diff --git a/pulpcore/app/migrations/0126_remoteartifact_failed_at.py b/pulpcore/app/migrations/0126_remoteartifact_failed_at.py
deleted file mode 100644
index d5b9e2309a..0000000000
--- a/pulpcore/app/migrations/0126_remoteartifact_failed_at.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-# Generated by Django 4.2.16 on 2024-11-27 15:06
-
-from django.db import migrations, models
-
-
-class Migration(migrations.Migration):
-
-    dependencies = [
-        ('core', '0125_openpgpdistribution_openpgpkeyring_openpgppublickey_and_more'),
-    ]
-
-    operations = [
-        migrations.AddField(
-            model_name='remoteartifact',
-            name='failed_at',
-            field=models.DateTimeField(null=True),
-        ),
-    ]
diff --git a/pulpcore/app/models/content.py b/pulpcore/app/models/content.py
index dafd158f5d..8310c310b2 100644
--- a/pulpcore/app/models/content.py
+++ b/pulpcore/app/models/content.py
@@ -703,7 +703,9 @@ class RemoteArtifact(BaseModel, QueryMixin):
         sha256 (models.CharField): The expected SHA-256 checksum of the file.
         sha384 (models.CharField): The expected SHA-384 checksum of the file.
         sha512 (models.CharField): The expected SHA-512 checksum of the file.
-        failed_at (models.DateTimeField): The datetime of last download attempt failure.
+        pulp_last_updated (models.DateTimeField):
+            Re-purposed this field to enable a backport that contained a migration.
+            See https://github.com/pulp/pulpcore/pull/6196
 
     Relations:
 
@@ -722,7 +724,6 @@ class RemoteArtifact(BaseModel, QueryMixin):
     sha256 = models.CharField(max_length=64, null=True, db_index=True)
     sha384 = models.CharField(max_length=96, null=True, db_index=True)
     sha512 = models.CharField(max_length=128, null=True, db_index=True)
-    failed_at = models.DateTimeField(null=True)
 
     content_artifact = models.ForeignKey(ContentArtifact, on_delete=models.CASCADE)
     remote = models.ForeignKey("Remote", on_delete=models.CASCADE)
diff --git a/pulpcore/content/handler.py b/pulpcore/content/handler.py
index 390122da50..73bea9e2c2 100644
--- a/pulpcore/content/handler.py
+++ b/pulpcore/content/handler.py
@@ -823,11 +823,10 @@ async def _stream_content_artifact(self, request, response, content_artifact):
             ClientConnectionError,
         )
 
-        protection_time = settings.REMOTE_CONTENT_FETCH_FAILURE_COOLDOWN
         remote_artifacts = (
             content_artifact.remoteartifact_set.select_related("remote")
             .order_by_acs()
-            .exclude(failed_at__gte=timezone.now() - timedelta(seconds=protection_time))
+            .exclude(pulp_last_updated__gte=timezone.now())
         )
         async for remote_artifact in remote_artifacts:
             try:
@@ -1126,8 +1125,12 @@ async def finalize():
         try:
             download_result = await downloader.run()
         except DigestValidationError:
-            remote_artifact.failed_at = timezone.now()
-            await remote_artifact.asave()
+            # Using this otherwise unused dbfield is a workaround to allow this fix to be
+            # backported. Read "failed_at" instead.
+            await RemoteArtifact.objects.filter(pulp_id=remote_artifact.pulp_id).aupdate(
+                pulp_last_updated=timezone.now()
+                + timedelta(settings.REMOTE_CONTENT_FETCH_FAILURE_COOLDOWN)
+            )
             await downloader.session.close()
             close_tcp_connection(request.transport._sock)
             REMOTE_CONTENT_FETCH_FAILURE_COOLDOWN = settings.REMOTE_CONTENT_FETCH_FAILURE_COOLDOWN