diff --git a/src/ServiceControl.Audit.Persistence.EFCore/Implementation/AuditRetention.cs b/src/ServiceControl.Audit.Persistence.EFCore/Implementation/AuditRetention.cs
index 277f309d22..588631ee32 100644
--- a/src/ServiceControl.Audit.Persistence.EFCore/Implementation/AuditRetention.cs
+++ b/src/ServiceControl.Audit.Persistence.EFCore/Implementation/AuditRetention.cs
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ async Task Sweep(bool pace, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
     {
         try
         {
+            DateTime? deferred;
             await using (var handle = await retentionLock.TryAcquire(cancellationToken))
             {
                 if (handle is null)
@@ -77,10 +78,18 @@ async Task Sweep(bool pace, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
                     return;
                 }
 
-                await RemoveExpired(pace, cancellationToken);
+                deferred = await RemoveExpired(pace, cancellationToken);
             }
 
-            retentionState.SweepSucceeded();
+            // A table that stays too busy to drop keeps every expired row, so it counts against the check like an error.
+            if (deferred is { } start)
+            {
+                retentionState.SweepFailed($"The audit tables were too busy to drop the rows from {start:u}.");
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                retentionState.SweepSucceeded();
+            }
         }
 #pragma warning disable PS0019 // Filtered on the token alone because SqlClient reports a cancelled command as a SqlException.
         catch (Exception ex) when (!cancellationToken.IsCancellationRequested)
@@ -91,7 +100,8 @@ async Task Sweep(bool pace, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
 #pragma warning restore PS0019
     }
 
-    async Task RemoveExpired(bool pace, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+    // Returns the start of the expired rows it had to leave because the tables were too busy, or null when it removed them all.
+    async Task<DateTime?> RemoveExpired(bool pace, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
     {
         await using var scope = scopeFactory.CreateAsyncScope();
         var dbContext = scope.ServiceProvider.GetRequiredService<AuditDbContext>();
@@ -112,7 +122,7 @@ async Task RemoveExpired(bool pace, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
                 if (drop.Deferred)
                 {
                     logger.LogInformation("Left the audit rows from {Start:u} for the next sweep because the audit tables were too busy to drop them", expired);
-                    return;
+                    return expired;
                 }
 
                 if (pace && !drop.Completed)
@@ -123,5 +133,7 @@ async Task RemoveExpired(bool pace, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
 
             logger.LogDebug("Removed the expired audit rows from {Start:u}", expired);
         }
+
+        return null;
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/ServiceControl.Audit.Persistence.Tests/EFCore/EFRetentionCustomCheckTests.cs b/src/ServiceControl.Audit.Persistence.Tests/EFCore/EFRetentionCustomCheckTests.cs
index 66b698c25f..fa342f4a46 100644
--- a/src/ServiceControl.Audit.Persistence.Tests/EFCore/EFRetentionCustomCheckTests.cs
+++ b/src/ServiceControl.Audit.Persistence.Tests/EFCore/EFRetentionCustomCheckTests.cs
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 namespace ServiceControl.Audit.Persistence.Tests
 {
     using System;
+    using System.Collections.Generic;
     using System.Linq;
     using System.Threading;
     using System.Threading.Tasks;
     using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
     using NServiceBus.CustomChecks;
     using NUnit.Framework;
+    using ServiceControl.Audit.Persistence.EFCore.DbContexts;
     using ServiceControl.Audit.Persistence.EFCore.Implementation;
     using ServiceControl.Audit.Persistence.EFCore.Infrastructure;
 
@@ -33,6 +35,25 @@ public async Task Check_fails_once_three_consecutive_sweeps_have_failed()
             }
         }
 
+        [Test]
+        public async Task Check_fails_once_three_consecutive_sweeps_have_left_expired_rows_behind()
+        {
+            var retention = ActivatorUtilities.CreateInstance<AuditRetention>(ServiceProvider, new BusyPartitions());
+
+            await retention.SweepNow();
+            await retention.SweepNow();
+            var afterTwo = await Check.PerformCheck();
+            await retention.SweepNow();
+            var afterThree = await Check.PerformCheck();
+
+            using (Assert.EnterMultipleScope())
+            {
+                Assert.That(afterTwo.HasFailed, Is.False);
+                Assert.That(afterThree.HasFailed, Is.True);
+                Assert.That(afterThree.FailureReason, Does.Contain("too busy"));
+            }
+        }
+
         [Test]
         public async Task A_successful_sweep_clears_the_failure()
         {
@@ -76,5 +97,22 @@ sealed class UnreachableRetentionLock : IRetentionLock
             public Task<IAsyncDisposable> TryAcquire(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default) =>
                 Task.FromException<IAsyncDisposable>(new InvalidOperationException(Reason));
         }
+
+        // Has one expired day that can never be dropped, like a partition another session keeps locked.
+        sealed class BusyPartitions : IAuditPartitionManager
+        {
+            static readonly DateTime ExpiredDay = new(2020, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, DateTimeKind.Utc);
+
+            public Task EnsurePartitions(AuditDbContext dbContext, DateTime from, DateTime toExclusive, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default) => Task.CompletedTask;
+
+            public Task<IReadOnlyList<DateTime>> ListExpired(AuditDbContext dbContext, DateTime keepFrom, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default) =>
+                Task.FromResult<IReadOnlyList<DateTime>>([ExpiredDay]);
+
+            public Task<DropResult> DropExpired(AuditDbContext dbContext, DateTime start, int batchSize, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default) =>
+                Task.FromResult(new DropResult(RowsDeleted: 0, Completed: true, Deferred: true));
+
+            public Task<DateTime?> ProvisionedUntil(AuditDbContext dbContext, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default) =>
+                Task.FromResult<DateTime?>(null);
+        }
     }
 }