diff --git a/swh/scheduler/journal_client.py b/swh/scheduler/journal_client.py
--- a/swh/scheduler/journal_client.py
+++ b/swh/scheduler/journal_client.py
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@
 
 msg_type = "origin_visit_status"
 
+DISABLE_ORIGIN_THRESHOLD = 3
+"""Threshold to disable failing origins"""
+
 
 def max_date(*dates: Optional[datetime]) -> datetime:
     """Return the max date of given (possibly None) dates
@@ -130,7 +133,7 @@
 def process_journal_objects(
     messages: Dict[str, List[Dict]], *, scheduler: SchedulerInterface
 ) -> None:
-    """Read messages from origin_visit_status journal topic to update "origin_visit_stats"
+    f"""Read messages from origin_visit_status journal topic to update "origin_visit_stats"
     information on (origin, visit_type). The goal is to compute visit stats information
     per origin and visit_type: `last_successful`, `last_visit`, `last_visit_status`, ...
 
@@ -156,6 +159,10 @@
           are expected to be added for the origin), and `next_position_offset` (duration
           that we expect to wait between visits of this origin) are updated.
 
+        - When visits fails at least {DISABLE_ORIGIN_THRESHOLD} times in a row, the
+          origins are disabled in the scheduler table. It's up to the lister to activate
+          those back when they are listed again.
+
     This is a worker function to be used with `JournalClient.process(worker_fn)`, after
     currification of `scheduler` and `task_names`.
 
@@ -193,6 +200,8 @@
         for field in attr.fields(OriginVisitStats)
     }
 
+    disabled_urls: List[str] = []
+
     # Retrieve the global queue state
     queue_position_per_visit_type = scheduler.visit_scheduler_queue_position_get()
 
@@ -258,6 +267,25 @@
             visit_stats_d["successive_visits"] + 1 if same_visit_status else 1
         )
 
+        # Disable recurring failing/not-found origins
+        if (
+            visit_stats_d["last_visit_status"]
+            in [LastVisitStatus.not_found, LastVisitStatus.failed]
+        ) and visit_stats_d["successive_visits"] >= DISABLE_ORIGIN_THRESHOLD:
+            disabled_urls.append(visit_stats_d["url"])
+
     scheduler.origin_visit_stats_upsert(
         OriginVisitStats(**ovs) for ovs in origin_visit_stats.values()
     )
+
+    # Disable any origins if any
+    if disabled_urls:
+        disabled_origins = []
+        for url in disabled_urls:
+            origins = scheduler.get_listed_origins(url=url).results
+            if len(origins) > 0:
+                origin = attr.evolve(origins[0], enabled=False)
+                disabled_origins.append(origin)
+
+        if disabled_origins:
+            scheduler.record_listed_origins(disabled_origins)
diff --git a/swh/scheduler/tests/test_journal_client.py b/swh/scheduler/tests/test_journal_client.py
--- a/swh/scheduler/tests/test_journal_client.py
+++ b/swh/scheduler/tests/test_journal_client.py
@@ -921,3 +921,76 @@
     )
 
     assert mock_random.called
+
+
+def test_disable_failing_origins(swh_scheduler):
+    """Origin with too many failed attempts ends up being deactivated in the scheduler.
+
+    """
+
+    # actually store the origin in the scheduler so we can check it's deactivated in the
+    # end.
+    lister = swh_scheduler.get_or_create_lister(
+        name="something", instance_name="something"
+    )
+    origin = ListedOrigin(
+        url="bar", enabled=True, visit_type="svn", lister_id=lister.id
+    )
+    swh_scheduler.record_listed_origins([origin])
+
+    visit_statuses = [
+        {
+            "origin": "bar",
+            "visit": 2,
+            "status": "failed",
+            "date": DATE1,
+            "type": "svn",
+            "snapshot": None,
+        },
+        {
+            "origin": "bar",
+            "visit": 3,
+            "status": "failed",
+            "date": DATE2,
+            "type": "svn",
+            "snapshot": None,
+        },
+        {
+            "origin": "bar",
+            "visit": 3,
+            "status": "failed",
+            "date": DATE3,
+            "type": "svn",
+            "snapshot": None,
+        },
+    ]
+
+    process_journal_objects(
+        {"origin_visit_status": visit_statuses}, scheduler=swh_scheduler
+    )
+
+    actual_origin_visit_stats = swh_scheduler.origin_visit_stats_get([("bar", "svn")])
+    assert_visit_stats_ok(
+        actual_origin_visit_stats[0],
+        OriginVisitStats(
+            url="bar",
+            visit_type="svn",
+            last_successful=None,
+            last_visit=DATE3,
+            last_visit_status=LastVisitStatus.failed,
+            next_position_offset=6,
+            successive_visits=3,
+        ),
+    )
+
+    # Now check that the origin in question is disabled
+    actual_page = swh_scheduler.get_listed_origins(url="bar")
+
+    assert len(actual_page.results) == 1
+    assert actual_page.next_page_token is None
+
+    for origin in actual_page.results:
+        assert origin.enabled is False
+        assert origin.lister_id == lister.id
+        assert origin.url == "bar"
+        assert origin.visit_type == "svn"