This disclosure is directed to a technique for efficient inter-RAT (Radio Access Technology) cell reselection in a wireless communication system. In general, following an unsuccessful cell reselection attempt, the technique involves upgrading one or more cell selection criteria for the pertinent cell. By upgrading the cell reselection criteria, requirements for reselection of the cell in the future are made more stringent. The technique may promote more efficient cell reselection performance, thereby reducing the frequency of repeated, unsuccessful reselection attempts for the same cell. In this manner, the technique can be effective in reducing power consumption and computational overhead incurred by unsuccessful cell reselection attempts, thereby increasing standby time in a wireless communication device. The technique may be implemented within a wireless communication device that supports two or more RAT types, such as WCDMA and GSM. Accordingly, in some cases, the technique may be implemented within a GSM/WCDMA UE.