diff --git a/archreview/plans/R2-09-driver-fleet-batch-plan.md.tasks.json b/archreview/plans/R2-09-driver-fleet-batch-plan.md.tasks.json
index f04d866c..0e58bbb9 100644
--- a/archreview/plans/R2-09-driver-fleet-batch-plan.md.tasks.json
+++ b/archreview/plans/R2-09-driver-fleet-batch-plan.md.tasks.json
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@
     {
       "id": "B4.3",
       "subject": "B4: AbCip evict-recreate (Forward Open) create-path throttle, cache-hit unaffected, tests FAIL->PASS \u2014 STAB-8",
-      "status": "pending",
+      "status": "completed",
       "blockedBy": [
         "B3.2"
       ]
diff --git a/src/Drivers/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.AbCip/AbCipDriver.cs b/src/Drivers/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.AbCip/AbCipDriver.cs
index f55baf29..e276bf53 100644
--- a/src/Drivers/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.AbCip/AbCipDriver.cs
+++ b/src/Drivers/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.AbCip/AbCipDriver.cs
@@ -455,6 +455,8 @@ public sealed class AbCipDriver : IDriver, IReadable, IWritable, ITagDiscovery,
                 }
                 await probeRuntime.ReadAsync(ct).ConfigureAwait(false);
                 success = probeRuntime.GetStatus() == 0;
+                if (success)
+                    state.Backoff.RecordSuccess(); // 05/STAB-8: device reachable — reset the data-path window
             }
             catch (OperationCanceledException) when (ct.IsCancellationRequested)
             {
@@ -471,6 +473,7 @@ public sealed class AbCipDriver : IDriver, IReadable, IWritable, ITagDiscovery,
                 try { probeRuntime?.Dispose(); } catch { }
                 probeRuntime = null;
                 state.ProbeInitialized = false;
+                state.Backoff.RecordFailure(DateTime.UtcNow); // 05/STAB-8: keep the data-path window open
             }
 
             TransitionDeviceState(state, success ? HostState.Running : HostState.Stopped);
@@ -900,6 +903,13 @@ public sealed class AbCipDriver : IDriver, IReadable, IWritable, ITagDiscovery,
         return device.ParentRuntimes[parentTagName];
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    ///     Thrown when a per-device <see cref="ConnectionBackoff"/> window is still open (05/STAB-8)
+    ///     — a fail-fast that costs no wire traffic. Read/write map it to <c>BadCommunicationError</c>
+    ///     via their generic catch, exactly as a real Forward-Open failure.
+    /// </summary>
+    private sealed class ConnectionThrottledException(string message) : Exception(message);
+
     /// <summary>
     ///     Idempotently materialise the runtime handle for a tag definition. First call creates
     ///     + initialises the libplctag Tag; subsequent calls reuse the cached handle for the
@@ -914,6 +924,14 @@ public sealed class AbCipDriver : IDriver, IReadable, IWritable, ITagDiscovery,
             ?? throw new InvalidOperationException(
                 $"AbCip tag '{def.Name}' has malformed TagPath '{def.TagPath}'.");
 
+        // 05/STAB-8: inside an open backoff window a data-path caller fails fast — no runtime
+        // create, no Forward-Open. The malformed-path config error above still surfaces (a permanent
+        // fault must never be masked by the window); only the expensive create+init is throttled. The
+        // probe loop bypasses this (its own runtime) and drives the failure/success recording.
+        if (!device.Backoff.ShouldAttempt(DateTime.UtcNow))
+            throw new ConnectionThrottledException(
+                $"AbCip runtime create for '{def.Name}' on {device.Options.HostAddress} throttled — backoff window open after a recent Forward-Open failure.");
+
         // Review I-1 — an array tag (the EXPLICIT IsArray flag, incl. a 1-element array) sets
         // libplctag's elem_count so the read pulls every element in one CIP transaction; the read
         // path then boxes them into a typed CLR array. Scalar tags pass count 1 + IsArray false.
@@ -927,8 +945,10 @@ public sealed class AbCipDriver : IDriver, IReadable, IWritable, ITagDiscovery,
         catch
         {
             runtime.Dispose();
+            device.Backoff.RecordFailure(DateTime.UtcNow); // 05/STAB-8: open the backoff window
             throw;
         }
+        device.Backoff.RecordSuccess(); // 05/STAB-8: Forward-Open succeeded — reset the window
         // Two concurrent callers can both miss the cache + both initialize a runtime; only the
         // first TryAdd wins. Dispose the loser so it doesn't leak a native tag handle.
         if (device.Runtimes.TryAdd(def.Name, runtime))
@@ -1254,6 +1274,14 @@ public sealed class AbCipDriver : IDriver, IReadable, IWritable, ITagDiscovery,
 
