diff --git a/hcloud/action_waiter_test.go b/hcloud/action_waiter_test.go
index 0e7daf90d..ecea3a6d7 100644
--- a/hcloud/action_waiter_test.go
+++ b/hcloud/action_waiter_test.go
@@ -81,17 +81,39 @@ func TestWaitFor(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 			{
-				Name: "fail with api error",
+				Name: "fail with server error",
 				WantRequests: []mockutils.Request{
 					{Method: "GET", Path: "/actions?id=1509772237&page=1&sort=status&sort=id",
-						Status: 503},
+						Status: 500},
 				},
 				Run: func(env testEnv) {
 					actions := []*Action{{ID: 1509772237, Status: ActionStatusRunning}}
 
 					err := env.Client.Action.WaitFor(context.Background(), actions...)
 					assert.Error(t, err)
-					assert.Equal(t, "hcloud: server responded with status code 503", err.Error())
+					assert.Equal(t, "hcloud: server responded with status code 500", err.Error())
+				},
+			},
+			{
+				Name: "succeed with retry",
+				WantRequests: []mockutils.Request{
+					{Method: "GET", Path: "/actions?id=1509772237&page=1&sort=status&sort=id",
+						Status: 503},
+					{Method: "GET", Path: "/actions?id=1509772237&page=1&sort=status&sort=id",
+						Status: 200,
+						JSONRaw: `{
+							"actions": [
+								{ "id": 1509772237, "status": "success", "progress": 100 }
+							],
+							"meta": { "pagination": { "page": 1 }}
+						}`,
+					},
+				},
+				Run: func(env testEnv) {
+					actions := []*Action{{ID: 1509772237, Status: ActionStatusRunning}}
+
+					err := env.Client.Action.WaitFor(context.Background(), actions...)
+					assert.NoError(t, err)
 				},
 			},
 		},
diff --git a/hcloud/client_handler_error.go b/hcloud/client_handler_error.go
index 23b326e31..0ba4fd2cb 100644
--- a/hcloud/client_handler_error.go
+++ b/hcloud/client_handler_error.go
@@ -2,12 +2,15 @@ package hcloud
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 
 	"github.com/hetznercloud/hcloud-go/v2/hcloud/schema"
 )
 
+var ErrorStatusCode = errors.New("server responded with status code")
+
 func wrapErrorHandler(wrapped handler) handler {
 	return &errorHandler{wrapped}
 }
@@ -25,7 +28,7 @@ func (h *errorHandler) Do(req *http.Request, v any) (resp *Response, err error)
 	if resp.StatusCode >= 400 && resp.StatusCode <= 599 {
 		err = errorFromBody(resp)
 		if err == nil {
-			err = fmt.Errorf("hcloud: server responded with status code %d", resp.StatusCode)
+			err = fmt.Errorf("hcloud: %w %d", ErrorStatusCode, resp.StatusCode)
 		}
 	}
 	return resp, err
diff --git a/hcloud/client_handler_retry.go b/hcloud/client_handler_retry.go
index 52347eb61..ec376b71e 100644
--- a/hcloud/client_handler_retry.go
+++ b/hcloud/client_handler_retry.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package hcloud
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"net/http"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -16,10 +17,11 @@ type retryHandler struct {
 
 func (h *retryHandler) Do(req *http.Request, v any) (resp *Response, err error) {
 	retries := 0
+	ctx := req.Context()
 
 	for {
 		// Clone the request using the original context
-		cloned, err := cloneRequest(req, req.Context())
+		cloned, err := cloneRequest(req, ctx)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -30,13 +32,54 @@ func (h *retryHandler) Do(req *http.Request, v any) (resp *Response, err error)
 			// - request preparation
 			// - network connectivity
 			// - http status code (see [errorHandler])
-			if IsError(err, ErrorCodeConflict) {
-				time.Sleep(h.backoffFunc(retries))
-				retries++
-				continue
+			if ctx.Err() != nil {
+				return resp, ctx.Err()
+			}
+
+			if retryPolicy(resp, err) {
+				select {
+				case <-ctx.Done():
+					return resp, err
+				case <-time.After(h.backoffFunc(retries)):
+					retries++
+					continue
+				}
 			}
 		}
 
 		return resp, err
 	}
 }
+
+func retryPolicy(resp *Response, err error) bool {
+	if err != nil {
+		var apiErr Error
+
+		switch {
+		case errors.As(err, &apiErr):
+			if apiErr.Code == ErrorCodeConflict {
+				return true
+			}
+		case errors.Is(err, ErrorStatusCode):
+			if resp == nil || resp.Response == nil {
+				// Should not happen
+				return false
+			}
+
+			if resp.Response.Request.Method != "GET" {
+				return false
+			}
+
+			switch resp.Response.StatusCode {
+			// 4xx errors
+			case http.StatusTooManyRequests:
+				return true
+			// 5xx errors
+			case http.StatusBadGateway, http.StatusServiceUnavailable, http.StatusGatewayTimeout:
+				return true
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false
+}
diff --git a/hcloud/client_handler_retry_test.go b/hcloud/client_handler_retry_test.go
index d575c7855..6ebda6196 100644
--- a/hcloud/client_handler_retry_test.go
+++ b/hcloud/client_handler_retry_test.go
@@ -28,14 +28,18 @@ func TestRetryHandler(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			name: "http 503 error",
-			wrapped: func(_ *http.Request, _ any) (*Response, error) {
-				return nil, nil
+			wrapped: func(req *http.Request, _ any) (*Response, error) {
+				resp := fakeResponse(t, 503, "", false)
+				resp.Response.Request = req
+				return resp, fmt.Errorf("%w %d", ErrorStatusCode, 503)
 			},
-			want: 0,
+			want: 1,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "api conflict error",
-			wrapped: func(_ *http.Request, _ any) (*Response, error) {
+			wrapped: func(req *http.Request, _ any) (*Response, error) {
+				resp := fakeResponse(t, 409, "", false)
+				resp.Response.Request = req
 				return nil, ErrorFromSchema(schema.Error{Code: string(ErrorCodeConflict)})
 			},
 			want: 1,