diff --git a/crates/bls/src/lib.rs b/crates/bls/src/lib.rs
index f41391a..067037e 100644
--- a/crates/bls/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/bls/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #![no_std]
 extern crate alloc;
 
+use alloc::format;
 use alloc::string::{String, ToString};
 use alloc::vec::Vec;
 use anyhow::{Error, Result};
@@ -26,6 +27,9 @@ pub struct BlsEntry {
     pub version: Option<String>,
     /// The machine id of the entry.
     pub machine_id: Option<String>,
+    /// The boot counter of the entry, taken from the entry file name.
+    /// This is never set by parsing the file content.
+    pub boot_counter: Option<BootCounter>,
 }
 
 /// Parser for a BLS entry.
@@ -128,6 +132,7 @@ impl FromStr for BlsEntry {
             sort_key,
             version,
             machine_id,
+            boot_counter: None,
         })
     }
 }
@@ -181,6 +186,97 @@ impl BlsEntry {
     pub fn machine_id(&self) -> Option<String> {
         self.machine_id.clone()
     }
+
+    /// Whether the entry has a boot counter with no tries left.
+    pub fn is_bad(&self) -> bool {
+        self.boot_counter.is_some_and(|counter| counter.is_bad())
+    }
+}
+
+/// The boot counter of a BLS entry, encoded in the entry file name as `+<left>[-<done>]`.
+/// Reference: <https://uapi-group.org/specifications/specs/boot_loader_specification/#boot-counting>
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub struct BootCounter {
+    /// The number of boot attempts left.
+    pub tries_left: u32,
+    /// The number of boot attempts already made.
+    pub tries_done: u32,
+}
+
+impl BootCounter {
+    /// Splits the entry file name `stem` (without `.conf`) into the entry id and its boot
+    /// counter. A stem without a valid counter is returned whole, with no counter.
+    pub fn parse(stem: &str) -> (&str, Option<Self>) {
+        Self::try_parse(stem).map_or((stem, None), |(id, counter)| (id, Some(counter)))
+    }
+
+    fn try_parse(stem: &str) -> Option<(&str, Self)> {
+        let (id, suffix) = stem.rsplit_once('+')?;
+        if id.is_empty() {
+            return None;
+        }
+        let (left, done) = suffix.split_once('-').unwrap_or((suffix, "0"));
+        Some((
+            id,
+            Self {
+                tries_left: parse_digits(left)?,
+                tries_done: parse_digits(done)?,
+            },
+        ))
+    }
+
+    /// Produces the counter after one more boot attempt.
+    pub fn decremented(&self) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            tries_left: self.tries_left.saturating_sub(1),
+            tries_done: self.tries_done.saturating_add(1),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Renders the entry file name stem for the entry `id` with this counter.
+    pub fn render(&self, id: &str) -> String {
+        if self.tries_done == 0 {
+            format!("{}+{}", id, self.tries_left)
+        } else {
+            format!("{}+{}-{}", id, self.tries_left, self.tries_done)
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Whether the entry has run out of tries.
+    pub fn is_bad(&self) -> bool {
+        self.tries_left == 0
+    }
+}
+
+/// Decides which entries are the default. Each item of `entries` is `(is_default, is_bad)`,
+/// and the result says whether each entry is the default afterwards.
+/// Bad entries, which have no boot counter tries left, are never the default while a good entry
+/// exists. If no entry is a default, the first good entry is picked, or the first entry if every
+/// entry is bad, so that there is always something to boot.
+pub fn resolve_default_flags(entries: &[(bool, bool)]) -> Vec<bool> {
+    let any_good = entries.iter().any(|(_, bad)| !bad);
+    let mut flags: Vec<bool> = entries
+        .iter()
+        .map(|(default, bad)| *default && !(any_good && *bad))
+        .collect();
+    if !flags.iter().any(|default| *default) {
+        let pick = entries
+            .iter()
+            .position(|(_, bad)| !bad)
+            .or_else(|| (!entries.is_empty()).then_some(0));
+        if let Some(index) = pick {
+            flags[index] = true;
+        }
+    }
+    flags
+}
+
+/// Parses `value` as a number made only of ASCII digits.
+fn parse_digits(value: &str) -> Option<u32> {
+    if value.is_empty() || !value.bytes().all(|b| b.is_ascii_digit()) {
+        return None;
+    }
+    value.parse().ok()
 }
 
 /// Sorts two BLS entries according to the BLS sort system.
@@ -209,6 +305,9 @@ pub fn sort_bls(a_bls: &BlsEntry, a_name: &str, b_bls: &BlsEntry, b_name: &str)
         (None, None) => Ordering::Equal,
     };
 
