diff --git a/codex-rs/Cargo.lock b/codex-rs/Cargo.lock
index 9e250998ff..c00e2e4030 100644
--- a/codex-rs/Cargo.lock
+++ b/codex-rs/Cargo.lock
@@ -3160,6 +3160,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "codex-tools",
  "codex-utils-template",
  "pretty_assertions",
+ "rand 0.9.3",
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
  "tempfile",
diff --git a/codex-rs/ext/goal/Cargo.toml b/codex-rs/ext/goal/Cargo.toml
index 4d75ba2f26..eb1374f341 100644
--- a/codex-rs/ext/goal/Cargo.toml
+++ b/codex-rs/ext/goal/Cargo.toml
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ codex-protocol = { workspace = true }
 codex-state = { workspace = true }
 codex-tools = { workspace = true }
 codex-utils-template = { workspace = true }
+rand = { workspace = true }
 serde = { workspace = true, features = ["derive"] }
 serde_json = { workspace = true }
 tokio = { workspace = true, features = ["sync"] }
diff --git a/codex-rs/ext/goal/src/extension.rs b/codex-rs/ext/goal/src/extension.rs
index e0ebd0c43a..4c490c125f 100644
--- a/codex-rs/ext/goal/src/extension.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/ext/goal/src/extension.rs
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ use codex_protocol::protocol::SessionSource;
 use codex_protocol::protocol::SubAgentSource;
 use codex_protocol::protocol::ThreadGoalStatus;
 use codex_protocol::protocol::TokenUsageInfo;
+use rand::Rng;
 
 use crate::accounting::BudgetLimitedGoalDisposition;
 use crate::accounting::GoalAccountingState;
@@ -46,9 +47,10 @@ use crate::spec::UPDATE_GOAL_TOOL_NAME;
 use crate::steering::budget_limit_steering_item;
 use crate::tool::GoalToolExecutor;
 
-// Capacity failures do not consume user tokens, but retrying immediately can
-// create a tight loop. Keep the retry cadence deliberately low.
-const DEFERRED_GOAL_RETRY_DELAY: Duration = Duration::from_secs(5 * 60);
+// Capacity failures do not consume user tokens. Add jitter around a five-minute
+// average so clients that hit capacity together do not retry in lockstep.
+const DEFERRED_GOAL_RETRY_MIN_SECS: u64 = 4 * 60;
+const DEFERRED_GOAL_RETRY_MAX_SECS: u64 = 6 * 60;
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub struct GoalExtensionConfig {
@@ -313,7 +315,9 @@ where
                     .accounting_state()
                     .turn_is_current_active_goal(input.turn_id)
             {
-                return Some(DEFERRED_GOAL_RETRY_DELAY);
+                return Some(Duration::from_secs(rand::rng().random_range(
+                    DEFERRED_GOAL_RETRY_MIN_SECS..=DEFERRED_GOAL_RETRY_MAX_SECS,
+                )));
             }
             let reason = match input.error {
                 CodexErrorInfo::UsageLimitExceeded => ActiveGoalStopReason::UsageLimit,