diff --git a/config/scripts/ci-runner-demand.mjs b/config/scripts/ci-runner-demand.mjs
index a5b101d0e95..961b16c51f7 100644
--- a/config/scripts/ci-runner-demand.mjs
+++ b/config/scripts/ci-runner-demand.mjs
@@ -3,21 +3,27 @@ import { pathToFileURL } from 'node:url'
 import { runnerDemand, sampleWorkflowRuns } from './ci-runner-metrics.mjs'
 
 async function api(path, env) {
-  const response = await fetch(
-    `${env.GITHUB_API_URL ?? 'https://api.github.com'}/repos/${env.GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/${path}`,
-    {
-      headers: {
-        Authorization: `Bearer ${env.GH_TOKEN}`,
-        Accept: 'application/vnd.github+json',
-        'X-GitHub-Api-Version': '2022-11-28'
-      },
-      signal: AbortSignal.timeout(30_000)
+  // Hundreds of calls per report make transient 5xx responses routine.
+  for (let attempt = 1; ; attempt++) {
+    const response = await fetch(
+      `${env.GITHUB_API_URL ?? 'https://api.github.com'}/repos/${env.GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/${path}`,
+      {
+        headers: {
+          Authorization: `Bearer ${env.GH_TOKEN}`,
+          Accept: 'application/vnd.github+json',
+          'X-GitHub-Api-Version': '2022-11-28'
+        },
+        signal: AbortSignal.timeout(30_000)
+      }
+    )
+    if (response.ok) {
+      return response.json()
     }
-  )
-  if (!response.ok) {
-    throw new Error(`Actions API: ${response.status}`)
+    if (response.status < 500 || attempt === 3) {
+      throw new Error(`Actions API: ${response.status}`)
+    }
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, attempt * 5000))
   }
-  return response.json()
 }
 
 // The runs API serves at most 1000 results per query, so busy intervals are halved until each fits.