+    // Entries with no boot counter tries left sort after every other entry.
+    let ordering = a_bls.is_bad().cmp(&b_bls.is_bad()).then(ordering);
+
     // If all else is equal, compare the file names of both entries, sorting newer entries first.
     ordering.then_with(|| compare_versions(a_name, b_name).reverse())
 }
@@ -440,6 +539,172 @@ mod tests {
         }
     }
 
+    fn counted_entry(sort_key: &str, tries_left: u32) -> BlsEntry {
+        BlsEntry {
+            boot_counter: Some(BootCounter {
+                tries_left,
+                tries_done: 0,
+            }),
+            ..sort_entry(Some(sort_key), None, None)
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn bad_entries_sort_after_good_entries() {
+        // "a" would normally sort first, but it has no tries left.
+        let bad = counted_entry("a", 0);
+        let good = counted_entry("z", 2);
+        assert_eq!(sort_bls(&bad, "bad", &good, "good"), Ordering::Greater);
+        assert_eq!(sort_bls(&good, "good", &bad, "bad"), Ordering::Less);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn bad_entries_sort_after_entries_without_counters() {
+        let bad = counted_entry("a", 0);
+        let plain = sort_entry(Some("z"), None, None);
+        assert_eq!(sort_bls(&bad, "bad", &plain, "plain"), Ordering::Greater);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn bad_entries_use_normal_order_among_themselves() {
+        let a = counted_entry("a", 0);
+        let b = counted_entry("b", 0);
+        assert_eq!(sort_bls(&a, "a", &b, "b"), Ordering::Less);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parsed_entries_have_no_counter() {
+        let entry: BlsEntry = "linux /vmlinuz\n".parse().unwrap();
+        assert!(entry.boot_counter.is_none());
+        assert!(!entry.is_bad());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn default_flags_keep_a_good_default() {
+        // The second entry is bad and also matched the default pattern.
+        let flags = resolve_default_flags(&[(true, false), (true, true), (false, false)]);
+        assert_eq!(flags, [true, false, false]);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn default_flags_replace_a_bad_default_with_the_first_good_entry() {
+        let flags = resolve_default_flags(&[(false, false), (true, true), (false, false)]);
+        assert_eq!(flags, [true, false, false]);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn default_flags_fallback_skips_bad_entries() {
+        let flags = resolve_default_flags(&[(false, true), (false, false)]);
+        assert_eq!(flags, [false, true]);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn default_flags_when_every_entry_is_bad() {
+        // A configured default stays, otherwise the first entry is the default.
+        assert_eq!(
+            resolve_default_flags(&[(false, true), (true, true)]),
+            [false, true]
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            resolve_default_flags(&[(false, true), (false, true)]),
+            [true, false]
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn default_flags_of_no_entries_are_empty() {
+        assert!(resolve_default_flags(&[]).is_empty());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn boot_counter_parse_without_suffix() {
+        assert_eq!(BootCounter::parse("foo"), ("foo", None));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn boot_counter_parse_tries_left_only() {
+        let (id, counter) = BootCounter::parse("foo+3");
+        assert_eq!(id, "foo");
+        assert_eq!(
+            counter,
+            Some(BootCounter {
+                tries_left: 3,
+                tries_done: 0
+            })
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn boot_counter_parse_left_and_done() {
+        let (id, counter) = BootCounter::parse("fedora-6.5+2-1");
+        assert_eq!(id, "fedora-6.5");
+        assert_eq!(
+            counter,
+            Some(BootCounter {
+                tries_left: 2,
+                tries_done: 1
+            })
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn boot_counter_parse_zero_tries_left() {
+        let (_, counter) = BootCounter::parse("foo+0-3");
+        assert!(counter.unwrap().is_bad());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn boot_counter_parse_rejects_malformed_suffixes() {
+        for stem in ["foo+", "foo+3-", "foo+a", "foo+3-x", "+3", "foo+-1"] {
+            assert_eq!(BootCounter::parse(stem), (stem, None), "{stem}");
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn boot_counter_parse_rejects_overflow() {
+        let stem = "foo+99999999999";
+        assert_eq!(BootCounter::parse(stem), (stem, None));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn boot_counter_uses_the_last_plus() {
+        let (id, counter) = BootCounter::parse("a+b+2");
+        assert_eq!(id, "a+b");
+        assert_eq!(counter.unwrap().tries_left, 2);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn boot_counter_decremented_moves_a_try_to_done() {
+        let counter = BootCounter {
+            tries_left: 3,
+            tries_done: 0,
+        };
+        assert_eq!(
+            counter.decremented(),
+            BootCounter {
+                tries_left: 2,
+                tries_done: 1
+            }
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn boot_counter_decremented_saturates_at_zero() {
+        let counter = BootCounter {
+            tries_left: 0,
+            tries_done: 3,
+        };
+        assert_eq!(counter.decremented().tries_left, 0);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn boot_counter_render_round_trips() {
+        for stem in ["foo+3", "foo+2-1", "foo+0-3"] {
+            let (id, counter) = BootCounter::parse(stem);
+            assert_eq!(counter.unwrap().render(id), stem);
+        }
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn parse_empty_input_gives_all_none() {
         let entry: BlsEntry = "".parse().unwrap();
diff --git a/crates/boot/src/boot_counter.rs b/crates/boot/src/boot_counter.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a1dca9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/boot/src/boot_counter.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+use alloc::{format, string::String};
+use anyhow::{Context, Result};
+use edera_sprout_bls::BootCounter;
+use uefi::{
+    CString16, Handle,
+    fs::{FileSystem, PathBuf},
+    proto::media::fs::SimpleFileSystem,
+};
+
+/// Where the boot counter of an entry is stored, so that a try can be consumed when the
+/// entry is booted.
+#[derive(Clone)]
+pub struct BootCounterTarget {
+    /// The counter as it is currently encoded in the file name.
+    pub counter: BootCounter,
+    /// The handle of the filesystem that holds the entry file.
+    pub filesystem: Handle,
+    /// The directory that holds the entry file.
+    pub directory: PathBuf,
+    /// The entry id, which is the file name without the counter and extension.
+    pub id: String,
+    /// The current file name, including the counter and the extension.
+    pub file_name: String,
+}
+
+impl BootCounterTarget {
+    /// Consumes one try by renaming the entry file, such as `foo+3.conf` to `foo+2-1.conf`.
+    /// Returns the path of the renamed file.
+    pub fn consume(&self) -> Result<PathBuf> {
+        // The extension is taken from the current file name, as it may be in any case.
+        let extension = &self.file_name[self.file_name.len() - ".conf".len()..];
+        let new_name = format!(
+            "{}{}",
+            self.counter.decremented().render(&self.id),
+            extension
+        );
+
+        let mut from = self.directory.clone();
+        from.push(PathBuf::from(
+            CString16::try_from(self.file_name.as_str()).context("invalid entry file name")?,
+        ));
+        let mut to = self.directory.clone();
+        to.push(PathBuf::from(
+            CString16::try_from(new_name.as_str()).context("invalid new entry file name")?,
+        ));
+
+        let fs = uefi::boot::open_protocol_exclusive::<SimpleFileSystem>(self.filesystem)
+            .context("unable to open the entry filesystem")?;
+        let mut fs = FileSystem::new(fs);
+        fs.rename(&from, &to)
+            .context("unable to rename the entry file")?;
+        Ok(to)
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/boot/src/entries.rs b/crates/boot/src/entries.rs
index b993b37..a6e106c 100644
--- a/crates/boot/src/entries.rs
+++ b/crates/boot/src/entries.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use crate::boot_counter::BootCounterTarget;
 use crate::context::SproutContext;
 use alloc::rc::Rc;
 use alloc::string::{String, ToString};
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@ pub struct BootableEntry {
     default: bool,
     pin_name: bool,
     sort_key: Option<String>,
+    boot_counter: Option<BootCounterTarget>,
 }
 
