Inconsistent behavior from circuit on breadboard
It shouldn't be the case, that's for sure.

I alway blame myself before blaming any faulty IC or whatever. The fact that you get intermittent working would probably suggest a bad or loose connection.

It's not uncommon for breadboards to make bad contact. Specially if you didn't peel the wire long enough and you're putting the insulator inside the breaboard hole. This prevents proper contact.

You can check your breadboard, it's a little bit of a PITA. But you can use a tester to check it.