diff --git a/packages/backend/src/misc/is-retryable-error.ts b/packages/backend/src/misc/is-retryable-error.ts
index c981a6f150..b83aefa81f 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/misc/is-retryable-error.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/misc/is-retryable-error.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only
  */
 
+// TODO replace all direct imports w/ the symbol
 import { AbortError, FetchError } from 'node-fetch';
 import { UnrecoverableError } from 'bullmq';
 import { StatusError } from '@/misc/status-error.js';
@@ -17,6 +18,10 @@ import { ConflictError } from '@/misc/errors/ConflictError.js';
  * If the error cannot be readily identified as retryable, then recurses to the inner exception ("cause" property).
  */
 export function isRetryableError(e: unknown): boolean {
+	if (hasRetryableSymbol(e)) {
+		return e[isRetryableSymbol];
+	}
+
 	if (e instanceof AggregateError) return e.errors.every(inner => isRetryableError(inner));
 	if (e instanceof StatusError) return e.isRetryable;
 	if (e instanceof IdentifiableError) return e.isRetryable;
@@ -42,3 +47,17 @@ export function isRetryableError(e: unknown): boolean {
 
 	return true;
 }
+
+/**
+ * Error classes may define a gettable property with this key to directly specify retryability.
+ * If the property resolves to a boolean, then that value will be used.
+ * Returning any other value will fall back on the usual logic.
+ */
+export const isRetryableSymbol = Symbol('isRetryable');
+
+function hasRetryableSymbol(obj: unknown): obj is { [isRetryableSymbol]: boolean } {
+	return obj != null
+		&& typeof(obj) === 'object'
+		&& isRetryableSymbol in obj
+		&& typeof(obj[isRetryableSymbol]) === 'boolean';
+}