 impl BootableEntry {
@@ -32,6 +34,7 @@ impl BootableEntry {
             default: false,
             pin_name: false,
             sort_key: None,
+            boot_counter: None,
         }
     }
 
@@ -100,6 +103,23 @@ impl BootableEntry {
         self.pin_name = true;
     }
 
+    /// Record where the boot counter of this entry is stored.
+    pub fn set_boot_counter(&mut self, target: BootCounterTarget) {
+        self.boot_counter = Some(target);
+    }
+
+    /// Fetch where the boot counter of this entry is stored, if it has one.
+    pub fn boot_counter(&self) -> Option<&BootCounterTarget> {
+        self.boot_counter.as_ref()
+    }
+
+    /// Fetch whether the entry has a boot counter with no tries left.
+    pub fn is_bad(&self) -> bool {
+        self.boot_counter
+            .as_ref()
+            .is_some_and(|target| target.counter.is_bad())
+    }
+
     /// Prepend the name of the entry with `prefix`.
     pub fn prepend_name_prefix(&mut self, prefix: &str) {
         self.name.insert_str(0, prefix);
diff --git a/crates/boot/src/generators/bls.rs b/crates/boot/src/generators/bls.rs
index ab11911..2aa135b 100644
--- a/crates/boot/src/generators/bls.rs
+++ b/crates/boot/src/generators/bls.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use crate::boot_counter::BootCounterTarget;
 use crate::context::SproutContext;
 use crate::entries::BootableEntry;
 use alloc::{
@@ -8,7 +9,7 @@ use alloc::{
 };
 use anyhow::{Context, Result};
 use core::{cmp::Ordering, str::FromStr};
-use edera_sprout_bls::{BlsEntry, sort_bls};
+use edera_sprout_bls::{BlsEntry, BootCounter, sort_bls};
 use edera_sprout_config::generators::bls::BlsConfiguration;
 use log::warn;
 use uefi::{
@@ -108,6 +109,15 @@ pub fn generate(context: Rc<SproutContext>, bls: &BlsConfiguration) -> Result<Ve
             continue;
         }
 
