diff --git a/src/server/ctydat.js b/src/server/ctydat.js
index 3106a05d..8695d68a 100644
--- a/src/server/ctydat.js
+++ b/src/server/ctydat.js
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@ try {
 
 const CTY_URL = 'https://www.country-files.com/bigcty/cty.dat';
 const REFRESH_INTERVAL = 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000; // 24 hours
+// Retry backoff for transient fetch failures (slow DNS, momentary server lag,
+// container boot race with the network). Without this a single failed startup
+// fetch strands the app on the built-in fallback prefix table for 24h.
+const CTY_RETRY_ATTEMPTS = 3;
+const CTY_RETRY_BASE_DELAY_MS = 5000; // 5s, 10s, 20s
 
 let ctyCache = null; // { prefixes: {}, exact: {}, entities: [], timestamp }
 let fetchTimer = null;
@@ -179,14 +184,16 @@ function parseCtyDat(text) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Fetch and parse cty.dat from country-files.com
+ * Fetch and parse cty.dat from country-files.com.
+ * @param {function} [fetchImpl] - injectable fetch for testing
  */
-async function fetchAndParse() {
+async function fetchAndParse(fetchImpl) {
+  const doFetch = fetchImpl || fetch;
   try {
     const controller = new AbortController();
     const timeout = setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), 15000);
 
-    const response = await fetch(CTY_URL, {
+    const response = await doFetch(CTY_URL, {
       signal: controller.signal,
       headers: { 'User-Agent': 'OpenHamClock' },
     });
@@ -211,15 +218,40 @@ async function fetchAndParse() {
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Retry fetchAndParse with exponential backoff so a transient failure
+ * (timeout, slow DNS, container boot race) self-heals within seconds
+ * instead of waiting 24h for the next scheduled refresh.
+ * @param {object} [opts]
+ * @param {number} [opts.maxAttempts=CTY_RETRY_ATTEMPTS]
+ * @param {number} [opts.baseDelayMs=CTY_RETRY_BASE_DELAY_MS]
+ * @param {function} [opts.fetchImpl] - injectable fetch for testing
+ * @returns {Promise<boolean>} true if the fetch succeeded
+ */
+async function fetchWithRetry(opts = {}) {
+  const maxAttempts = opts.maxAttempts ?? CTY_RETRY_ATTEMPTS;
+  const baseDelayMs = opts.baseDelayMs ?? CTY_RETRY_BASE_DELAY_MS;
+  for (let attempt = 1; attempt <= maxAttempts; attempt++) {
+    const ok = await fetchAndParse(opts.fetchImpl);
+    if (ok) return true;
+    if (attempt < maxAttempts) {
+      const delay = baseDelayMs * Math.pow(2, attempt - 1);
+      console.warn(`[CTY] Retrying in ${delay / 1000}s (attempt ${attempt}/${maxAttempts})`);
+      await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, delay));
+    }
+  }
+  return false;
+}
+
 /**
  * Initialize: fetch on startup and schedule periodic refresh
  */
 async function initCtyData() {
-  await fetchAndParse();
+  await fetchWithRetry();
 
   // Refresh every 24 hours
   if (fetchTimer) clearInterval(fetchTimer);
-  fetchTimer = setInterval(fetchAndParse, REFRESH_INTERVAL);
+  fetchTimer = setInterval(() => fetchWithRetry(), REFRESH_INTERVAL);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -276,4 +308,4 @@ function lookupCall(call) {
   return null;
 }
 
-module.exports = { initCtyData, getCtyData, lookupCall, parseCtyDat };
+module.exports = { initCtyData, getCtyData, lookupCall, parseCtyDat, fetchWithRetry };
diff --git a/src/server/ctydat.test.js b/src/server/ctydat.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ae1b35d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/server/ctydat.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from 'vitest';
+import { fetchWithRetry, parseCtyDat } from './ctydat.js';
+
+// Minimal valid cty.dat fragment matching the AD1C format:
+//   header line at column 0, alias prefixes on indented lines, block ends with ';'
+const CTY_SAMPLE = [
+  'United States:  05:  08:  NA:  43.00:  100.00:  -5.0:  K:    ',
+  '    K,KA,KB,KC,KD,KE,N,W,AA,AB,AC,KH6,NH6,=K1AAA;',
+].join('\n');
+
+function makeOkResponse(text) {
+  return Promise.resolve({
+    ok: true,
+    status: 200,
+    text: () => Promise.resolve(text),
+  });
+}
+
+function makeFailResponse() {
+  return Promise.reject(new Error('request failed, reason: '));
+}
+
+describe('fetchWithRetry', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.restoreAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it('succeeds on the first attempt without retrying', async () => {
+    const fetchImpl = vi.fn(() => makeOkResponse(CTY_SAMPLE));
+    const ok = await fetchWithRetry({
+      maxAttempts: 3,
+      baseDelayMs: 1,
+      fetchImpl,
+    });
+    expect(ok).toBe(true);
+    expect(fetchImpl).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it('retries with backoff and succeeds on a later attempt', async () => {
+    const fetchImpl = vi
+      .fn()
+      .mockImplementationOnce(makeFailResponse)
+      .mockImplementationOnce(makeFailResponse)
+      .mockImplementationOnce(() => makeOkResponse(CTY_SAMPLE));
+
+    const ok = await fetchWithRetry({
+      maxAttempts: 3,
+      baseDelayMs: 1,
+      fetchImpl,
+    });
+
+    expect(ok).toBe(true);
+    expect(fetchImpl).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3);
+  });
+
+  it('gives up after maxAttempts and returns false', async () => {
+    const fetchImpl = vi.fn(makeFailResponse);
+    const warnSpy = vi.spyOn(console, 'warn').mockImplementation(() => {});
+
+    const ok = await fetchWithRetry({
+      maxAttempts: 3,
+      baseDelayMs: 1,
+      fetchImpl,
+    });
+
+    expect(ok).toBe(false);
+    expect(fetchImpl).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3);
+    // Should log a retry warning between attempts (not after the last one)
+    const retryWarnings = warnSpy.mock.calls.filter((c) => String(c[0]).includes('Retrying'));
+    expect(retryWarnings).toHaveLength(2);
+  });
+
+  it('parses the fetched cty.dat into entities and prefixes', async () => {
+    const fetchImpl = vi.fn(() => makeOkResponse(CTY_SAMPLE));
+    await fetchWithRetry({
+      maxAttempts: 1,
+      baseDelayMs: 1,
+      fetchImpl,
+    });
+    // parseCtyDat is exported — verify the sample round-trips
+    const parsed = parseCtyDat(CTY_SAMPLE);
+    expect(parsed.entities.length).toBe(1);
+    expect(parsed.entities[0].entity).toBe('United States');
+    expect(parsed.entities[0].dxcc).toBe('K');
+    expect(Object.keys(parsed.prefixes).length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    // Exact callsign match (prefixed with =)
+    expect(parsed.exact['K1AAA']).toBeDefined();
+    expect(parsed.exact['K1AAA'].entity).toBe('United States');
+  });
+});