diff --git a/internal/github/client.go b/internal/github/client.go
index cacbc5e..5b64107 100644
--- a/internal/github/client.go
+++ b/internal/github/client.go
@@ -37,10 +37,11 @@ type ListIssuesOptions struct {
 }
 
 type RequestError struct {
-	Method string
-	URL    string
-	Status int
-	Body   string
+	Method  string
+	URL     string
+	Status  int
+	Body    string
+	Headers http.Header
 }
 
 func (e *RequestError) Error() string {
@@ -63,13 +64,12 @@ func New(options Options) *Client {
 	if userAgent == "" {
 		userAgent = "gitcrawl"
 	}
-	pageDelay := options.PageDelay
 	return &Client{
 		httpClient: httpClient,
 		baseURL:    baseURL,
 		token:      options.Token,
 		userAgent:  userAgent,
-		pageDelay:  pageDelay,
+		pageDelay:  options.PageDelay,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -185,6 +185,26 @@ func (c *Client) doJSON(ctx context.Context, method, path string, body io.Reader
 }
 
 func (c *Client) do(ctx context.Context, method, path string, body io.Reader, reporter Reporter) (*http.Response, error) {
+	resp, err := c.doOnce(ctx, method, path, body, reporter)
+	if err == nil {
+		return resp, nil
+	}
+	wait, ok := rateLimitWait(err)
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	reporter.Printf("[github] rate-limit retry wait=%s", wait.Round(time.Second))
+	timer := time.NewTimer(wait)
+	defer timer.Stop()
+	select {
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return nil, ctx.Err()
+	case <-timer.C:
+	}
+	return c.doOnce(ctx, method, path, body, reporter)
+}
+
+func (c *Client) doOnce(ctx context.Context, method, path string, body io.Reader, reporter Reporter) (*http.Response, error) {
 	fullURL := c.baseURL + path
 	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, method, fullURL, body)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -206,7 +226,39 @@ func (c *Client) do(ctx context.Context, method, path string, body io.Reader, re
 	}
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 	data, _ := io.ReadAll(io.LimitReader(resp.Body, 4096))
-	return nil, &RequestError{Method: method, URL: path, Status: resp.StatusCode, Body: strings.TrimSpace(string(data))}
+	return nil, &RequestError{
+		Method:  method,
+		URL:     path,
+		Status:  resp.StatusCode,
+		Body:    strings.TrimSpace(string(data)),
+		Headers: resp.Header,
+	}
+}
+
+func rateLimitWait(err error) (time.Duration, bool) {
+	reqErr, ok := err.(*RequestError)
+	if !ok {
+		return 0, false
+	}
+	if reqErr.Status != http.StatusForbidden && reqErr.Status != http.StatusTooManyRequests {
+		return 0, false
+	}
+	if v := strings.TrimSpace(reqErr.Headers.Get("Retry-After")); v != "" {
+		if secs, err := strconv.Atoi(v); err == nil && secs > 0 {
+			return time.Duration(secs) * time.Second, true
+		}
+	}
+	if reqErr.Headers.Get("X-RateLimit-Remaining") != "0" {
+		return 0, false
+	}
+	secs, err := strconv.ParseInt(strings.TrimSpace(reqErr.Headers.Get("X-RateLimit-Reset")), 10, 64)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, false
+	}
+	if wait := time.Until(time.Unix(secs, 0)); wait > 0 {
+		return wait, true
+	}
+	return time.Second, true
 }
 
 func nextPage(linkHeader string) string {
diff --git a/internal/github/client_test.go b/internal/github/client_test.go
index 5824ae5..75f84ba 100644
--- a/internal/github/client_test.go
+++ b/internal/github/client_test.go
@@ -3,10 +3,14 @@ package github
 import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"strings"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 )
 
 func TestListRepositoryIssuesPaginatesAndLimits(t *testing.T) {
@@ -173,6 +177,91 @@ func TestClientErrorAndHelperBranches(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestRateLimitRetriesOn403WithRemainingZero(t *testing.T) {
+	var calls int32
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if atomic.AddInt32(&calls, 1) == 1 {
+			w.Header().Set("X-RateLimit-Remaining", "0")
+			w.Header().Set("X-RateLimit-Reset", fmt.Sprintf("%d", time.Now().Unix()))
+			http.Error(w, "rate limited", http.StatusForbidden)
+			return
+		}
+		_ = json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(map[string]any{"id": 1})
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	client := New(Options{BaseURL: server.URL, PageDelay: -1})
+	row, err := client.GetRepo(context.Background(), "openclaw", "gitcrawl", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("get repo: %v", err)
+	}
+	if intValue(row["id"]) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("row = %#v", row)
+	}
+	if got := atomic.LoadInt32(&calls); got != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("calls = %d want 2", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRateLimitRetriesOn429WithRetryAfter(t *testing.T) {
+	var calls int32
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if atomic.AddInt32(&calls, 1) == 1 {
+			w.Header().Set("Retry-After", "1")
+			http.Error(w, "slow down", http.StatusTooManyRequests)
+			return
+		}
+		_ = json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(map[string]any{"id": 2})
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	client := New(Options{BaseURL: server.URL, PageDelay: -1})
+	row, err := client.GetRepo(context.Background(), "openclaw", "gitcrawl", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("get repo: %v", err)
+	}
+	if intValue(row["id"]) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("row = %#v", row)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRateLimitRespectsContextCancellation(t *testing.T) {
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		w.Header().Set("X-RateLimit-Remaining", "0")
+		w.Header().Set("X-RateLimit-Reset", fmt.Sprintf("%d", time.Now().Add(time.Hour).Unix()))
+		http.Error(w, "rate limited", http.StatusForbidden)
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	client := New(Options{BaseURL: server.URL, PageDelay: -1})
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 10*time.Millisecond)
+	defer cancel()
+	_, err := client.GetRepo(ctx, "openclaw", "gitcrawl", nil)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error")
+	}
+	if !errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+		t.Fatalf("err = %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNonRateLimit403IsNotRetried(t *testing.T) {
+	var calls int32
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		atomic.AddInt32(&calls, 1)
+		http.Error(w, "forbidden", http.StatusForbidden)
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	client := New(Options{BaseURL: server.URL, PageDelay: -1})
+	if _, err := client.GetRepo(context.Background(), "openclaw", "gitcrawl", nil); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error")
+	}
+	if got := atomic.LoadInt32(&calls); got != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("calls = %d want 1", got)
+	}
+}
+
 func serverURL(r *http.Request) string {
 	scheme := "http"
 	if r.TLS != nil {