+        // Split the boot counter off the file name. The entry id never includes the counter, so
+        // that it stays the same as tries are consumed.
+        let file_name = entry.file_name().to_string();
+        let (id, boot_counter) = {
+            let (id, counter) = BootCounter::parse(&name);
+            (id.to_string(), counter)
+        };
+        let name = id;
+
         // Create a mutable path so we can append the file name to produce the full path.
         let mut full_entry_path = entries_path.to_path_buf();
         full_entry_path.push(entry.file_name());
@@ -133,13 +143,14 @@ pub fn generate(context: Rc<SproutContext>, bls: &BlsConfiguration) -> Result<Ve
         };
 
         // Parse the entry file as a BLS entry.
-        let entry = match BlsEntry::from_str(&content) {
+        let mut entry = match BlsEntry::from_str(&content) {
             Ok(entry) => entry,
             Err(error) => {
                 warn!("unable to parse bls entry {}: {}", name, error);
                 continue;
             }
         };
+        entry.boot_counter = boot_counter;
 
         // Ignore entries that are not valid for Sprout.
         if !entry.is_valid() {
@@ -195,6 +206,9 @@ pub fn generate(context: Rc<SproutContext>, bls: &BlsConfiguration) -> Result<Ve
         context.set("version", version);
         context.set("machine-id", machine_id);
 
+        // Keep the id for the boot counter, as the name is moved into the bootable entry.
+        let boot_id = name.clone();
+
         // Produce a new bootable entry.
         let mut boot = BootableEntry::new(
             name,
@@ -210,6 +224,17 @@ pub fn generate(context: Rc<SproutContext>, bls: &BlsConfiguration) -> Result<Ve
             boot.mark_pin_name();
         }
 
+        // Record where the boot counter lives so a try can be consumed when this entry boots.
+        if let Some(counter) = boot_counter {
+            boot.set_boot_counter(BootCounterTarget {
+                counter,
+                filesystem: bls_resolved.filesystem_handle,
+                directory: entries_path.clone(),
+                id: boot_id,
+                file_name,
+            });
+        }
+
         // Add the BLS entry to the list, along with the bootable entry.
         entries.push((entry, boot));
     }
diff --git a/crates/boot/src/main.rs b/crates/boot/src/main.rs
index 8bc5c62..1c3b6fb 100644
--- a/crates/boot/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/boot/src/main.rs
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ pub mod actions;
 /// autoconfigure: Autoconfigure Sprout based on the detected environment.
 pub mod autoconfigure;
 
+/// boot_counter: Consume the boot counter tries of BLS entries.
+pub mod boot_counter;
+
 /// config: Sprout configuration mechanism.
 pub mod config;
 
@@ -407,11 +410,20 @@ fn run() -> Result<()> {
         force_boot_entry = Some(bootloader_interface_oneshot_entry.clone());
     }
 
-    // If no entries were the default, pick the first entry as the default entry.
-    if entries.iter().all(|entry| !entry.is_default())
-        && let Some(entry) = entries.first_mut()
-    {
-        entry.mark_default();
+    // Entries that have no boot counter tries left are never picked automatically.
+    // If no entries are the default, pick the first usable entry as the default entry.
+    let default_flags = edera_sprout_bls::resolve_default_flags(
+        &entries
+            .iter()
+            .map(|entry| (entry.is_default(), entry.is_bad()))
+            .collect::<Vec<_>>(),
+    );
+    for (entry, default) in entries.iter_mut().zip(default_flags) {
+        if default {
+            entry.mark_default();
+        } else {
+            entry.unmark_default();
+        }
     }
 
     // Convert the menu timeout to a duration.
@@ -465,6 +477,21 @@ fn run() -> Result<()> {
     // Execute the late phase, now that the entry is chosen but before its actions are executed.
     phase(context.clone(), &config.phases.late).context("unable to execute late phase")?;
 
+    // Consume a try from the boot counter of the selected entry.
+    // Failing to do so must not prevent the entry from booting.
+    if let Some(target) = entry.boot_counter()
+        && !target.counter.is_bad()
+    {
+        match target.consume() {
+            Ok(path) => info!("updated boot counter of entry {}: {}", entry.name(), path),
+            Err(error) => warn!(
+                "unable to update boot counter of entry {}: {:#}",
+                entry.name(),
+                error
+            ),
+        }
+    }
+
     // Execute all the actions for the selected entry.
     for action in &entry.declaration().actions {
         let action = entry.context().stamp(action);