A motor operator for a circuit breaker has a motor driven carriage which engages a circuit breaker handle and drives it between an on position and a reset position beyond off. When the carriage drives the handle to the off/reset position, an off limit switch is actuated to deenergize the motor. A fastener releasably secures a bracket slidably mounted on the carriage to a fixed member when the carriage reaches the reset position of the handle so that if the circuit breaker does not reset and rebounds toward a trip position, the bracket is extended and maintains actuation of the off limit switch. Hence, the motor is not repeatedly energized and burned out in unsuccessful attempts to reset the circuit breaker.