diff --git a/tests/rptest/services/redpanda_installer.py b/tests/rptest/services/redpanda_installer.py
index c954a7f10706c..4d78f847aca4f 100644
--- a/tests/rptest/services/redpanda_installer.py
+++ b/tests/rptest/services/redpanda_installer.py
@@ -677,7 +677,7 @@ def _async_download_on_node_unlocked(self, node, version):
         version_root = self.root_for_version(version)
 
         tgz = "redpanda.tar.gz"
-        cmd = f"curl -fsSL {self._version_package_url(version)} --create-dir --output-dir {version_root} -o {tgz} && gunzip -c {version_root}/{tgz} | tar -xf - -C {version_root} && rm {version_root}/{tgz}"
+        cmd = f"curl -fsSL {self._version_package_url(version)} --retry 3 --retry-connrefused --retry-delay 2 --create-dir -o {version_root}/{tgz} && gunzip -c {version_root}/{tgz} | tar -xf - -C {version_root} && rm {version_root}/{tgz}"
         return node.account.ssh_capture(cmd)
 
     def reset_current_install(self, nodes):