diff --git a/codex/codex.nim b/codex/codex.nim
index 80658753..b023e8ea 100644
--- a/codex/codex.nim
+++ b/codex/codex.nim
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ proc new*(
     )
 
     peerStore = PeerCtxStore.new()
-    pendingBlocks = PendingBlocksManager.new()
+    pendingBlocks = PendingBlocksManager.new(retries = config.blockRetries)
     advertiser = Advertiser.new(repoStore, discovery)
     blockDiscovery =
       DiscoveryEngine.new(repoStore, peerStore, network, discovery, pendingBlocks)
diff --git a/codex/conf.nim b/codex/conf.nim
index 6294516e..206a3e04 100644
--- a/codex/conf.nim
+++ b/codex/conf.nim
@@ -47,13 +47,14 @@ import ./utils/natutils
 
 from ./contracts/config import DefaultRequestCacheSize, DefaultMaxPriorityFeePerGas
 from ./validationconfig import MaxSlots, ValidationGroups
+from ./blockexchange/engine/pendingblocks import DefaultBlockRetries
 
 export units, net, codextypes, logutils, completeCmdArg, parseCmdArg, NatConfig
 export ValidationGroups, MaxSlots
 
 export
   DefaultQuotaBytes, DefaultBlockTtl, DefaultBlockInterval, DefaultNumBlocksPerInterval,
-  DefaultRequestCacheSize, DefaultMaxPriorityFeePerGas
+  DefaultRequestCacheSize, DefaultMaxPriorityFeePerGas, DefaultBlockRetries
 
 type ThreadCount* = distinct Natural
 
@@ -264,6 +265,13 @@ type
       name: "block-mn"
     .}: int
 
+    blockRetries* {.
+      desc: "Number of times to retry fetching a block before giving up",
+      defaultValue: DefaultBlockRetries,
+      defaultValueDesc: $DefaultBlockRetries,
+      name: "block-retries"
+    .}: int
+
     cacheSize* {.
       desc:
         "The size of the block cache, 0 disables the cache - " &