diff --git a/public/js/store.js b/public/js/store.js
index 04c2f44..f89b826 100644
--- a/public/js/store.js
+++ b/public/js/store.js
@@ -267,9 +267,10 @@ document.addEventListener('alpine:init', () => {
                 persistentSessions: "Persistent Sessions",
                 persistTokenDesc: "Save OAuth sessions to disk for faster restarts",
                 rateLimiting: "Account Rate Limiting & Timeouts",
-                defaultCooldown: "Default Cooldown Time",
-                maxWaitThreshold: "Max Wait Threshold (Sticky)",
-                maxWaitDesc: "Maximum time to wait for a sticky account to reset before switching.",
+                defaultCooldown: "Default Cooldown",
+                defaultCooldownDesc: "Fallback cooldown when API doesn't provide a reset time.",
+                maxWaitThreshold: "Max Wait Before Error",
+                maxWaitDesc: "If all accounts are rate-limited longer than this, error immediately instead of waiting.",
                 saveConfigServer: "Save Configuration",
                 serverRestartAlert: "Changes saved to {path}. Restart server to apply some settings.",
                 changePassword: "Change WebUI Password",
@@ -544,8 +545,9 @@ document.addEventListener('alpine:init', () => {
                 persistTokenDesc: "将登录会话保存到磁盘以实现快速重启",
                 rateLimiting: "账号限流与超时",
                 defaultCooldown: "默认冷却时间",
-                maxWaitThreshold: "最大等待阈值 (粘性会话)",
-                maxWaitDesc: "粘性账号在失败或切换前等待重置的最长时间。",
+                defaultCooldownDesc: "当 API 未提供重置时间时的备用冷却时间。",
+                maxWaitThreshold: "最大等待阈值",
+                maxWaitDesc: "如果所有账号的限流时间超过此阈值，立即返回错误而非等待。",
                 saveConfigServer: "保存配置",
                 serverRestartAlert: "配置已保存至 {path}。部分更改可能需要重启服务器。",
                 changePassword: "修改 WebUI 密码",
diff --git a/public/views/settings.html b/public/views/settings.html
index f2a02b4..cf2d1a5 100644
--- a/public/views/settings.html
+++ b/public/views/settings.html
@@ -1052,27 +1052,29 @@
                                     <span class="label-text text-gray-400 text-xs"
                                         x-text="$store.global.t('defaultCooldown')">Default Cooldown</span>
                                     <span class="label-text-alt font-mono text-neon-cyan text-xs font-semibold"
-                                        x-text="Math.round((serverConfig.defaultCooldownMs || 60000) / 1000) + 's'"></span>
+                                        x-text="Math.round((serverConfig.defaultCooldownMs || 10000) / 1000) + 's'"></span>
                                 </label>
                                 <div class="flex gap-3 items-center">
                                     <input type="range" min="1000" max="300000" step="1000"
                                         class="custom-range custom-range-cyan flex-1"
-                                        :value="serverConfig.defaultCooldownMs || 60000"
-                                        :style="`background-size: ${((serverConfig.defaultCooldownMs || 60000) - 1000) / 2990}% 100%`"
+                                        :value="serverConfig.defaultCooldownMs || 10000"
+                                        :style="`background-size: ${((serverConfig.defaultCooldownMs || 10000) - 1000) / 2990}% 100%`"
                                         @input="toggleDefaultCooldownMs($event.target.value)"
                                         aria-label="Default cooldown slider">
                                     <input type="number" min="1000" max="300000" step="1000"
                                         class="input input-xs input-bordered w-24 bg-space-800 border-space-border text-white font-mono text-center"
-                                        :value="serverConfig.defaultCooldownMs || 60000"
+                                        :value="serverConfig.defaultCooldownMs || 10000"
                                         @change="toggleDefaultCooldownMs($event.target.value)"
                                         aria-label="Default cooldown value">
                                 </div>
+                                <p class="text-[9px] text-gray-600 mt-1 leading-tight"
+                                    x-text="$store.global.t('defaultCooldownDesc')">Fallback cooldown when API doesn't provide a reset time.</p>
                             </div>
 
