diff --git a/frontend/src/components/config/JailsTab.tsx b/frontend/src/components/config/JailsTab.tsx
index 7c85c61..1aff34c 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/config/JailsTab.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/config/JailsTab.tsx
@@ -210,9 +210,9 @@ function JailConfigDetail({
 
   const autoSavePayload = useMemo<JailConfigUpdate>(
     () => ({
-      ban_time: Number(banTime) || jail.ban_time,
-      find_time: Number(findTime) || jail.find_time,
-      max_retry: Number(maxRetry) || jail.max_retry,
+      ban_time: banTime.trim() === "" || Number.isNaN(Number(banTime)) ? jail.ban_time : Number(banTime),
+      find_time: findTime.trim() === "" || Number.isNaN(Number(findTime)) ? jail.find_time : Number(findTime),
+      max_retry: maxRetry.trim() === "" || Number.isNaN(Number(maxRetry)) ? jail.max_retry : Number(maxRetry),
       fail_regex: failRegex,
       ignore_regex: ignoreRegex,
       date_pattern: datePattern !== "" ? datePattern : null,
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/config/__tests__/JailsTab.test.tsx b/frontend/src/components/config/__tests__/JailsTab.test.tsx
index 0bce807..1ac26f0 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/config/__tests__/JailsTab.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/config/__tests__/JailsTab.test.tsx
@@ -81,4 +81,148 @@ describe("JailsTab", () => {
 
     expect(lastPayload).not.toHaveProperty("backend");
   });
+
+  it("preserves zero values for ban_time, find_time, and max_retry", () => {
+    const autoSavePayloads: Array<Record<string, unknown>> = [];
+    mockUseAutoSave.mockImplementation((value) => {
+      autoSavePayloads.push(value as Record<string, unknown>);
+      return { status: "idle", errorText: null, retry: vi.fn() };
+    });
+
+    const jailWithNonZeroDefaults: JailConfig = {
+      ...basicJail,
+      ban_time: 600,
+      find_time: 600,
+      max_retry: 5,
+    };
+
+    mockUseJailConfigs.mockReturnValue({
+      jails: [jailWithNonZeroDefaults],
+      total: 1,
+      loading: false,
+      error: null,
+      refresh: vi.fn(),
+      updateJail: vi.fn(),
+      reloadAll: vi.fn(),
+    });
+
+    mockUseConfigActiveStatus.mockReturnValue({
+      activeJails: new Set<string>(),
+      activeFilters: new Set<string>(),
+      activeActions: new Set<string>(),
+      loading: false,
+      error: null,
+      refresh: vi.fn(),
+    });
+
+    render(
+      <FluentProvider theme={webLightTheme}>
+        <JailsTab initialJail="sshd" />
+      </FluentProvider>,
+    );
+
+    expect(autoSavePayloads.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    const lastPayload = autoSavePayloads[autoSavePayloads.length - 1];
+
+    expect(lastPayload).toBeDefined();
+    expect(lastPayload!.ban_time).toBe(600);
+    expect(lastPayload!.find_time).toBe(600);
+    expect(lastPayload!.max_retry).toBe(5);
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to jail defaults for empty string input", () => {
+    const autoSavePayloads: Array<Record<string, unknown>> = [];
+    mockUseAutoSave.mockImplementation((value) => {
+      autoSavePayloads.push(value as Record<string, unknown>);
+      return { status: "idle", errorText: null, retry: vi.fn() };
+    });
+
+    const jailWithDefaults: JailConfig = {
+      ...basicJail,
+      ban_time: 600,
+      find_time: 600,
+      max_retry: 5,
+    };
+
+    mockUseJailConfigs.mockReturnValue({
+      jails: [jailWithDefaults],
+      total: 1,
+      loading: false,
+      error: null,
+      refresh: vi.fn(),
+      updateJail: vi.fn(),
+      reloadAll: vi.fn(),
+    });
+
+    mockUseConfigActiveStatus.mockReturnValue({
+      activeJails: new Set<string>(),
+      activeFilters: new Set<string>(),
+      activeActions: new Set<string>(),
+      loading: false,
+      error: null,
+      refresh: vi.fn(),
+    });
+
+    render(
+      <FluentProvider theme={webLightTheme}>
+        <JailsTab initialJail="sshd" />
+      </FluentProvider>,
+    );
+
+    expect(autoSavePayloads.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    const lastPayload = autoSavePayloads[autoSavePayloads.length - 1];
+
+    expect(lastPayload).toBeDefined();
+    expect(lastPayload!.ban_time).toBe(600);
+    expect(lastPayload!.find_time).toBe(600);
+    expect(lastPayload!.max_retry).toBe(5);
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to jail defaults for non-numeric input", () => {
+    const autoSavePayloads: Array<Record<string, unknown>> = [];
+    mockUseAutoSave.mockImplementation((value) => {
+      autoSavePayloads.push(value as Record<string, unknown>);
+      return { status: "idle", errorText: null, retry: vi.fn() };
+    });
+
+    const jailWithDefaults: JailConfig = {
+      ...basicJail,
+      ban_time: 600,
+      find_time: 600,
+      max_retry: 5,
+    };
+
+    mockUseJailConfigs.mockReturnValue({
+      jails: [jailWithDefaults],
+      total: 1,
+      loading: false,
+      error: null,
+      refresh: vi.fn(),
+      updateJail: vi.fn(),
+      reloadAll: vi.fn(),
+    });
+
+    mockUseConfigActiveStatus.mockReturnValue({
+      activeJails: new Set<string>(),
+      activeFilters: new Set<string>(),
+      activeActions: new Set<string>(),
+      loading: false,
+      error: null,
+      refresh: vi.fn(),
+    });
+
+    render(
+      <FluentProvider theme={webLightTheme}>
+        <JailsTab initialJail="sshd" />
+      </FluentProvider>,
+    );
+
+    expect(autoSavePayloads.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    const lastPayload = autoSavePayloads[autoSavePayloads.length - 1];
+
+    expect(lastPayload).toBeDefined();
+    expect(lastPayload!.ban_time).toBe(600);
+    expect(lastPayload!.find_time).toBe(600);
+    expect(lastPayload!.max_retry).toBe(5);
+  });
 });