diff --git a/app/config.py b/app/config.py
index 149c20b..3bf0a61 100644
--- a/app/config.py
+++ b/app/config.py
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ class Settings(BaseSettings):
     geocoder_max_per_tick: int = Field(default=8, alias="GEOCODER_MAX_PER_TICK")
     geocoder_tick_sec: int = Field(default=30, alias="GEOCODER_TICK_SEC")
     geocoder_rate_limit_sec: float = Field(default=1.1, alias="GEOCODER_RATE_LIMIT_SEC")
+    geocoder_breaker_threshold: int = Field(default=3, alias="GEOCODER_BREAKER_THRESHOLD")
+    geocoder_breaker_cooldown_sec: float = Field(
+        default=300.0, alias="GEOCODER_BREAKER_COOLDOWN_SEC"
+    )
 
     app_mode: Literal["dev", "prod"] = Field(default="prod", alias="APP_MODE")
     app_role: Literal["gateway", "worker", "cron"] = Field(default="gateway", alias="APP_ROLE")
diff --git a/app/workers/geocoder.py b/app/workers/geocoder.py
index 250c671..05ec8f6 100644
--- a/app/workers/geocoder.py
+++ b/app/workers/geocoder.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ minute. Rate-limited to comply with Nominatim's 1 req/sec policy.
 """
 
 import asyncio
+import time
 from typing import Any
 
 import httpx
@@ -17,6 +18,16 @@ from app.db import get_pool
 
 log = structlog.get_logger("worker.geocoder")
 
+# Circuit breaker: when Nominatim fails repeatedly (down or rate-limiting us),
+# trip open and skip ticks for a cooldown rather than grinding through every
+# batch 1 req/sec only to fail. Module-level so the open state survives across
+# ticks; monotonic clock so it's immune to wall-clock jumps.
+class _Breaker:
+    open_until: float = 0.0
+
+
+_breaker = _Breaker()
+
 
 def _extract_short_address(payload: dict[str, Any]) -> str | None:
     """Build the screenshot-style 'Kiambu-Limuru Rd., Limuru' string."""
@@ -37,6 +48,11 @@ def _extract_short_address(payload: dict[str, Any]) -> str | None:
 
 
 async def geocode_pending(settings: Settings) -> None:
+    now = time.monotonic()
+    if now < _breaker.open_until:
+        log.info("geocoder.breaker_open", reopens_in_sec=round(_breaker.open_until - now, 1))
+        return
+
     pool = await get_pool()
     async with pool.connection() as conn, conn.cursor() as cur:
         await cur.execute(
@@ -65,6 +81,7 @@ async def geocode_pending(settings: Settings) -> None:
         headers={"User-Agent": settings.nominatim_user_agent},
         timeout=httpx.Timeout(20.0),
     ) as http:
+        consecutive_failures = 0
         for lat, lng in pending:
             await asyncio.sleep(settings.geocoder_rate_limit_sec)
             try:
@@ -82,8 +99,21 @@ async def geocode_pending(settings: Settings) -> None:
                 data = r.json()
             except Exception:
                 log.exception("geocoder.fetch_failed", lat=float(lat), lng=float(lng))
+                consecutive_failures += 1
+                if consecutive_failures >= settings.geocoder_breaker_threshold:
+                    _breaker.open_until = (
+                        time.monotonic() + settings.geocoder_breaker_cooldown_sec
+                    )
+                    log.warning(
+                        "geocoder.breaker_tripped",
+                        consecutive_failures=consecutive_failures,
+                        cooldown_sec=settings.geocoder_breaker_cooldown_sec,
+                    )
+                    break
                 continue
 
+            consecutive_failures = 0
+
             address = data.get("display_name")
             short = _extract_short_address(data)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_parsers.py b/tests/test_parsers.py
index 614b9d8..b998545 100644
--- a/tests/test_parsers.py
+++ b/tests/test_parsers.py
@@ -61,6 +61,14 @@ def test_unsupported_msg_type_raises() -> None:
         parse_raw("tracksolid_push", "pushobd", {}, account_id="acct-1")
 
 
+def test_parse_raw_malformed_payload_no_crash() -> None:
+    # When JSON decoding fails at the gateway, the body is stored verbatim as
+    # {"_raw": ...}. The parser must tolerate it (yield nothing) rather than
+    # raise — otherwise the worker routes a non-error to events.parser_errors.
+    events = parse_raw("tracksolid_push", "pushgps", {"_raw": "garbage"}, account_id="acct-1")
+    assert events == []
+
+
 def test_tracksolid_real_poll_list_drops_offline_keeps_valid() -> None:
     """Production Tracksolid response: 1 offline JC400P (null gpsTime), 1 GT06E with a fix.
     Parser should skip the offline device silently and emit one position_fix."""
diff --git a/tests/test_push_coerce.py b/tests/test_push_coerce.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ff7b723
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_push_coerce.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+"""Unit tests for the push ingest payload coercion boundary.
+
+`_coerce_payload` is where raw POST bodies first meet our parser: malformed
+JSON must degrade to a stored `{"_raw": ...}` envelope rather than raising and
+dropping the event.
+"""
+
+from app.routers.push import MAX_ITEMS_PER_POST, _coerce_payload
+
+
+def test_malformed_json_is_wrapped_not_raised() -> None:
+    garbage = '{"lat": -1.28, "lng":'  # truncated / invalid JSON
+    assert _coerce_payload(garbage) == {"_raw": garbage}
+
+
+def test_empty_string_yields_empty_raw() -> None:
+    assert _coerce_payload("") == {"_raw": ""}
+
+
+def test_valid_object_passes_through() -> None:
+    assert _coerce_payload('{"imei": "860112050000001", "speed": 42}') == {
+        "imei": "860112050000001",
+        "speed": 42,
+    }
+
+
+def test_top_level_array_is_listed() -> None:
+    assert _coerce_payload('[{"imei": "1"}, {"imei": "2"}]') == {
+        "_list": [{"imei": "1"}, {"imei": "2"}]
+    }
+
+
+def test_oversized_array_is_truncated() -> None:
+    oversized = "[" + ",".join(["{}"] * (MAX_ITEMS_PER_POST + 5)) + "]"
+    result = _coerce_payload(oversized)
+    assert len(result["_list"]) == MAX_ITEMS_PER_POST
+
+
+def test_scalar_json_falls_back_to_raw() -> None:
+    assert _coerce_payload("42") == {"_raw": "42"}