                             <div class="form-control">
                                 <label class="label pt-0">
                                     <span class="label-text text-gray-400 text-xs"
-                                        x-text="$store.global.t('maxWaitThreshold')">Max Wait (Sticky)</span>
+                                        x-text="$store.global.t('maxWaitThreshold')">Max Wait Before Error</span>
                                     <span class="label-text-alt font-mono text-neon-cyan text-xs font-semibold"
                                         x-text="((serverConfig.maxWaitBeforeErrorMs || 120000) >= 60000 ? Math.round((serverConfig.maxWaitBeforeErrorMs || 120000) / 60000) + 'm' : Math.round((serverConfig.maxWaitBeforeErrorMs || 120000) / 1000) + 's')"></span>
                                 </label>
@@ -1082,16 +1084,15 @@
                                         :value="serverConfig.maxWaitBeforeErrorMs || 120000"
                                         :style="`background-size: ${(serverConfig.maxWaitBeforeErrorMs || 120000) / 6000}% 100%`"
                                         @input="toggleMaxWaitBeforeErrorMs($event.target.value)"
-                                        aria-label="Max wait threshold slider">
+                                        aria-label="Max wait before error slider">
                                     <input type="number" min="0" max="600000" step="10000"
                                         class="input input-xs input-bordered w-24 bg-space-800 border-space-border text-white font-mono text-center"
                                         :value="serverConfig.maxWaitBeforeErrorMs || 120000"
                                         @change="toggleMaxWaitBeforeErrorMs($event.target.value)"
-                                        aria-label="Max wait threshold value">
+                                        aria-label="Max wait before error value">
                                 </div>
                                 <p class="text-[9px] text-gray-600 mt-1 leading-tight"
-                                    x-text="$store.global.t('maxWaitDesc')">Maximum time to wait for a sticky account to
-                                    reset before switching.</p>
+                                    x-text="$store.global.t('maxWaitDesc')">If all accounts are rate-limited longer than this, error immediately.</p>
                             </div>
                         </div>
                     </div>
diff --git a/src/account-manager/index.js b/src/account-manager/index.js
index 8259996..79212ea 100644
--- a/src/account-manager/index.js
+++ b/src/account-manager/index.js
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ export class AccountManager {
      * @param {string} [modelId] - Optional model ID to mark specific limit
      */
     markRateLimited(email, resetMs = null, modelId = null) {
-        markLimited(this.#accounts, email, resetMs, this.#settings, modelId);
+        markLimited(this.#accounts, email, resetMs, modelId);
         this.saveToDisk();
     }
 
diff --git a/src/account-manager/rate-limits.js b/src/account-manager/rate-limits.js
index 06b4b08..ffe75e6 100644
--- a/src/account-manager/rate-limits.js
+++ b/src/account-manager/rate-limits.js
@@ -110,16 +110,25 @@ export function resetAllRateLimits(accounts) {
  *
  * @param {Array} accounts - Array of account objects
  * @param {string} email - Email of the account to mark
- * @param {number|null} resetMs - Time in ms until rate limit resets
- * @param {Object} settings - Settings object with cooldownDurationMs
+ * @param {number|null} resetMs - Time in ms until rate limit resets (from API)
  * @param {string} modelId - Model ID to mark rate limit for
  * @returns {boolean} True if account was found and marked
  */
-export function markRateLimited(accounts, email, resetMs = null, settings = {}, modelId) {
+export function markRateLimited(accounts, email, resetMs = null, modelId) {
     const account = accounts.find(a => a.email === email);
     if (!account) return false;
 
-    const cooldownMs = resetMs || settings.cooldownDurationMs || DEFAULT_COOLDOWN_MS;
+    // Use configured cooldown as the maximum wait time
+    // If API returns a reset time, cap it at DEFAULT_COOLDOWN_MS
+    // If API doesn't return a reset time, use DEFAULT_COOLDOWN_MS
+    let cooldownMs;
+    if (resetMs && resetMs > 0) {
+        // API provided a reset time - cap it at configured maximum
+        cooldownMs = Math.min(resetMs, DEFAULT_COOLDOWN_MS);
+    } else {
+        // No reset time from API - use configured default
+        cooldownMs = DEFAULT_COOLDOWN_MS;
+    }
     const resetTime = Date.now() + cooldownMs;
 
     if (!account.modelRateLimits) {
diff --git a/src/cli/accounts.js b/src/cli/accounts.js
index 7cb000e..8bf373a 100644
--- a/src/cli/accounts.js
+++ b/src/cli/accounts.js
@@ -142,7 +142,6 @@ function saveAccounts(accounts, settings = {}) {
                 modelRateLimits: acc.modelRateLimits || {}
             })),
             settings: {
-                cooldownDurationMs: 60000,
                 maxRetries: 5,
                 ...settings
             },