diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -39,9 +39,11 @@
  "futures",
  "log",
  "reqwest",
+ "reqwest-middleware",
+ "reqwest-retry",
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
- "thiserror",
+ "thiserror 2.0.16",
  "tokio",
  "tokio-postgres",
  "url",
@@ -169,6 +171,12 @@
 version = "0.22.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "72b3254f16251a8381aa12e40e3c4d2f0199f8c6508fbecb9d91f575e0fbb8c6"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "bitflags"
+version = "1.3.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "bef38d45163c2f1dde094a7dfd33ccf595c92905c8f8f4fdc18d06fb1037718a"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "bitflags"
@@ -912,12 +920,24 @@
 ]
 
 [[package]]
+name = "instant"
+version = "0.1.13"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "e0242819d153cba4b4b05a5a8f2a7e9bbf97b6055b2a002b395c96b5ff3c0222"
+dependencies = [
+ "cfg-if",
+ "js-sys",
+ "wasm-bindgen",
+ "web-sys",
+]
+
+[[package]]
 name = "io-uring"
 version = "0.7.10"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "046fa2d4d00aea763528b4950358d0ead425372445dc8ff86312b3c69ff7727b"
 dependencies = [
- "bitflags",
+ "bitflags 2.9.4",
  "cfg-if",
  "libc",
 ]
@@ -996,9 +1016,9 @@
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "391290121bad3d37fbddad76d8f5d1c1c314cfc646d143d7e07a3086ddff0ce3"
 dependencies = [
- "bitflags",
+ "bitflags 2.9.4",
  "libc",
- "redox_syscall",
+ "redox_syscall 0.5.17",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -1133,7 +1153,7 @@
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "8505734d46c8ab1e19a1dce3aef597ad87dcb4c37e7188231769bd6bd51cebf8"
 dependencies = [
- "bitflags",
+ "bitflags 2.9.4",
  "cfg-if",
  "foreign-types",
  "libc",
@@ -1173,12 +1193,37 @@
 
 [[package]]
 name = "parking_lot"
+version = "0.11.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "7d17b78036a60663b797adeaee46f5c9dfebb86948d1255007a1d6be0271ff99"
+dependencies = [
+ "instant",
+ "lock_api",
+ "parking_lot_core 0.8.6",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "parking_lot"
 version = "0.12.4"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "70d58bf43669b5795d1576d0641cfb6fbb2057bf629506267a92807158584a13"
 dependencies = [
  "lock_api",
- "parking_lot_core",
+ "parking_lot_core 0.9.11",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "parking_lot_core"
+version = "0.8.6"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "60a2cfe6f0ad2bfc16aefa463b497d5c7a5ecd44a23efa72aa342d90177356dc"
+dependencies = [
+ "cfg-if",
+ "instant",
+ "libc",
+ "redox_syscall 0.2.16",
+ "smallvec",
+ "winapi",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -1189,7 +1234,7 @@
 dependencies = [
  "cfg-if",
  "libc",
- "redox_syscall",
+ "redox_syscall 0.5.17",
  "smallvec",
  "windows-targets 0.52.6",
 ]
@@ -1264,7 +1309,7 @@
  "hmac",
  "md-5",
  "memchr",
- "rand",
+ "rand 0.9.2",
  "sha2",
  "stringprep",
 ]
@@ -1327,12 +1372,33 @@
 
 [[package]]
 name = "rand"
+version = "0.8.5"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "34af8d1a0e25924bc5b7c43c079c942339d8f0a8b57c39049bef581b46327404"
+dependencies = [
+ "libc",
+ "rand_chacha 0.3.1",
+ "rand_core 0.6.4",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "rand"
 version = "0.9.2"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "6db2770f06117d490610c7488547d543617b21bfa07796d7a12f6f1bd53850d1"
 dependencies = [
- "rand_chacha",
- "rand_core",
+ "rand_chacha 0.9.0",
+ "rand_core 0.9.3",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "rand_chacha"
+version = "0.3.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "e6c10a63a0fa32252be49d21e7709d4d4baf8d231c2dbce1eaa8141b9b127d88"
+dependencies = [
+ "ppv-lite86",
+ "rand_core 0.6.4",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -1342,7 +1408,16 @@
 checksum = "d3022b5f1df60f26e1ffddd6c66e8aa15de382ae63b3a0c1bfc0e4d3e3f325cb"
 dependencies = [
  "ppv-lite86",
- "rand_core",
+ "rand_core 0.9.3",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "rand_core"
+version = "0.6.4"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "ec0be4795e2f6a28069bec0b5ff3e2ac9bafc99e6a9a7dc3547996c5c816922c"
+dependencies = [
+ "getrandom 0.2.16",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -1356,11 +1431,20 @@
 
