
+        "dispatch attempt (Observable completion)");
+    printf("test_dispatch_fail_count_increments_independently: PASS\n");
+}
+
+static void test_dispatch_fail_count_resets_to_zero(void)
+{
+    job_t j;
+    memset(&j, 0, sizeof(j));
+
+    j.dispatch_fail_count = 7;
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_UINT32(7, j.dispatch_fail_count);
+
+    /* A successful dispatch resets the counter to zero -- task 3.1/3.3 wire
+     * the real call site; this proves the field itself supports the
+     * reset-to-zero operation the design requires, independent of any
+     * actual dispatch attempt. */
+    j.dispatch_fail_count = 0;
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_UINT32_MESSAGE(0, j.dispatch_fail_count,
+        "counter must be independently resettable to zero, matching "
+        "submit_lsn's in-memory-only precedent (no durability obligation, "
+        "safe to lose across a controller failover)");
+    printf("test_dispatch_fail_count_resets_to_zero: PASS\n");
+}
+
+static void test_dispatch_fail_count_does_not_alias_submit_lsn(void)
+{
+    job_t j;
+    memset(&j, 0, sizeof(j));
+
+    j.submit_lsn          = 12345;
+    j.dispatch_fail_count = 6;
+
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_UINT64(12345, j.submit_lsn);
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_UINT32_MESSAGE(6, j.dispatch_fail_count,
+        "dispatch_fail_count must be its own field on job_t, distinct from "
+        "submit_lsn (both in-memory-only siblings on the wrapper struct)");
+    printf("test_dispatch_fail_count_does_not_alias_submit_lsn: PASS\n");
+}
+
+void test_job_dispatch_fail_count(void)
+{
+    UnitySetTestFile(__FILE__);
+    printf("\n>> job_t.dispatch_fail_count test\n\n");
+
+    RUN_TEST(test_dispatch_fail_count_default_zero);
+    RUN_TEST(test_dispatch_fail_count_increments_independently);
+    RUN_TEST(test_dispatch_fail_count_resets_to_zero);
+    RUN_TEST(test_dispatch_fail_count_does_not_alias_submit_lsn);
+}
diff --git a/src/include/xce/types.h b/src/include/xce/types.h
index 4c0ee34a..8e81bb34 100644
--- a/src/include/xce/types.h
+++ b/src/include/xce/types.h
@@ -487,6 +487,15 @@ typedef struct {
      * serialized (wire type xce_job_t above is untouched). 0 = unknown /
      * pre-feature = always exportable (see job_submit_committed, cluster.h). */
     uint64_t submit_lsn;
+    /* scheduler-dispatch-commit (1.3): consecutive retryable dispatch-failure
+     * count for this job, with no intervening successful dispatch. In-memory
+     * only, following submit_lsn's exact precedent above — never serialized
+     * (wire type xce_job_t above is untouched), reset to 0 by a successful
+     * dispatch. Resetting to 0 after a controller failover is an acceptable,
+     * safe degradation (more retries allowed, never fewer, never a
+     * misrouted terminal/retry decision) — see Controller Dispatch-Failure
+     * Classification, design.md. */
+    uint32_t dispatch_fail_count;
 } job_t;
 
 typedef struct {