diff --git a/gitea/client.go b/gitea/client.go
index 150b3c0..5feb9a8 100644
--- a/gitea/client.go
+++ b/gitea/client.go
@@ -39,6 +39,12 @@ func IsNotFound(err error) bool {
 	return errors.As(err, &apiErr) && apiErr.StatusCode == http.StatusNotFound
 }
 
+// IsServerError reports whether an error is an API 5xx response.
+func IsServerError(err error) bool {
+	var apiErr *APIError
+	return errors.As(err, &apiErr) && apiErr.StatusCode >= 500 && apiErr.StatusCode < 600
+}
+
 // Client interacts with the Gitea API.
 // A Client is safe for concurrent use by multiple goroutines.
 type Client struct {
@@ -210,24 +216,56 @@ func (c *Client) PostReview(ctx context.Context, owner, repo string, number int,
 	return &review, nil
 }
 
+// doGet performs an HTTP GET request with retry on 5xx errors.
+// Retries up to 3 times with exponential backoff (1s, 2s delays).
 func (c *Client) doGet(ctx context.Context, reqURL string) ([]byte, error) {
-	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, http.MethodGet, reqURL, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	req.Header.Set("Authorization", "token "+c.token)
+	const maxAttempts = 3
+	backoff := []time.Duration{0, 1 * time.Second, 2 * time.Second}
 
-	resp, err := c.http.Do(req)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	defer resp.Body.Close()
+	var lastErr error
+	for attempt := 0; attempt < maxAttempts; attempt++ {
+		if attempt > 0 {
+			slog.Warn("retrying request after server error",
+				"attempt", attempt+1,
+				"url", reqURL,
+				"delay", backoff[attempt].String())
+			select {
+			case <-time.After(backoff[attempt]):
+			case <-ctx.Done():
+				return nil, ctx.Err()
+			}
+		}
 
-	if resp.StatusCode < 200 || resp.StatusCode >= 300 {
-		body, _ := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
-		return nil, &APIError{StatusCode: resp.StatusCode, Body: string(body)}
+		req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, http.MethodGet, reqURL, nil)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		req.Header.Set("Authorization", "token "+c.token)
+
+		resp, err := c.http.Do(req)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		body, readErr := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+		resp.Body.Close()
+
+		if resp.StatusCode >= 200 && resp.StatusCode < 300 {
+			if readErr != nil {
+				return nil, readErr
+			}
+			return body, nil
+		}
+
+		lastErr = &APIError{StatusCode: resp.StatusCode, Body: string(body)}
+
+		// Only retry on 5xx server errors
+		if resp.StatusCode < 500 || resp.StatusCode >= 600 {
+			return nil, lastErr
+		}
 	}
-	return io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+
+	return nil, lastErr
 }
 
 // escapePath escapes each segment of a relative file path for use in URLs.
diff --git a/gitea/client_test.go b/gitea/client_test.go
index d09e38b..ebd5cfe 100644
--- a/gitea/client_test.go
+++ b/gitea/client_test.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 )
 
 func TestGetPullRequest(t *testing.T) {
@@ -743,3 +744,137 @@ func TestResolveComment_Error(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("expected error for 404 response")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestIsServerError(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		err  error
+		want bool
+	}{
+		{"nil error", nil, false},
+		{"non-API error", fmt.Errorf("network timeout"), false},
+		{"404 APIError", &APIError{StatusCode: 404, Body: "not found"}, false},
+		{"500 APIError", &APIError{StatusCode: 500, Body: "server error"}, true},
+		{"502 APIError", &APIError{StatusCode: 502, Body: "bad gateway"}, true},
+		{"503 APIError", &APIError{StatusCode: 503, Body: "unavailable"}, true},
+		{"599 APIError", &APIError{StatusCode: 599, Body: "edge case"}, true},
+		{"600 not server error", &APIError{StatusCode: 600, Body: "edge"}, false},
+		{"400 not server error", &APIError{StatusCode: 400, Body: "bad request"}, false},
+		{"wrapped 500", fmt.Errorf("fetch: %w", &APIError{StatusCode: 500, Body: "err"}), true},
+		{"wrapped 404", fmt.Errorf("fetch: %w", &APIError{StatusCode: 404, Body: "err"}), false},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := IsServerError(tt.err)
+			if got != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("IsServerError(%v) = %v, want %v", tt.err, got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDoGet_RetriesOn500(t *testing.T) {
+	attempts := 0
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		attempts++
+		if attempts < 3 {
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusInternalServerError)
+			w.Write([]byte(`{"message":"transient error"}`))
+			return
+		}
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+		w.Write([]byte(`{"data":"success"}`))
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	client := NewClient(server.URL, "test-token")
+	body, err := client.doGet(context.Background(), server.URL+"/test")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected success after retry, got error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if string(body) != `{"data":"success"}` {
+		t.Errorf("body = %q, want %q", string(body), `{"data":"success"}`)
+	}
+	if attempts != 3 {
+		t.Errorf("attempts = %d, want 3", attempts)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDoGet_FailsAfterMaxRetries(t *testing.T) {
+	attempts := 0
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		attempts++
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		w.Write([]byte(`{"message":"persistent error"}`))
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	client := NewClient(server.URL, "test-token")
+	_, err := client.doGet(context.Background(), server.URL+"/test")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error after max retries")
+	}
+	var apiErr *APIError
+	if !errors.As(err, &apiErr) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected APIError, got: %v", err)
+	}
+	if apiErr.StatusCode != http.StatusInternalServerError {
+		t.Errorf("status = %d, want 500", apiErr.StatusCode)
+	}
+	if attempts != 3 {
+		t.Errorf("attempts = %d, want 3 (max retries)", attempts)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDoGet_NoRetryOn4xx(t *testing.T) {
+	attempts := 0
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		attempts++
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusForbidden)
+		w.Write([]byte(`{"message":"forbidden"}`))
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	client := NewClient(server.URL, "test-token")
+	_, err := client.doGet(context.Background(), server.URL+"/test")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error for 403")
+	}
+	var apiErr *APIError
+	if !errors.As(err, &apiErr) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected APIError, got: %v", err)
+	}
+	if apiErr.StatusCode != http.StatusForbidden {
+		t.Errorf("status = %d, want 403", apiErr.StatusCode)
+	}
+	if attempts != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("attempts = %d, want 1 (no retry on 4xx)", attempts)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDoGet_RespectsContextCancellation(t *testing.T) {
+	attempts := 0
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		attempts++
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		w.Write([]byte(`{"message":"error"}`))
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	// Cancel immediately after first attempt would trigger retry
+	go func() {
+		time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond)
+		cancel()
+	}()
+
+	client := NewClient(server.URL, "test-token")
+	_, err := client.doGet(ctx, server.URL+"/test")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error on context cancellation")
+	}
+	// Should have made 1 attempt, then context cancelled during backoff
+	if attempts > 2 {
+		t.Errorf("attempts = %d, expected at most 2 before context cancel", attempts)
+	}
+}