 [[package]]
 name = "redox_syscall"
+version = "0.2.16"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "fb5a58c1855b4b6819d59012155603f0b22ad30cad752600aadfcb695265519a"
+dependencies = [
+ "bitflags 1.3.2",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "redox_syscall"
 version = "0.5.17"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "5407465600fb0548f1442edf71dd20683c6ed326200ace4b1ef0763521bb3b77"
 dependencies = [
- "bitflags",
+ "bitflags 2.9.4",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -1436,6 +1520,52 @@
 ]
 
 [[package]]
+name = "reqwest-middleware"
+version = "0.4.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "57f17d28a6e6acfe1733fe24bcd30774d13bffa4b8a22535b4c8c98423088d4e"
+dependencies = [
+ "anyhow",
+ "async-trait",
+ "http",
+ "reqwest",
+ "serde",
+ "thiserror 1.0.69",
+ "tower-service",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "reqwest-retry"
+version = "0.7.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "29c73e4195a6bfbcb174b790d9b3407ab90646976c55de58a6515da25d851178"
+dependencies = [
+ "anyhow",
+ "async-trait",
+ "futures",
+ "getrandom 0.2.16",
+ "http",
+ "hyper",
+ "parking_lot 0.11.2",
+ "reqwest",
+ "reqwest-middleware",
+ "retry-policies",
+ "thiserror 1.0.69",
+ "tokio",
+ "tracing",
+ "wasm-timer",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "retry-policies"
+version = "0.4.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "5875471e6cab2871bc150ecb8c727db5113c9338cc3354dc5ee3425b6aa40a1c"
+dependencies = [
+ "rand 0.8.5",
+]
+
+[[package]]
 name = "ring"
 version = "0.17.14"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
@@ -1461,7 +1591,7 @@
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "cd15f8a2c5551a84d56efdc1cd049089e409ac19a3072d5037a17fd70719ff3e"
 dependencies = [
- "bitflags",
+ "bitflags 2.9.4",
  "errno",
  "libc",
  "linux-raw-sys",
@@ -1534,7 +1664,7 @@
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "897b2245f0b511c87893af39b033e5ca9cce68824c4d7e7630b5a1d339658d02"
 dependencies = [
- "bitflags",
+ "bitflags 2.9.4",
  "core-foundation",
  "core-foundation-sys",
  "libc",
@@ -1734,7 +1864,7 @@
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "3c879d448e9d986b661742763247d3693ed13609438cf3d006f51f5368a5ba6b"
 dependencies = [
- "bitflags",
+ "bitflags 2.9.4",
  "core-foundation",
  "system-configuration-sys",
 ]
@@ -1764,11 +1894,31 @@
 
 [[package]]
 name = "thiserror"
+version = "1.0.69"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "b6aaf5339b578ea85b50e080feb250a3e8ae8cfcdff9a461c9ec2904bc923f52"
+dependencies = [
+ "thiserror-impl 1.0.69",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "thiserror"
 version = "2.0.16"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "3467d614147380f2e4e374161426ff399c91084acd2363eaf549172b3d5e60c0"
 dependencies = [
- "thiserror-impl",
+ "thiserror-impl 2.0.16",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "thiserror-impl"
+version = "1.0.69"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "4fee6c4efc90059e10f81e6d42c60a18f76588c3d74cb83a0b242a2b6c7504c1"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "syn",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -1818,7 +1968,7 @@
  "io-uring",
  "libc",
  "mio",
- "parking_lot",
+ "parking_lot 0.12.4",
  "pin-project-lite",
  "signal-hook-registry",
  "slab",
@@ -1861,13 +2011,13 @@
  "futures-channel",
  "futures-util",
  "log",
- "parking_lot",
+ "parking_lot 0.12.4",
  "percent-encoding",
  "phf",
  "pin-project-lite",
  "postgres-protocol",
  "postgres-types",
- "rand",
+ "rand 0.9.2",
  "socket2 0.5.10",
  "tokio",
  "tokio-util",
@@ -1918,7 +2068,7 @@
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "adc82fd73de2a9722ac5da747f12383d2bfdb93591ee6c58486e0097890f05f2"
 dependencies = [
- "bitflags",
+ "bitflags 2.9.4",
  "bytes",
  "futures-util",
  "http",
@@ -1949,7 +2099,19 @@
 checksum = "784e0ac535deb450455cbfa28a6f0df145ea1bb7ae51b821cf5e7927fdcfbdd0"
 dependencies = [
  "pin-project-lite",
+ "tracing-attributes",
  "tracing-core",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "tracing-attributes"
+version = "0.1.30"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "81383ab64e72a7a8b8e13130c49e3dab29def6d0c7d76a03087b3cf71c5c6903"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "syn",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -2167,6 +2329,21 @@
 ]
 