         /// <summary>Gets the lock object used for probe synchronization.</summary>
         public object ProbeLock { get; } = new();
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     Per-device connect-attempt throttle (05/STAB-8). After a failed runtime create
+        ///     (Forward-Open), data-path callers fail fast inside the backoff window instead of
+        ///     re-creating + re-initializing a runtime per tag per tick; the probe loop bypasses it
+        ///     (its own runtime) and drives failure/success so a recovered device resets the window.
+        /// </summary>
+        public ConnectionBackoff Backoff { get; } = new(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(1), TimeSpan.FromSeconds(30));
         /// <summary>Gets or sets the current host state of this device.</summary>
         public HostState HostState { get; set; } = HostState.Unknown;
         /// <summary>Gets or sets the UTC timestamp when the host state was last changed.</summary>
diff --git a/tests/Drivers/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.AbCip.Tests/AbCipConnectBackoffTests.cs b/tests/Drivers/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.AbCip.Tests/AbCipConnectBackoffTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5c5ae0fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Drivers/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.AbCip.Tests/AbCipConnectBackoffTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+using Shouldly;
+using Xunit;
+using ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Core.Abstractions;
+using ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.AbCip;
+
+namespace ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.AbCip.Tests;
+
+/// <summary>
+///     05/STAB-8 — a dead AbCip device must not re-create + re-initialize (Forward-Open) a libplctag
+///     runtime per tag per tick. The per-device <see cref="ConnectionBackoff"/> gates the
+///     runtime-create path; cache hits are unaffected; the probe loop (its own runtime) drives
+///     failure/success so a recovered device resets the window.
+/// </summary>
+[Trait("Category", "Unit")]
+public sealed class AbCipConnectBackoffTests
+{
+    private static AbCipDriverOptions Options(bool probeEnabled) => new()
+    {
+        Devices = [new AbCipDeviceOptions("ab://10.0.0.5/1,0")],
+        Tags = [new AbCipTagDefinition("Speed", "ab://10.0.0.5/1,0", "Motor1.Speed", AbCipDataType.DInt)],
+        Probe = new AbCipProbeOptions
+        {
+            Enabled = probeEnabled,
+            ProbeTagPath = "ProbeTag",
+            Interval = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(50),
+            Timeout = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(250),
+        },
+    };
+
+    /// <summary>Rapid reads against a dead device attempt a single Forward-Open, then fail fast inside the backoff window.</summary>
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task DeadDevice_ConnectAttemptsFollowBackoffSchedule()
+    {
+        var creates = 0;
+        var factory = new FakeAbCipTagFactory
+        {
+            Customise = p =>
+            {
+                Interlocked.Increment(ref creates);
+                return new FakeAbCipTag(p) { ThrowOnInitialize = true, Exception = new InvalidOperationException("down") };
+            },
+        };
+        var drv = new AbCipDriver(Options(probeEnabled: false), "abcip-1", factory);
+        await drv.InitializeAsync("{}", CancellationToken.None);
+
+        for (var i = 0; i < 6; i++)
+            await drv.ReadAsync(["Speed"], CancellationToken.None);
+
+        creates.ShouldBe(1); // one Forward-Open attempt; the rest fail fast inside the window
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>A cached healthy runtime is read without ever consulting the backoff or re-creating.</summary>
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task CacheHit_NeverConsultsBackoff()
+    {
+        var creates = 0;
+        var factory = new FakeAbCipTagFactory
+        {
+            Customise = p =>
+            {
+                Interlocked.Increment(ref creates);
+                return new FakeAbCipTag(p) { Value = 5 };
+            },
+        };
+        var drv = new AbCipDriver(Options(probeEnabled: false), "abcip-1", factory);
+        await drv.InitializeAsync("{}", CancellationToken.None);
+
+        for (var i = 0; i < 5; i++)
+        {
+            var r = await drv.ReadAsync(["Speed"], CancellationToken.None);
+            r[0].StatusCode.ShouldBe(AbCipStatusMapper.Good);
+        }
+
+        creates.ShouldBe(1); // created once + cached; cache hits never re-create
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>The probe bypasses the backoff window and a successful probe resets it so the next read succeeds.</summary>
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task ProbeBypassesBackoff_AndSuccessResets()
+    {
+        var fail = true;
+        var factory = new FakeAbCipTagFactory
+        {
+            Customise = p => new FakeAbCipTag(p)
+            {
+                ThrowOnInitialize = fail,
+                Exception = new InvalidOperationException("down"),
+                Value = 7,
+            },
+        };
+        var drv = new AbCipDriver(Options(probeEnabled: true), "abcip-1", factory);
+        await drv.InitializeAsync("{}", CancellationToken.None);
+
+        var down = await drv.ReadAsync(["Speed"], CancellationToken.None);
+        down[0].StatusCode.ShouldBe(AbCipStatusMapper.BadCommunicationError);
+
+        fail = false; // device recovers; the probe bypasses the window and resets it
+        var deadline = DateTime.UtcNow + TimeSpan.FromSeconds(3);
+        DataValueSnapshot? good = null;
+        while (DateTime.UtcNow < deadline)
+        {
+            var r = await drv.ReadAsync(["Speed"], CancellationToken.None);
+            if (r[0].StatusCode == AbCipStatusMapper.Good) { good = r[0]; break; }
+            await Task.Delay(25, CancellationToken.None);
+        }
+
+        good.ShouldNotBeNull("probe-driven recovery must reset the backoff so reads recover");
+    }
+}