diff --git a/headroom/cli/proxy.py b/headroom/cli/proxy.py
index e5693862d..5d0c8aeb5 100644
--- a/headroom/cli/proxy.py
+++ b/headroom/cli/proxy.py
@@ -373,6 +373,26 @@ def dashboard(port: int, no_open: bool) -> None:
         "Env: HEADROOM_RETRY_MAX_ATTEMPTS."
     ),
 )
+@click.option(
+    "--retry-base-delay-ms",
+    type=click.IntRange(min=0),
+    default=None,
+    envvar="HEADROOM_RETRY_BASE_DELAY_MS",
+    help=(
+        "Initial upstream retry delay in milliseconds (minimum: 0, default: 1000). "
+        "Env: HEADROOM_RETRY_BASE_DELAY_MS."
+    ),
+)
+@click.option(
+    "--retry-max-delay-ms",
+    type=click.IntRange(min=0),
+    default=None,
+    envvar="HEADROOM_RETRY_MAX_DELAY_MS",
+    help=(
+        "Maximum upstream retry delay in milliseconds (minimum: 0, default: 30000). "
+        "Env: HEADROOM_RETRY_MAX_DELAY_MS."
+    ),
+)
 @click.option(
     "--request-timeout-seconds",
     type=int,
@@ -876,6 +896,8 @@ def proxy(
     no_subscription_tracking: bool,
     subscription_poll_interval: int | None,
     retry_max_attempts: int | None,
+    retry_base_delay_ms: int | None,
+    retry_max_delay_ms: int | None,
     request_timeout_seconds: int | None,
     connect_timeout_seconds: int | None,
     anthropic_buffered_request_timeout_seconds: int | None,
@@ -1129,6 +1151,8 @@ def proxy(
             subscription_poll_interval if subscription_poll_interval is not None else 300
         ),
         retry_max_attempts=retry_max_attempts if retry_max_attempts is not None else 3,
+        retry_base_delay_ms=retry_base_delay_ms if retry_base_delay_ms is not None else 1000,
+        retry_max_delay_ms=retry_max_delay_ms if retry_max_delay_ms is not None else 30000,
         request_timeout_seconds=request_timeout_seconds
         if request_timeout_seconds is not None and request_timeout_seconds > 0
         else 300,
diff --git a/tests/test_cli_proxy_improvements.py b/tests/test_cli_proxy_improvements.py
index c10263d26..d6787da13 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli_proxy_improvements.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli_proxy_improvements.py
@@ -193,6 +193,23 @@ class TestRetryMaxAttemptsValidation:
         assert result.exit_code != 0
 
 
+class TestRetryDelayValidation:
+    def test_retry_delays_are_forwarded(self, runner: CliRunner, mock_run_server: dict) -> None:
+        result = runner.invoke(
+            main,
+            ["proxy", "--retry-base-delay-ms", "250", "--retry-max-delay-ms", "5000"],
+            catch_exceptions=False,
+        )
+        assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+        assert mock_run_server["config"].retry_base_delay_ms == 250
+        assert mock_run_server["config"].retry_max_delay_ms == 5000
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("option", ["--retry-base-delay-ms", "--retry-max-delay-ms"])
+    def test_negative_delay_is_rejected(self, runner: CliRunner, option: str) -> None:
+        result = runner.invoke(main, ["proxy", option, "-1"])
+        assert result.exit_code != 0
+
+
 class TestConnectTimeoutSecondsValidation:
     """--connect-timeout-seconds should accept 1-300, reject outside that range."""
 
@@ -350,6 +367,20 @@ class TestNewEnvVarWiring:
         assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
         assert mock_run_server["config"].retry_max_attempts == 5
 
+    def test_headroom_retry_delays_from_env(self, runner: CliRunner, mock_run_server: dict) -> None:
+        result = runner.invoke(
+            main,
+            ["proxy"],
+            env={
+                "HEADROOM_RETRY_BASE_DELAY_MS": "125",
+                "HEADROOM_RETRY_MAX_DELAY_MS": "8000",
+            },
+            catch_exceptions=False,
+        )
+        assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+        assert mock_run_server["config"].retry_base_delay_ms == 125
+        assert mock_run_server["config"].retry_max_delay_ms == 8000
+
     def test_headroom_connect_timeout_from_env(
         self, runner: CliRunner, mock_run_server: dict
     ) -> None: