diff --git a/packages/spf/src/playback/behaviors/reload-track.ts b/packages/spf/src/playback/behaviors/reload-track.ts
index 2bc1ccde..772f8f38 100644
--- a/packages/spf/src/playback/behaviors/reload-track.ts
+++ b/packages/spf/src/playback/behaviors/reload-track.ts
@@ -115,8 +115,8 @@ function setupTrackReload<K extends SelectedTrackKey>({
           const trackId = state[selectedKey].get()!;
 
           void (async () => {
-            try {
-              while (!ac.signal.aborted) {
+            while (!ac.signal.aborted) {
+              try {
                 const presentation = peek(state.presentation);
                 if (!isResolvedPresentation(presentation)) break;
                 // The track currently in the presentation is the prior snapshot
@@ -143,11 +143,19 @@ function setupTrackReload<K extends SelectedTrackKey>({
                 const target = meta?.targetDuration || FALLBACK_TARGET_DURATION;
                 // Spec: reload ~target duration; half that when the playlist was unchanged.
                 await sleep((changed ? target : target / 2) * 1000, ac.signal);
+              } catch (error) {
+                if (error instanceof Error && error.name === 'AbortError') return;
+                // A transient fetch/parse failure must not kill the loop — a live
+                // playlist has to keep refreshing. Log and retry on the next
+                // cadence (the `while` re-checks `aborted`).
+                // TODO(error-management): route to a state-error slot once one exists.
+                console.error(`[reload:${type}] media-playlist reload failed; retrying:`, error);
+                try {
+                  await sleep(FALLBACK_TARGET_DURATION * 1000, ac.signal);
+                } catch {
+                  return; // aborted during the retry wait
+                }
               }
-            } catch (error) {
-              if (error instanceof Error && error.name === 'AbortError') return;
-              // TODO(error-management): route to a state-error slot once one exists.
-              console.error(`[reload:${type}] media-playlist reload failed:`, error);
             }
           })();
 
diff --git a/packages/spf/src/playback/behaviors/tests/reload-track.test.ts b/packages/spf/src/playback/behaviors/tests/reload-track.test.ts
index ba0590e7..51a6694c 100644
--- a/packages/spf/src/playback/behaviors/tests/reload-track.test.ts
+++ b/packages/spf/src/playback/behaviors/tests/reload-track.test.ts
@@ -120,3 +120,39 @@ describe('reloadAudioTrack', () => {
     reactor.destroy();
   });
 });
+
+describe('reload resilience', () => {
+  it('survives a transient fetch failure and retries (does not kill the loop)', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    const errorSpy = vi.spyOn(console, 'error').mockImplementation(() => {});
+    try {
+      const state = {
+        presentation: signal<MaybeResolvedPresentation | undefined>(makePresentation()),
+        selectedVideoTrackId: signal<string | undefined>('v-1'),
+      };
+      let calls = 0;
+      const fetchResolvableText = vi.fn(() => {
+        calls += 1;
+        return calls === 1 ? Promise.reject(new TypeError('Failed to fetch')) : Promise.resolve(MEDIA_PLAYLIST);
+      });
+
+      const reactor = reloadVideoTrack.setup({ state, config: { fetchResolvableText } });
+
+      // First attempt rejects: logged, but the loop is still alive (track not yet resolved).
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(0);
+      expect(calls).toBe(1);
+      expect(errorSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(isResolvedTrack(findTrack(state.presentation.get()!, 'video', 'v-1')!)).toBe(false);
+
+      // Retry cadence elapses → second attempt succeeds (would never happen if the
+      // loop had died on the first failure).
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(6000);
+      expect(calls).toBe(2);
+      expect(isResolvedTrack(findTrack(state.presentation.get()!, 'video', 'v-1')!)).toBe(true);
+
+      reactor.destroy();
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers();
+    }
+  });
+});