diff --git a/src/github_app.py b/src/github_app.py
index c18b6a9..8d60742 100644
--- a/src/github_app.py
+++ b/src/github_app.py
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@
 import jwt
 import requests
 
+TOKEN_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SECONDS = 10
+TOKEN_REQUEST_MAX_ATTEMPTS = 3
+TOKEN_REQUEST_BACKOFF_SECONDS = 1
+
 
 class GithubAppToken:
     def __init__(self, private_key, app_id) -> None:
@@ -19,12 +23,7 @@ def __init__(self, private_key, app_id) -> None:
     # configured by the GitHub App and expire after one hour.
     @contextlib.contextmanager
     def get_token(self, installation_id: int) -> Generator[str, None, None]:
-        req = requests.post(
-            url=f"https://api.github.com/app/installations/{installation_id}/access_tokens",
-            headers=self.headers,
-        )
-        req.raise_for_status()
-        resp = req.json()
+        resp = self._create_installation_access_token(installation_id)
         try:
             # This token expires in an hour
             yield resp["token"]
@@ -32,8 +31,30 @@ def get_token(self, installation_id: int) -> Generator[str, None, None]:
             requests.delete(
                 "https://api.github.com/installation/token",
                 headers={"Authorization": f"token {resp['token']}"},
+                timeout=TOKEN_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SECONDS,
             )
 
+    def _create_installation_access_token(self, installation_id: int) -> dict:
+        for attempt in range(1, TOKEN_REQUEST_MAX_ATTEMPTS + 1):
+            try:
+                req = requests.post(
+                    url=f"https://api.github.com/app/installations/{installation_id}/access_tokens",
+                    headers=self.headers,
+                    timeout=TOKEN_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SECONDS,
+                )
+                req.raise_for_status()
+                return req.json()
+            except (
+                requests.exceptions.ConnectionError,
+                requests.exceptions.SSLError,
+                requests.exceptions.Timeout,
+            ):
+                if attempt == TOKEN_REQUEST_MAX_ATTEMPTS:
+                    raise
+                time.sleep(TOKEN_REQUEST_BACKOFF_SECONDS * attempt)
+
+        raise RuntimeError("Failed to mint GitHub App installation token after retries")
+
     def get_jwt_token(self, private_key, app_id):
         payload = {
             # issued at time, 60 seconds in the past to allow for clock drift
diff --git a/tests/test_github_app.py b/tests/test_github_app.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5858ead
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_github_app.py
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from unittest.mock import Mock
+from unittest.mock import call
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+import pytest
+import requests
+
+from src.github_app import GithubAppToken
+from src.github_app import TOKEN_REQUEST_BACKOFF_SECONDS
+from src.github_app import TOKEN_REQUEST_MAX_ATTEMPTS
+from src.github_app import TOKEN_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SECONDS
+
+
+def _build_token_manager() -> GithubAppToken:
+    with patch.object(GithubAppToken, "get_authentication_header", return_value={}):
+        return GithubAppToken(private_key="irrelevant", app_id="1")
+
+
+def test_get_token_retries_ssl_errors_and_returns_token():
+    token_manager = _build_token_manager()
+    success_response = Mock()
+    success_response.raise_for_status.return_value = None
+    success_response.json.return_value = {"token": "test-token"}
+
+    with (
+        patch(
+            "src.github_app.requests.post",
+            side_effect=[requests.exceptions.SSLError("tls"), success_response],
+        ) as mock_post,
+        patch("src.github_app.requests.delete") as mock_delete,
+        patch("src.github_app.time.sleep") as mock_sleep,
+    ):
+        with token_manager.get_token(123) as token:
+            assert token == "test-token"
+
+    assert mock_post.call_count == 2
+    mock_sleep.assert_called_once_with(TOKEN_REQUEST_BACKOFF_SECONDS)
+    mock_delete.assert_called_once_with(
+        "https://api.github.com/installation/token",
+        headers={"Authorization": "token test-token"},
+        timeout=TOKEN_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SECONDS,
+    )
+
+
+def test_get_token_raises_after_max_transient_failures():
+    token_manager = _build_token_manager()
+
+    with (
+        patch(
+            "src.github_app.requests.post",
+            side_effect=requests.exceptions.Timeout("slow network"),
+        ) as mock_post,
+        patch("src.github_app.requests.delete") as mock_delete,
+        patch("src.github_app.time.sleep") as mock_sleep,
+    ):
+        with pytest.raises(requests.exceptions.Timeout):
+            with token_manager.get_token(123):
+                pass
+
+    assert mock_post.call_count == TOKEN_REQUEST_MAX_ATTEMPTS
+    assert mock_sleep.call_args_list == [
+        call(TOKEN_REQUEST_BACKOFF_SECONDS),
+        call(TOKEN_REQUEST_BACKOFF_SECONDS * 2),
+    ]
+    mock_delete.assert_not_called()
+
+
+def test_get_token_does_not_retry_http_error():
+    token_manager = _build_token_manager()
+    failed_response = Mock()
+    failed_response.raise_for_status.side_effect = requests.exceptions.HTTPError("500")
+
+    with (
+        patch("src.github_app.requests.post", return_value=failed_response) as mock_post,
+        patch("src.github_app.requests.delete") as mock_delete,
+        patch("src.github_app.time.sleep") as mock_sleep,
+    ):
+        with pytest.raises(requests.exceptions.HTTPError):
+            with token_manager.get_token(123):
+                pass
+
+    assert mock_post.call_count == 1
+    mock_sleep.assert_not_called()
+    mock_delete.assert_not_called()