@@ -232,6 +232,10 @@ type CoderWorkspacePoolResolved struct {
 	// current members from outdated ones without storing values twice.
 	// +optional
 	ParametersHash string `json:"parametersHash,omitempty"`
+	// ReadyTimeoutSeconds is spec.readyTimeoutSeconds. A change of any of
+	// these values starts a new run of failures, because it can fix one.
+	// +optional
+	ReadyTimeoutSeconds int32 `json:"readyTimeoutSeconds,omitempty"`
 	// ResolvedTime is when the controller last changed these values.
 	// +optional
 	ResolvedTime *metav1.Time `json:"resolvedTime,omitempty"`
@@ -293,16 +297,17 @@ type CoderWorkspacePoolStatus struct {
 	// +optional
 	Resolved *CoderWorkspacePoolResolved `json:"resolved,omitempty"`
 	// ConsecutiveFailures is the number of member failures in a row: the
-	// length of RunFailures. A ready member, a spec change, and a new
-	// version reset it.
+	// length of RunFailures. A ready member and a change of status.resolved
+	// (template, version, preset, parameters, owner, or readyTimeoutSeconds)
+	// reset it. A change of replicas or maxInFlight does not.
 	// +optional
 	ConsecutiveFailures int32 `json:"consecutiveFailures,omitempty"`
 	// LastFailure is the newest member failure.
 	// +optional
 	LastFailure *CoderWorkspacePoolFailure `json:"lastFailure,omitempty"`
 	// FailureRunStart is the start of the current run of failures: the
-	// latest of the last spec or version change and the newest ready time
-	// of a member. Failures at or before it do not count.
+	// latest of the last change of status.resolved and the newest ready
+	// time of a member. Failures at or before it do not count.
 	// +optional
 	FailureRunStart *metav1.Time `json:"failureRunStart,omitempty"`
 	// RunFailures are the member failures of the current run, oldest first,
 
@@ -307,15 +307,16 @@ spec:
               consecutiveFailures:
                 description: |-
                   ConsecutiveFailures is the number of member failures in a row: the
-                  length of RunFailures. A ready member, a spec change, and a new
-                  version reset it.
+                  length of RunFailures. A ready member and a change of status.resolved
+                  (template, version, preset, parameters, owner, or readyTimeoutSeconds)
+                  reset it. A change of replicas or maxInFlight does not.
                 format: int32
                 type: integer
               failureRunStart:
                 description: |-
                   FailureRunStart is the start of the current run of failures: the
-                  latest of the last spec or version change and the newest ready time
-                  of a member. Failures at or before it do not count.
+                  latest of the last change of status.resolved and the newest ready
+                  time of a member. Failures at or before it do not count.
                 format: date-time
                 type: string
               lastFailure:
@@ -386,6 +387,12 @@ spec:
                   presetID:
                     description: PresetID is the UUID of the preset named by spec.presetName.
                     type: string
+                  readyTimeoutSeconds:
+                    description: |-
+                      ReadyTimeoutSeconds is spec.readyTimeoutSeconds. A change of any of
+                      these values starts a new run of failures, because it can fix one.
+                    format: int32
+                    type: integer
                   resolvedTime:
                     description: ResolvedTime is when the controller last changed
                       these values.
 
@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+package controller_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
+	ctrl "sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
+
+	coderv1alpha1 "github.com/coder/coder-k8s/api/v1alpha1"
+	"github.com/coder/coder-k8s/internal/controller"
+)
+
+// setOwnerCap sets maxWorkspaces of the control plane's only owner entry.
+func (e *poolMemberEnv) setOwnerCap(t *testing.T, maxWorkspaces int32) {
+	t.Helper()
+	cp := &coderv1alpha1.CoderControlPlane{}
+	require.NoError(t, k8sClient.Get(e.ctx, types.NamespacedName{Namespace: e.ns, Name: "coder"}, cp))
+	cp.Spec.WorkspacePools.Owners[0].MaxWorkspaces = &maxWorkspaces
+	require.NoError(t, k8sClient.Update(e.ctx, cp))
+}
+
+// gone reports whether the member no longer exists.
+func (e *poolMemberEnv) gone(t *testing.T, key types.NamespacedName) bool {
+	t.Helper()
+	return e.reconcileMember(t, key, 0) == nil
+}
+
+// TestPoolLoweredOwnerCap: an admin lowers maxWorkspaces while members of
+// the pool wait for their create (Codex 4271920249). No member creates a
+// workspace above the new cap: each member checks the cap again, without
+// the cache, right before its create marker. The pool then deletes the
+// members that sent no create request, down to the cap.
