diff --git a/.github/workflows/dispatch.yml b/.github/workflows/dispatch.yml
index ee67236..4110b42 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/dispatch.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/dispatch.yml
@@ -143,15 +143,49 @@ jobs:
         id: agent
         env:
           ZAI_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.ZAI_API_KEY }}
+        # Retry ONLY on transient model-service overload. Unlike the install
+        # retry, each attempt here spends real GLM budget, so: (1) retry only
+        # when the output explicitly indicates a 429/overload, never on a
+        # generic error (a deterministic bug would waste tokens retrying);
+        # (2) back off 60s, since overload clears slowly; (3) cap at 2
+        # attempts. A successful run (exit 0/3/4) or a non-429 error (exit 1
+        # without the overload marker) is final.
         run: |
           set +e
-          ~/.local/bin/sesh -p "$(cat TASK.md)" \
-            -yes \
-            -provider zai \
-            -model glm-5.2 \
-            -max-iters 40 \
-            -max-tools 200
-          echo "exit=$?" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          backoffs=(0 60)
+          max=$(( ${#backoffs[@]} - 1 ))
+          for i in $(seq 0 "$max"); do
+            # backoff before every attempt except the first
+            if [ "$i" -gt 0 ]; then
+              echo "service was overloaded on attempt $i; backing off ${backoff}s before attempt $((i+1))"
+              sleep "$backoff"
+            fi
+            out=$(~/.local/bin/sesh -p "$(cat TASK.md)" \
+              -yes \
+              -provider zai \
+              -model glm-5.2 \
+              -max-iters 40 \
+              -max-tools 200 2>&1)
+            rc=$?
+            echo "$out"
+            # exit 0 done | 3 stuck | 4 iter cap: all final-success-ish, do not retry
+            if [ "$rc" -eq 0 ] || [ "$rc" -eq 3 ] || [ "$rc" -eq 4 ]; then
+              echo "exit=$rc" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+              exit 0
+            fi
+            # only a 429/overload marker is retryable; anything else is final
+            if ! printf '%s' "$out" | grep -qiE '429|overloaded|rate.?limit|too many requests'; then
+              echo "exit=$rc" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+              exit 0
+            fi
+            backoff=${backoffs[$((i+1))]:-60}
+            echo "attempt $((i+1)) hit transient overload (rc=$rc)"
+            if [ "$i" -eq "$max" ]; then
+              echo "exhausted $((max+1)) attempts on overload; giving up"
+              echo "exit=$rc" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+              exit 0
+            fi
+          done
 
       - name: Commit, push, open PR
         env: