diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index cbbb1dc096..5fa5d6b229 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -2091,6 +2091,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "aws-smithy-runtime",
  "aws-smithy-runtime-api",
  "aws-smithy-types",
+ "backon",
  "base64 0.22.1",
  "bytes",
  "chrono",
diff --git a/crates/forge_repo/Cargo.toml b/crates/forge_repo/Cargo.toml
index ed9cc726a9..2c70665b06 100644
--- a/crates/forge_repo/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/forge_repo/Cargo.toml
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ forge_fs.workspace = true
 forge_template.workspace = true
 forge_json_repair.workspace = true
 anyhow.workspace = true
+backon.workspace = true
 futures.workspace = true
 async-trait.workspace = true
 serde.workspace = true
diff --git a/crates/forge_repo/src/database/pool.rs b/crates/forge_repo/src/database/pool.rs
index 2ed368e106..3abae19965 100644
--- a/crates/forge_repo/src/database/pool.rs
+++ b/crates/forge_repo/src/database/pool.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::time::Duration;
 
 use anyhow::Result;
+use backon::{BlockingRetryable, ExponentialBuilder};
 use diesel::prelude::*;
 use diesel::r2d2::{ConnectionManager, CustomizeConnection, Pool, PooledConnection};
 use diesel::sqlite::SqliteConnection;
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ pub struct PoolConfig {
     pub min_idle: Option<u32>,
     pub connection_timeout: Duration,
     pub idle_timeout: Option<Duration>,
+    pub max_retries: usize,
     pub database_path: PathBuf,
 }
 
@@ -28,8 +30,9 @@ impl PoolConfig {
         Self {
             max_size: 5,
             min_idle: Some(1),
-            connection_timeout: Duration::from_secs(30),
+            connection_timeout: Duration::from_secs(5),
             idle_timeout: Some(Duration::from_secs(600)), // 10 minutes
+            max_retries: 5,
             database_path,
         }
     }
@@ -37,6 +40,7 @@ impl PoolConfig {
 
 pub struct DatabasePool {
     pool: DbPool,
+    max_retries: usize,
 }
 
 impl DatabasePool {
@@ -61,14 +65,65 @@ impl DatabasePool {
             .run_pending_migrations(MIGRATIONS)
             .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("Failed to run database migrations: {e}"))?;
 
-        Ok(Self { pool })
+        Ok(Self { pool, max_retries: 5 })
     }
 
     pub fn get_connection(&self) -> Result<PooledSqliteConnection> {
-        self.pool.get().map_err(|e| {
-            warn!(error = %e, "Failed to get connection from pool");
-            anyhow::anyhow!("Failed to get connection from pool: {e}")
-        })
+        Self::retry_with_backoff(
+            self.max_retries,
+            "Failed to get connection from pool, retrying",
+            || {
+                self.pool
+                    .get()
+                    .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("Failed to get connection from pool: {e}"))
+            },
+        )
+    }
+
+    /// Retries a blocking database pool operation with exponential backoff.
+    fn retry_with_backoff<T>(
+        max_retries: usize,
+        message: &'static str,
+        operation: impl FnMut() -> Result<T>,
+    ) -> Result<T> {
+        operation
+            .retry(
+                ExponentialBuilder::default()
+                    .with_min_delay(Duration::from_secs(1))
+                    .with_max_times(max_retries)
+                    .with_jitter(),
+            )
+            .sleep(std::thread::sleep)
+            .notify(|err, dur| {
+                warn!(
+                    error = %err,
+                    retry_after_ms = dur.as_millis() as u64,
+                    "{}",
+                    message
+                );
+            })
+            .call()
+    }
+}
+// Configure SQLite for better concurrency ref: https://docs.diesel.rs/master/diesel/sqlite/struct.SqliteConnection.html#concurrency
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct SqliteCustomizer;
+
+impl CustomizeConnection<SqliteConnection, diesel::r2d2::Error> for SqliteCustomizer {
+    fn on_acquire(&self, conn: &mut SqliteConnection) -> Result<(), diesel::r2d2::Error> {
+        diesel::sql_query("PRAGMA busy_timeout = 30000;")
+            .execute(conn)
+            .map_err(diesel::r2d2::Error::QueryError)?;
+        diesel::sql_query("PRAGMA journal_mode = WAL;")
+            .execute(conn)
+            .map_err(diesel::r2d2::Error::QueryError)?;
+        diesel::sql_query("PRAGMA synchronous = NORMAL;")
+            .execute(conn)
+            .map_err(diesel::r2d2::Error::QueryError)?;
+        diesel::sql_query("PRAGMA wal_autocheckpoint = 1000;")
+            .execute(conn)
+            .map_err(diesel::r2d2::Error::QueryError)?;
+        Ok(())
     }
 }
 
@@ -83,36 +138,27 @@ impl TryFrom<PoolConfig> for DatabasePool {
             std::fs::create_dir_all(parent)?;
         }
 
+        // Retry pool creation with exponential backoff to handle transient
+        // failures such as another process holding an exclusive lock on the
+        // SQLite database file.
+        DatabasePool::retry_with_backoff(
+            config.max_retries,
+            "Failed to create database pool, retrying",
+            || Self::build_pool(&config),
+        )
+    }
+}
+
+impl DatabasePool {
+    /// Builds the connection pool and runs migrations.
+    fn build_pool(config: &PoolConfig) -> Result<Self> {
         let database_url = config.database_path.to_string_lossy().to_string();
         let manager = ConnectionManager::<SqliteConnection>::new(&database_url);
 
-        // Configure SQLite for better concurrency ref: https://docs.diesel.rs/master/diesel/sqlite/struct.SqliteConnection.html#concurrency
-        #[derive(Debug)]
-        struct SqliteCustomizer;
-        impl CustomizeConnection<SqliteConnection, diesel::r2d2::Error> for SqliteCustomizer {
-            fn on_acquire(&self, conn: &mut SqliteConnection) -> Result<(), diesel::r2d2::Error> {
-                diesel::sql_query("PRAGMA busy_timeout = 30000;")
-                    .execute(conn)
-                    .map_err(diesel::r2d2::Error::QueryError)?;
-                diesel::sql_query("PRAGMA journal_mode = WAL;")
-                    .execute(conn)
-                    .map_err(diesel::r2d2::Error::QueryError)?;
-                diesel::sql_query("PRAGMA synchronous = NORMAL;")
-                    .execute(conn)
-                    .map_err(diesel::r2d2::Error::QueryError)?;
-                diesel::sql_query("PRAGMA wal_autocheckpoint = 1000;")
-                    .execute(conn)
-                    .map_err(diesel::r2d2::Error::QueryError)?;
-                Ok(())
-            }
-        }
-
-        let customizer = SqliteCustomizer;
-
         let mut builder = Pool::builder()
             .max_size(config.max_size)
             .connection_timeout(config.connection_timeout)
-            .connection_customizer(Box::new(customizer));
+            .connection_customizer(Box::new(SqliteCustomizer));
 
         if let Some(min_idle) = config.min_idle {
             builder = builder.min_idle(Some(min_idle));
@@ -138,6 +184,6 @@ impl TryFrom<PoolConfig> for DatabasePool {
         })?;
 
         debug!(database_path = %config.database_path.display(), "created connection pool");
-        Ok(Self { pool })
+        Ok(Self { pool, max_retries: config.max_retries })
     }
 }