diff --git a/src/server/audio-live.ts b/src/server/audio-live.ts
index b90921a98e..2f429ace69 100644
--- a/src/server/audio-live.ts
+++ b/src/server/audio-live.ts
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ export async function handleExternalLive(
       ? frameless ? forwardLiveUrl(relay.providerBaseUrl, false) : keyedLiveUrl(relay.providerBaseUrl)
       : forwardLiveUrl(relay.providerBaseUrl, true);
     const upstream = await fetch(url, { method: "POST", headers, body, signal: deadline.signal, redirect: "manual" });
-    outcome = upstream.ok ? 502 : upstream.status;
+    outcome = upstream.status;
     const detach = cancelBodyOnAbort(upstream.body, deadline.signal);
     let responseBody: ArrayBuffer | Response;
     try { responseBody = await readBodyCapped(upstream.body, LIVE_RESPONSE_MAX_BYTES, () => "Live answer too large", deadline.signal); }
@@ -122,7 +122,6 @@ export async function handleExternalLive(
       sidebandBaseUrl: config.experimentalRealtimeWsBaseUrl,
     });
     if (!alias) return formatErrorResponse(503, "server_busy", "Live call could not be registered");
-    outcome = upstream.status;
     return new Response(responseBody, { status: upstream.status, headers: {
       "content-type": upstream.headers.get("content-type") ?? "application/sdp",
       location: `/v1/${frameless ? "live" : "realtime/calls"}/${alias}`,
diff --git a/src/server/audio-transcriptions.ts b/src/server/audio-transcriptions.ts
index 4de98b0b86..c06a93e6d8 100644
--- a/src/server/audio-transcriptions.ts
+++ b/src/server/audio-transcriptions.ts
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ async function transcribeAdmitted(
       form.append("response_format", "json");
     }
     const upstream = await fetch(url, { method: "POST", headers, body: form, signal: signal.signal, redirect: "manual" });
-    outcome = upstream.ok ? 502 : upstream.status;
+    outcome = upstream.status;
     const detach = cancelBodyOnAbort(upstream.body, signal.signal);
     let body: ArrayBuffer | Response;
     try {
@@ -137,7 +137,6 @@ async function transcribeAdmitted(
     if (!payload || typeof payload !== "object" || !("text" in payload) || typeof payload.text !== "string") {
       return formatErrorResponse(502, "upstream_error", "Audio upstream response is missing text");
     }
-    outcome = upstream.status;
     return input.format === "text"
       ? new Response(payload.text, { headers: { "content-type": "text/plain; charset=utf-8" } })
       : Response.json({ text: payload.text });
diff --git a/tests/server/audio-transcriptions.test.ts b/tests/server/audio-transcriptions.test.ts
index 98e44e6626..eb6a9cfe75 100644
--- a/tests/server/audio-transcriptions.test.ts
+++ b/tests/server/audio-transcriptions.test.ts
@@ -327,10 +327,20 @@ describe("standalone transcription API", () => {
     expect((await captured[0]!.formData()).get("model")).toBeNull();
   });
 
-  test("malformed Pool response records one failure and no provisional success", async () => {
+  test("malformed Pool response records upstream status before body validation (#4502)", async () => {
     savePoolConfig();
     respond = () => Response.json({ missing: "text" });
     const outcomes = spyOn(routing, "recordCodexUpstreamOutcome");
+    try {
+      expect((await request()).status).toBe(502);
+      expect(outcomes.mock.calls.filter(call => call[1] === "pool-a").map(call => call[2])).toEqual([200]);
+    } finally { outcomes.mockRestore(); }
+  });
+
+  test("upstream HTTP error records real failure status for Pool account", async () => {
+    savePoolConfig();
+    respond = () => new Response("upstream failure", { status: 502 });
+    const outcomes = spyOn(routing, "recordCodexUpstreamOutcome");
     try {
       expect((await request()).status).toBe(502);
       expect(outcomes.mock.calls.filter(call => call[1] === "pool-a").map(call => call[2])).toEqual([502]);