 [[package]]
+name = "wasm-timer"
+version = "0.2.5"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "be0ecb0db480561e9a7642b5d3e4187c128914e58aa84330b9493e3eb68c5e7f"
+dependencies = [
+ "futures",
+ "js-sys",
+ "parking_lot 0.11.2",
+ "pin-utils",
+ "wasm-bindgen",
+ "wasm-bindgen-futures",
+ "web-sys",
+]
+
+[[package]]
 name = "web-sys"
 version = "0.3.78"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
@@ -2186,6 +2363,28 @@
  "wasite",
  "web-sys",
 ]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "winapi"
+version = "0.3.9"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "5c839a674fcd7a98952e593242ea400abe93992746761e38641405d28b00f419"
+dependencies = [
+ "winapi-i686-pc-windows-gnu",
+ "winapi-x86_64-pc-windows-gnu",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "winapi-i686-pc-windows-gnu"
+version = "0.4.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "ac3b87c63620426dd9b991e5ce0329eff545bccbbb34f3be09ff6fb6ab51b7b6"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "winapi-x86_64-pc-windows-gnu"
+version = "0.4.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "712e227841d057c1ee1cd2fb22fa7e5a5461ae8e48fa2ca79ec42cfc1931183f"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "windows-core"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 futures = "0.3.31"
 log = "0.4.28"
 reqwest = { version = "0.12.23", features = ["stream"] }
+reqwest-middleware = "0.4.2"
+reqwest-retry = "0.7.0"
 serde = "1.0.219"
 serde_json = { version = "1.0.143", features = ["raw_value"] }
 thiserror = "2.0.16"
diff --git a/src/client.rs b/src/client.rs
--- a/src/client.rs
+++ b/src/client.rs
@@ -1,13 +1,21 @@
 use reqwest::Client;
+use reqwest_middleware::{ClientBuilder, ClientWithMiddleware};
+use reqwest_retry::{RetryTransientMiddleware, policies::ExponentialBackoff};
 use std::sync::LazyLock;
 
-pub static CLIENT: LazyLock<Client> = LazyLock::new(|| {
-    Client::builder()
+pub static CLIENT: LazyLock<ClientWithMiddleware> = LazyLock::new(|| {
+    let inner = Client::builder()
         .user_agent(concat!(
             "allegedly, v",
             env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION"),
             " (from @microcosm.blue; contact @bad-example.com)"
         ))
         .build()
-        .unwrap()
+        .unwrap();
+
+    let policy = ExponentialBackoff::builder().build_with_max_retries(12);
+
+    ClientBuilder::new(inner)
+        .with(RetryTransientMiddleware::new_with_policy(policy))
+        .build()
 });
diff --git a/src/poll.rs b/src/poll.rs
--- a/src/poll.rs
+++ b/src/poll.rs
@@ -8,9 +8,11 @@
 #[derive(Debug, Error)]
 pub enum GetPageError {
     #[error(transparent)]
-    ReqwestError(#[from] reqwest::Error),
+    Reqwest(#[from] reqwest::Error),
     #[error(transparent)]
-    SerdeError(#[from] serde_json::Error),
+    ReqwestMiddleware(#[from] reqwest_middleware::Error),
+    #[error(transparent)]
+    Serde(#[from] serde_json::Error),
 }
 
 /// ops are primary-keyed by (did, cid)