diff --git a/scripts/admin-test-env-modules/phase3-loading.mjs b/scripts/admin-test-env-modules/phase3-loading.mjs
index ce14c6f9f..93e61f0ba 100644
--- a/scripts/admin-test-env-modules/phase3-loading.mjs
+++ b/scripts/admin-test-env-modules/phase3-loading.mjs
@@ -74,17 +74,22 @@ export function stableLoadedCartonMarks(items) {
 }
 
 async function request(context, method, path, body, headers = {}) {
-  try {
-    const response = await fetch(`${context.options.gateway}${path}`, {
+  for (let attempt = 1; attempt <= 3; attempt += 1) {
+    try {
+      const response = await fetch(`${context.options.gateway}${path}`, {
       method,
       headers: { Accept: 'application/json', Authorization: `Bearer ${context.pdaToken && /\/pda-loading\/tasks\/\d+/.test(path) && !/\/assign(?:\?|$)/.test(path) ? context.pdaToken : context.token}`, ...(body === undefined ? {} : { 'Content-Type': 'application/json; charset=utf-8' }), ...headers },
       body: body === undefined ? undefined : JSON.stringify(body), signal: AbortSignal.timeout(60_000),
-    })
-    const raw = await response.text(); let payload = null
-    try { payload = raw ? JSON.parse(raw) : null } catch { /* bounded raw evidence */ }
-    return { method, path, http: response.status, body: payload, raw: payload === null ? raw.slice(0, 500) : null,
-      requestId: payload?.requestId || response.headers.get('x-request-id'), traceId: payload?.traceId || response.headers.get('x-trace-id') }
-  } catch (error) { return { method, path, http: 0, body: null, raw: String(error), requestId: null, traceId: null } }
+      })
+      const raw = await response.text(); let payload = null
+      try { payload = raw ? JSON.parse(raw) : null } catch { /* bounded raw evidence */ }
+      return { method, path, http: response.status, body: payload, raw: payload === null ? raw.slice(0, 500) : null,
+        requestId: payload?.requestId || response.headers.get('x-request-id'), traceId: payload?.traceId || response.headers.get('x-trace-id') }
+    } catch (error) {
+      if (attempt === 3) return { method, path, http: 0, body: null, raw: String(error), requestId: null, traceId: null }
+      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 250 * attempt))
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 export async function uploadEvidence(context, taskId, warehouseId, evidenceType, expectedVersion, keySuffix,