diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdktesting/tests/PauseResumeChangingDeploymentTest.kt b/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdktesting/tests/PauseResumeChangingDeploymentTest.kt
index 3303ba84..efbf1151 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdktesting/tests/PauseResumeChangingDeploymentTest.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdktesting/tests/PauseResumeChangingDeploymentTest.kt
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import dev.restate.sdktesting.infra.InjectAdminURI
 import dev.restate.sdktesting.infra.InjectClient
 import dev.restate.sdktesting.infra.RestateDeployerExtension
 import java.net.URI
-import org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager
 import org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat
 import org.awaitility.kotlin.await
 import org.awaitility.kotlin.withAlias
@@ -52,8 +51,6 @@ class PauseResumeChangingDeploymentTest {
   }
 
   companion object {
-    private val LOG = LogManager.getLogger(PauseResumeChangingDeploymentTest::class.java)
-
     @RegisterExtension
     @JvmField
     val deployerExt: RestateDeployerExtension = RestateDeployerExtension {
@@ -95,12 +92,7 @@ class PauseResumeChangingDeploymentTest {
       // Resume the paused invocation on the specific endpoint
       val adminClient = ApiClient().setHost(adminURI.host).setPort(adminURI.port)
       val invocationApi = InvocationApi(adminClient)
-      try {
-        invocationApi.resumeInvocation(invocationId, local.deploymentId)
-      } catch (e: Exception) {
-        LOG.error("Failed to resume invocation {}: {}", invocationId, e.message)
-        throw e
-      }
+      retryOnServiceUnavailable { invocationApi.resumeInvocation(invocationId, local.deploymentId) }
 
       assertThat(sendResult.attachSuspend().response()).isEqualTo("Success in new version!")
 
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdktesting/tests/PauseResumeTest.kt b/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdktesting/tests/PauseResumeTest.kt
index 8f1187c8..d3c06276 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdktesting/tests/PauseResumeTest.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdktesting/tests/PauseResumeTest.kt
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import dev.restate.sdktesting.infra.InjectClient
 import dev.restate.sdktesting.infra.RestateDeployerExtension
 import java.net.URI
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean
-import org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager
 import org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat
 import org.awaitility.kotlin.await
 import org.awaitility.kotlin.withAlias
@@ -49,8 +48,6 @@ class PauseResumeTest {
   }
 
   companion object {
-    private val LOG = LogManager.getLogger(PauseResumeTest::class.java)
-
     @RegisterExtension
     @JvmField
     val deployerExt: RestateDeployerExtension = RestateDeployerExtension {
@@ -93,12 +90,7 @@ class PauseResumeTest {
     // Resume the paused invocation on the specific endpoint
     val adminClient = ApiClient().setHost(adminURI.host).setPort(adminURI.port)
     val invocationApi = InvocationApi(adminClient)
-    try {
-      invocationApi.resumeInvocation(invocationId, null)
-    } catch (e: Exception) {
-      LOG.error("Failed to resume invocation {}: {}", invocationId, e.message)
-      throw e
-    }
+    retryOnServiceUnavailable { invocationApi.resumeInvocation(invocationId, null) }
 
     assertThat(sendResult.attachSuspend().response()).isEqualTo("input")
 
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdktesting/tests/RestartAsNewInvocationTest.kt b/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdktesting/tests/RestartAsNewInvocationTest.kt
index f223b715..710771e2 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdktesting/tests/RestartAsNewInvocationTest.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdktesting/tests/RestartAsNewInvocationTest.kt
@@ -99,7 +99,10 @@ class RestartAsNewInvocationTest {
     val adminClient = ApiClient().setHost(adminURI.host).setPort(adminURI.port)
     val invocationApi = InvocationApi(adminClient)
     val newInvocationId =
-        invocationApi.restartAsNewInvocation(sendResult.invocationId(), null, null).newInvocationId
+        retryOnServiceUnavailable {
+              invocationApi.restartAsNewInvocation(sendResult.invocationId(), null, null)
+            }
+            .newInvocationId
 
     // Assert this returns the input
     val newInvocationResult =
@@ -154,7 +157,10 @@ class RestartAsNewInvocationTest {
     val adminClient = ApiClient().setHost(adminURI.host).setPort(adminURI.port)
     val invocationApi = InvocationApi(adminClient)
     val newInvocationId =
-        invocationApi.restartAsNewInvocation(sendResult.invocationId(), 1, null).newInvocationId
+        retryOnServiceUnavailable {
+              invocationApi.restartAsNewInvocation(sendResult.invocationId(), 1, null)
+            }
+            .newInvocationId
 
     // Assert this returns the input
     val newInvocationResult =
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdktesting/tests/utils.kt b/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdktesting/tests/utils.kt
index 5d5feb9c..77daa31b 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdktesting/tests/utils.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdktesting/tests/utils.kt
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ package dev.restate.sdktesting.tests
 
 import dev.restate.admin.api.DeploymentApi
 import dev.restate.admin.client.ApiClient
+import dev.restate.admin.client.ApiException
 import dev.restate.admin.model.RegisterDeploymentRequest
 import dev.restate.admin.model.RegisterHttpDeploymentRequest
 import dev.restate.common.RequestBuilder
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ import java.net.http.HttpClient
 import java.net.http.HttpRequest
 import java.net.http.HttpResponse
 import java.util.UUID
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit
 import kotlin.time.Duration
 import kotlin.time.Duration.Companion.seconds
 import kotlin.time.toJavaDuration
@@ -37,6 +39,7 @@ import kotlinx.serialization.json.Json
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.kotlin.additionalLoggingContext
 import org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat
+import org.awaitility.Awaitility
 import org.awaitility.core.ConditionFactory
 import org.testcontainers.Testcontainers
 
@@ -62,6 +65,19 @@ val idempotentCallOptions: RequestBuilder<*, *>.() -> Unit = {
   idempotencyKey = UUID.randomUUID().toString()
 }
 
+/**
+ * Retries a block that may throw ApiException with 503 status due to leadership changes. Uses a
+ * 30-second timeout to stay well under the default 60-second test timeout. Only retries on 503
+ * errors; other errors are propagated immediately.
+ */
+fun <T> retryOnServiceUnavailable(block: () -> T): T {
+  return Awaitility.await()
+      .atMost(30, TimeUnit.SECONDS)
+      .pollInterval(100, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)
+      .ignoreExceptionsMatching { e -> e is ApiException && e.code == 503 }
+      .until({ block() }) { true }
+}
+
 /** Data classes for sys_journal query result */
 @Serializable data class JournalQueryResult(val rows: List<SysJournalEntry> = emptyList())