diff --git a/internal/microcosm/replay.go b/internal/microcosm/replay.go
index bb430c6..3bb4e20 100644
--- a/internal/microcosm/replay.go
+++ b/internal/microcosm/replay.go
@@ -107,7 +107,8 @@ func (r *Replay) ConsumeReplay(ctx context.Context, cursor int64, wanted func(co
 	}
 	httpClient := *r.client.http
 	httpClient.Transport = &replayTransport{base: httpClient.Transport, observe: observe}
-	options := []jetstream.Option{jetstream.WithAPIKey(r.key), jetstream.WithAfterSeq(uint64(cursor)), jetstream.WithCollections(collections), jetstream.WithHTTPClient(&httpClient), jetstream.WithBatchSize(replayBatchSize), jetstream.WithDownloadConcurrency(r.workers), jetstream.WithSegmentStripes(1), jetstream.WithMaxDownloadAttempts(upstream.MaxAttempts)}
+	// Keep the complete default retry policy. The SDK's attempt override omits required backoff fields and panics on retries.
+	options := []jetstream.Option{jetstream.WithAPIKey(r.key), jetstream.WithAfterSeq(uint64(cursor)), jetstream.WithCollections(collections), jetstream.WithHTTPClient(&httpClient), jetstream.WithBatchSize(replayBatchSize), jetstream.WithDownloadConcurrency(r.workers), jetstream.WithSegmentStripes(1)}
 	if r.rangeSeq.Before > 0 {
 		options = append(options, jetstream.WithBeforeSeq(uint64(r.rangeSeq.Before)), jetstream.WithSnapshotOnly())
 	}
diff --git a/internal/microcosm/replay_test.go b/internal/microcosm/replay_test.go
index 1f95faf..621624b 100644
--- a/internal/microcosm/replay_test.go
+++ b/internal/microcosm/replay_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package microcosm
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
@@ -127,6 +128,48 @@ func TestReplayAuthentication(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestReplayTransientBlockRetry(t *testing.T) {
+	archive := archiveFixture(t)
+	reader, err := segment.OpenReaderAt(bytes.NewReader(archive), int64(len(archive)), segment.ReaderOptions{})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer reader.Close()
+	const blockLengthPrefixBytes = 8
+	info := reader.Blocks()[0]
+	start := info.Offset + blockLengthPrefixBytes
+	frame := archive[start : start+uint64(info.CompressedSize)]
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+	queue, err := upstream.New(ctx, 1)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer queue.Close()
+	var blocks atomic.Int64
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if r.URL.Path == "/xrpc/network.bsky.jetstream.planSnapshot" {
+			w.Write([]byte(`{"sealedTipSeq":1,"plannedThroughSeq":1,"segments":[{"name":"seg_0000000000.jss","index":0,"minSeq":1,"maxSeq":1,"mode":"blocks","blocks":[{"first":0,"last":0}]}],"stats":{}}`))
+			return
+		}
+		if blocks.Add(1) == 1 {
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusServiceUnavailable)
+			return
+		}
+		w.Write(frame)
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+	replay, err := NewReplayWithRange(server.URL, "test-key", domain.SoftDisabled, queue, 1, domain.SequenceRange{Before: 1})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	var events int
+	err = replay.ConsumeReplay(ctx, 0, nil, func(_ context.Context, batch []domain.Change, _ int64) error { events += len(batch); return nil }, nil)
+	if err != nil || events != 1 || blocks.Load() != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("transient replay: events %d blocks %d error %v", events, blocks.Load(), err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestReplayArchiveRedirect(t *testing.T) {
 	archive := archiveFixture(t)
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)