+func TestPoolLoweredOwnerCap(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	e := newPoolMemberEnv(t)
+	e.editPool(t, func(s *coderv1alpha1.CoderWorkspacePoolSpec) {
+		s.Replicas, s.MaxInFlight = new(int32(3)), new(int32(3))
+	})
+	e.reconcilePool(t, 2)
+	members := e.poolMembers(t, e.pool.Name)
+	require.Len(t, members, 3)
+	e.setOwnerCap(t, 1)
+
+	// Every member reconciles before the pool sees the new cap.
+	waiting := map[string]bool{}
+	for _, m := range members {
+		got := e.reconcileMember(t, memberKey(m), 2) // The finalizer, then the create.
+		if got.Status.Reason == "OwnerWorkspaceLimit" {
+			require.Nil(t, got.Status.CreateAttemptTime, "a waiting member writes no marker")
+			waiting[got.Name] = true
+		}
+	}
+	require.Equal(t, 1, e.fake.workspaceCount(), "one workspace at maxWorkspaces 1")
+	require.Len(t, waiting, 2)
+
+	// The pool deletes the two members without a create request and keeps
+	// the member that created its workspace.
+	e.reconcilePool(t, 1)
+	for _, m := range e.poolMembers(t, e.pool.Name) {
+		require.Equal(t, waiting[m.Name], !m.DeletionTimestamp.IsZero(), "member %s", m.Name)
+	}
+	requirePool(t, e.reconcilePool(t, 1), "OwnerWorkspaceLimit", false, false)
+	require.Len(t, e.poolMembers(t, e.pool.Name), 3, "no new member: the deleting members wait for their finalizers")
+	require.Equal(t, 1, e.fake.workspaceCount())
+}
+
+// TestPoolLoweredOwnerCapDeletesOnce: members that the pool deleted above
+// the cap count no longer while their finalizers run, so the next reconcile
+// deletes no more of them.
+func TestPoolLoweredOwnerCapDeletesOnce(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	e := newPoolMemberEnv(t)
+	e.editPool(t, func(s *coderv1alpha1.CoderWorkspacePoolSpec) {
+		s.Replicas, s.MaxInFlight = new(int32(3)), new(int32(3))
+	})
+	e.reconcilePool(t, 2)
+	members := e.poolMembers(t, e.pool.Name)
+	require.Len(t, members, 3)
+	for _, m := range members {
+		e.reconcileMember(t, memberKey(m), 1) // The finalizer only.
+	}
+	e.setOwnerCap(t, 1)
+	e.reconcilePool(t, 2)
+	deleting := 0
+	for _, m := range e.poolMembers(t, e.pool.Name) {
+		if !m.DeletionTimestamp.IsZero() {
+			deleting++
+		}
+	}
+	require.Equal(t, 2, deleting, "one member stays at maxWorkspaces 1")
+	require.Len(t, e.poolMembers(t, e.pool.Name), 3, "no new member")
+}
+
+// firstReadOldCap answers the first control plane read with maxWorkspaces
+// 10, as before an admin lowered it, and later reads as stored.
+type firstReadOldCap struct {
+	client.Reader
+	reads *int
+}
+
+func (c firstReadOldCap) Get(ctx context.Context, key client.ObjectKey, obj client.Object, opts ...client.GetOption) error {
+	if err := c.Reader.Get(ctx, key, obj, opts...); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if cp, ok := obj.(*coderv1alpha1.CoderControlPlane); ok && cp.Spec.WorkspacePools != nil {
+		if *c.reads++; *c.reads == 1 {
+			for i := range cp.Spec.WorkspacePools.Owners {
+				cp.Spec.WorkspacePools.Owners[i].MaxWorkspaces = new(int32(10))
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// TestPoolMemberRechecksCapLast: the member reads the cap again after its
+// Coder reads, right before the marker, so a cap that an admin lowered
+// during those reads holds (Codex 4274565367).
+func TestPoolMemberRechecksCapLast(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	e := newPoolMemberEnv(t)
+	e.setOwnerCap(t, 1)
+	e.reconcileMember(t, e.createMember(t, nil), 2)
+	require.Equal(t, 1, e.fake.workspaceCount())
+	second := e.createMember(t, nil)
+	r := &controller.CoderWorkspacePoolMemberReconciler{Client: k8sClient, APIReader: firstReadOldCap{k8sClient, new(0)}, Scheme: scheme, Clock: e.clock}
+	for range 2 { // The finalizer, then the checks.
+		_, err := r.Reconcile(e.ctx, ctrl.Request{NamespacedName: second})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+	}
+	require.Equal(t, 1, e.fake.workspaceCount(), "no workspace above maxWorkspaces 1")
+	require.Equal(t, "OwnerWorkspaceLimit", e.reconcileMember(t, second, 0).Status.Reason)
+}