diff --git a/retry_budget.go b/retry_budget.go
index 240a3a5..5cf6d6a 100644
--- a/retry_budget.go
+++ b/retry_budget.go
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ type RetryBudget struct {
 	logger          *libpack_logger.Logger
 	ctx             context.Context
 	cancel          context.CancelFunc
+	refillOnce      sync.Once    // ensures refillLoop starts at most once, whether from construction or a later UpdateConfig
+	refillStarts    atomic.Int32 // counts startRefillLoop executions; used by tests to assert no duplicate refiller
 
 	// Statistics
 	totalAttempts  atomic.Int64
@@ -58,12 +60,25 @@ func NewRetryBudgetWithContext(ctx context.Context, config RetryBudgetConfig, lo
 
 	// Start refill goroutine
 	if rb.enabled {
-		go rb.refillLoop()
+		rb.startRefillLoop()
 	}
 
 	return rb
 }
 
+// startRefillLoop starts the background refill goroutine, at most once,
+// regardless of how many times it is called from construction or UpdateConfig.
+// Shutdown is terminal: once rb.ctx is cancelled, a later call here still
+// starts refillLoop, but it exits immediately on the cancelled context
+// without ever refilling, so enabling the budget again after Shutdown does
+// not bring back a working refiller.
+func (rb *RetryBudget) startRefillLoop() {
+	rb.refillOnce.Do(func() {
+		rb.refillStarts.Add(1)
+		go rb.refillLoop()
+	})
+}
+
 // AllowRetry checks if a retry is allowed based on the current budget
 func (rb *RetryBudget) AllowRetry() bool {
 	rb.totalAttempts.Add(1)
@@ -210,6 +225,14 @@ func (rb *RetryBudget) UpdateConfig(config RetryBudgetConfig) {
 	rb.currentTokens.Store(rb.maxTokens)
 	rb.configMu.Unlock()
 
+	// Enabling via UpdateConfig must (re)start the refill loop, otherwise a
+	// budget constructed disabled and later enabled would never refill.
+	// startRefillLoop is idempotent, so re-enabling an already-running budget
+	// is a no-op here.
+	if config.Enabled {
+		rb.startRefillLoop()
+	}
+
 	if rb.logger != nil {
 		rb.logger.Info(&libpack_logger.LogMessage{
 			Message: "Retry budget configuration updated",
diff --git a/retry_budget_test.go b/retry_budget_test.go
index 3e80ceb..a53d7cf 100644
--- a/retry_budget_test.go
+++ b/retry_budget_test.go
@@ -360,3 +360,73 @@ func TestRetryBudget_ConcurrentUpdateConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	close(stop)
 	wg.Wait()
 }
+
+// TestRetryBudget_UpdateConfigEnablesRefill covers the latent defect where a
+// budget constructed disabled, then enabled via UpdateConfig, never started
+// its refill goroutine: tokens would be handed out once and never replenish.
+func TestRetryBudget_UpdateConfigEnablesRefill(t *testing.T) {
+	rb := NewRetryBudget(RetryBudgetConfig{
+		TokensPerSecond: 100.0, // fast refill so the poll loop below stays short
+		MaxTokens:       10,
+		Enabled:         false,
+	}, nil)
+	defer rb.Shutdown()
+
+	// No refill goroutine should be running yet: enabling later must start it.
+	rb.UpdateConfig(RetryBudgetConfig{
+		TokensPerSecond: 100.0,
+		MaxTokens:       10,
+		Enabled:         true,
+	})
+
+	// Drain the bucket to zero.
+	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
+		assert.True(t, rb.AllowRetry())
+	}
+	assert.False(t, rb.AllowRetry(), "bucket should be exhausted after draining")
+	assert.Equal(t, int64(0), rb.currentTokens.Load())
+
+	// Poll with a deadline instead of a fixed sleep: refill runs every 100ms,
+	// so tokens must appear well within the deadline if the loop is running.
+	deadline := time.Now().Add(2 * time.Second)
+	refilled := false
+	for time.Now().Before(deadline) {
+		if rb.currentTokens.Load() > 0 {
+			refilled = true
+			break
+		}
+		time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
+	}
+	assert.True(t, refilled, "tokens never refilled after UpdateConfig enabled the budget")
+}
+
+// TestRetryBudget_UpdateConfigDoesNotLeakRefiller asserts that enabling a
+// budget multiple times (once at construction, then repeatedly via
+// concurrent UpdateConfig calls) starts at most one refill goroutine. It
+// uses the package-internal refillStarts counter, incremented exactly once
+// inside the sync.Once guarded by startRefillLoop, giving a deterministic
+// assertion instead of a goroutine-count heuristic.
+func TestRetryBudget_UpdateConfigDoesNotLeakRefiller(t *testing.T) {
+	rb := NewRetryBudget(RetryBudgetConfig{
+		TokensPerSecond: 50.0,
+		MaxTokens:       10,
+		Enabled:         true, // refill goroutine already started at construction
+	}, nil)
+	defer rb.Shutdown()
+
+	assert.Equal(t, int32(1), rb.refillStarts.Load(), "construction with Enabled: true should start exactly one refiller")
+
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	for i := 0; i < 20; i++ {
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func() {
+			defer wg.Done()
+			// Re-enabling an already-enabled budget must not start a second
+			// refiller.
+			rb.UpdateConfig(RetryBudgetConfig{TokensPerSecond: 50.0, MaxTokens: 10, Enabled: true})
+		}()
+	}
+	wg.Wait()
+
+	assert.Equal(t, int32(1), rb.refillStarts.Load(), "concurrent re-enables must not start a second refiller")
+}