diff --git a/.github/workflows/impl-generate.yml b/.github/workflows/impl-generate.yml
index 14d0b2aab9..d5ef54718b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/impl-generate.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/impl-generate.yml
@@ -342,7 +342,15 @@ jobs:
 
           # Sync with remote (Claude already pushed the code)
           git fetch origin
-          git checkout -B "$BRANCH" "origin/$BRANCH"
+
+          # Check if remote branch exists before checkout (fixes branch-not-found error)
+          if git ls-remote --exit-code --heads origin "$BRANCH" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            git checkout -B "$BRANCH" "origin/$BRANCH"
+          else
+            # Branch doesn't exist on remote - create fresh from main
+            echo "::warning::Remote branch $BRANCH not found, creating fresh from main"
+            git checkout -B "$BRANCH" origin/main
+          fi
 
           # Restore plot files after git operations
           cp "/tmp/plot.png" "plots/${SPEC_ID}/implementations/plot.png" 2>/dev/null || true
@@ -613,3 +621,57 @@ jobs:
           else
             echo "success=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           fi
+
+      # ========================================================================
+      # Failure handling: Track failures and clean up labels
+      # ========================================================================
+      - name: Handle generation failure
+        if: failure() && steps.inputs.outputs.issue_number != ''
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          SPEC_ID: ${{ steps.inputs.outputs.specification_id }}
+          LIBRARY: ${{ steps.inputs.outputs.library }}
+          ISSUE: ${{ steps.inputs.outputs.issue_number }}
+        run: |
+          echo "::notice::Handling generation failure for $LIBRARY/$SPEC_ID"
+
+          # Count previous failed generation runs for this spec/library
+          # Filter by both library AND spec ID to avoid counting unrelated failures
+          FAILURE_COUNT=$(gh run list \
+            --workflow=impl-generate.yml \
+            --limit 20 \
+            --json conclusion,displayTitle,createdAt \
+            -q "[.[] | select(.conclusion == \"failure\") | select(.displayTitle | (contains(\"$LIBRARY\") and contains(\"$SPEC_ID\")))] | length" \
+            2>/dev/null || echo "0")
+
+          echo "::notice::Previous failures: $FAILURE_COUNT"
+
+          # After 3 failures, mark as failed (current run is the 3rd)
+          if [ "$FAILURE_COUNT" -ge 2 ]; then
+            echo "::warning::Marking $LIBRARY as failed after multiple generation failures"
+
+            # Create failed label if needed
+            gh label create "impl:${LIBRARY}:failed" --color "d73a4a" \
+              --description "${LIBRARY} implementation failed" 2>/dev/null || true
+
+            # Remove stale labels and add failed (Fix #2: clean up duplicates)
+            gh issue edit "$ISSUE" \
+              --remove-label "generate:${LIBRARY},impl:${LIBRARY}:pending" \
+              --add-label "impl:${LIBRARY}:failed" 2>/dev/null || true
+
+            # Post failure comment
+            gh issue comment "$ISSUE" --body "## :x: ${LIBRARY} Failed
+
+          The **${LIBRARY}** implementation for \`${SPEC_ID}\` failed after multiple attempts.
+
+          This may indicate that the library cannot implement this plot type natively.
+
+          ---
+          :robot: *[impl-generate](https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/actions/runs/${{ github.run_id }})*"
+
+          else
+            # Not enough failures yet - just clean up stale generate label
+            # Keep pending label for retry
+            gh issue edit "$ISSUE" --remove-label "generate:${LIBRARY}" 2>/dev/null || true
+            echo "::notice::Cleaned up generate label, keeping pending for retry"
+          fi
diff --git a/.github/workflows/impl-merge.yml b/.github/workflows/impl-merge.yml
index bc507011a8..49883b0ac2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/impl-merge.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/impl-merge.yml
@@ -245,39 +245,56 @@ jobs:
           # Get current labels on the issue
           LABELS=$(gh issue view "$ISSUE" --json labels -q '.labels[].name' 2>/dev/null || echo "")
 
-          # Count done implementations
+          # Count done and failed implementations
           DONE_COUNT=0
+          FAILED_COUNT=0
+          DONE_LIBS=""
+          FAILED_LIBS=""
+
           for lib in $LIBRARIES; do
             if echo "$LABELS" | grep -q "^impl:${lib}:done$"; then
               DONE_COUNT=$((DONE_COUNT + 1))
+              DONE_LIBS="$DONE_LIBS $lib"
+            elif echo "$LABELS" | grep -q "^impl:${lib}:failed$"; then
+              FAILED_COUNT=$((FAILED_COUNT + 1))
+              FAILED_LIBS="$FAILED_LIBS $lib"
             fi
           done
 
-          echo "::notice::Libraries done: $DONE_COUNT/9"
+          TOTAL=$((DONE_COUNT + FAILED_COUNT))
+          echo "::notice::Libraries: $DONE_COUNT done, $FAILED_COUNT failed, $TOTAL/9 total"
+
+          # Close issue if all 9 libraries are done OR done+failed=9
+          if [ "$TOTAL" -eq 9 ]; then
+            # Build status table
+            TABLE="| Library | Status |\n|---------|--------|"
+            for lib in $LIBRARIES; do
+              if echo "$DONE_LIBS" | grep -w -q "$lib"; then
+                TABLE="$TABLE\n| $lib | :white_check_mark: |"
+              elif echo "$FAILED_LIBS" | grep -w -q "$lib"; then
+                TABLE="$TABLE\n| $lib | :x: (not supported) |"
+              fi
+            done
+
+            if [ "$FAILED_COUNT" -eq 0 ]; then
+              TITLE=":tada: All Implementations Complete!"
+              SUMMARY="All 9 library implementations for \`${SPEC_ID}\` have been successfully merged."
+            else
+              TITLE=":white_check_mark: Implementations Complete"
+              SUMMARY="${DONE_COUNT}/9 implementations merged, ${FAILED_COUNT} libraries could not implement this plot type."
+            fi
 
-          # Close issue if all 9 libraries are done
-          if [ "$DONE_COUNT" -eq 9 ]; then
-            gh issue comment "$ISSUE" --body "## :tada: All Implementations Complete!
+            gh issue comment "$ISSUE" --body "## ${TITLE}
 
-          All 9 library implementations for \`${SPEC_ID}\` have been successfully merged.
+          ${SUMMARY}
 
-          | Library | Status |
-          |---------|--------|
-          | matplotlib | :white_check_mark: |
-          | seaborn | :white_check_mark: |
-          | plotly | :white_check_mark: |
-          | bokeh | :white_check_mark: |
-          | altair | :white_check_mark: |
-          | plotnine | :white_check_mark: |
-          | pygal | :white_check_mark: |
-          | highcharts | :white_check_mark: |
-          | letsplot | :white_check_mark: |
+          $(echo -e "$TABLE")
 
           ---
           :robot: *[impl-merge](https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/actions/runs/${{ github.run_id }})*"
 
             gh issue close "$ISSUE"
-            echo "::notice::Closed issue #$ISSUE - all implementations complete"
+            echo "::notice::Closed issue #$ISSUE - all implementations complete ($DONE_COUNT done, $FAILED_COUNT failed)"
           fi
 
       - name: Trigger database sync