diff --git a/quickwit/quickwit-common/src/tower/metrics.rs b/quickwit/quickwit-common/src/tower/metrics.rs
index 17a9f6acec3..cb3cc9884e3 100644
--- a/quickwit/quickwit-common/src/tower/metrics.rs
+++ b/quickwit/quickwit-common/src/tower/metrics.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ use quickwit_metrics::{
     Counter, Gauge, Histogram, Labels, LazyCounter, LazyGauge, LazyHistogram, counter, gauge,
     histogram, labels, lazy_counter, lazy_gauge, lazy_histogram,
 };
+use tower::retry::Policy;
 use tower::{Layer, Service};
 
 use crate::metrics::exponential_buckets;
@@ -141,6 +142,37 @@ pub struct GrpcMetricsLayer {
     request_duration_seconds: Histogram,
 }
 
+/// Retry policy that records each failed attempt which will be retried.
+#[derive(Clone)]
+pub struct GrpcRetryPolicy<P> {
+    inner: P,
+    metrics_layer: GrpcMetricsLayer,
+}
+
+impl<R, T, E, P> Policy<R, T, E> for GrpcRetryPolicy<P>
+where
+    P: Policy<R, T, E>,
+    R: RpcName,
+    E: GrpcStatusCode,
+{
+    type Future = P::Future;
+
+    fn retry(&mut self, request: &mut R, result: &mut Result<T, E>) -> Option<Self::Future> {
+        let retry = self.inner.retry(request, result);
+        if let Err(error) = result
+            && retry.is_some()
+        {
+            self.metrics_layer
+                .record_request(R::rpc_name(), "retry", error.grpc_status_code());
+        }
+        retry
+    }
+
+    fn clone_request(&mut self, request: &R) -> Option<R> {
+        self.inner.clone_request(request)
+    }
+}
+
 impl GrpcMetricsLayer {
     pub fn new(subsystem: &'static str, kind: &'static str) -> Self {
         let labels = Self::default_labels(subsystem, kind);
@@ -164,6 +196,26 @@ impl GrpcMetricsLayer {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Wraps a retry policy to record failed attempts that it retries.
+    pub fn from_retry_policy<P>(&self, inner: P) -> GrpcRetryPolicy<P> {
+        GrpcRetryPolicy {
+            inner,
+            metrics_layer: self.clone(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn record_request(&self, rpc_name: &'static str, status: &'static str, code: tonic::Code) {
+        counter!(
+            parent: self.requests_total,
+            labels: [labels!(
+                "rpc" => rpc_name,
+                "status" => status,
+                "code" => grpc_code_label(code),
+            )],
+        )
+        .inc();
+    }
+
     fn default_labels(subsystem: &'static str, kind: &'static str) -> Labels<3> {
         // `service` is kept for backward compatibility with existing consumers. Prefer
         // `grpc_service` for new consumers.
@@ -243,9 +295,11 @@ mod tests {
     use metrics::with_local_recorder;
     use metrics_util::debugging::{DebugValue, DebuggingRecorder};
 
+    use super::super::retry::{RetryLayer, RetryPolicy};
     use super::*;
+    use crate::retry::{RetryParams, Retryable};
 
-    #[derive(Debug)]
+    #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
     struct HelloRequest;
 
     impl RpcName for HelloRequest {
@@ -262,13 +316,29 @@ mod tests {
         }
     }
 
+    #[derive(Debug)]
+    struct RetryableError;
+
+    impl GrpcStatusCode for RetryableError {
+        fn grpc_status_code(&self) -> tonic::Code {
+            tonic::Code::Unavailable
+        }
+    }
+
+    impl Retryable for RetryableError {
+        fn is_retryable(&self) -> bool {
+            true
+        }
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_grpc_metrics() {
         let recorder = DebuggingRecorder::new();
         let snapshotter = recorder.snapshotter();
 
         with_local_recorder(&recorder, || {
-            futures::executor::block_on(async {
+            let runtime = tokio::runtime::Runtime::new().unwrap();
+            runtime.block_on(async {
                 let primary_layer = GrpcMetricsLayer::new_with_labels(
                     "quickwit_test",
                     "server",
@@ -289,10 +359,11 @@ mod tests {
                 let mut read_replica_service = read_replica_layer.layer(tower::service_fn(
                     |request: HelloRequest| async move { Ok::<_, tonic::Status>(request) },
                 ));
-                let mut failing_service =
-                    primary_layer.layer(tower::service_fn(|_request: HelloRequest| async move {
+                let mut failing_service = primary_layer.clone().layer(tower::service_fn(
+                    |_request: HelloRequest| async move {
                         Err::<HelloRequest, _>(tonic::Status::not_found("not found"))
-                    }));
+                    },
+                ));
 
                 hello_service.call(HelloRequest).await.unwrap();
                 goodbye_service.call(GoodbyeRequest).await.unwrap();
@@ -301,6 +372,19 @@ mod tests {
 
                 let hello_future = hello_service.call(HelloRequest);
                 drop(hello_future);
+
+                let retry_params = RetryParams {
+                    base_delay: std::time::Duration::ZERO,
+                    max_delay: std::time::Duration::ZERO,
+                    max_attempts: 3,
+                };
+                let retry_policy = primary_layer.from_retry_policy(RetryPolicy::from(retry_params));
+                let mut retry_service = primary_layer.layer(RetryLayer::new(retry_policy).layer(
+                    tower::service_fn(|_request: HelloRequest| async move {
+                        Err::<HelloRequest, _>(RetryableError)
+                    }),
+                ));
+                retry_service.call(HelloRequest).await.unwrap_err();
             });
         });
 
@@ -347,5 +431,13 @@ mod tests {
             counter_value("hello", "error", "not_found", "primary"),
             Some(&DebugValue::Counter(1))
         );
+        assert_eq!(
+            counter_value("hello", "retry", "unavailable", "primary"),
+            Some(&DebugValue::Counter(2))
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            counter_value("hello", "error", "unavailable", "primary"),
+            Some(&DebugValue::Counter(1))
+        );
     }
 }
diff --git a/quickwit/quickwit-common/src/tower/mod.rs b/quickwit/quickwit-common/src/tower/mod.rs
index c763ce22bf8..67748cf766b 100644
--- a/quickwit/quickwit-common/src/tower/mod.rs
+++ b/quickwit/quickwit-common/src/tower/mod.rs
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ pub use estimate_rate::{EstimateRate, EstimateRateLayer};
 pub use event_listener::{EventListener, EventListenerLayer};
 use futures::Future;
 pub use load_shed::{LoadShed, LoadShedLayer, MakeLoadShedError};
-pub use metrics::{GrpcMetrics, GrpcMetricsLayer, GrpcStatusCode, RpcName};
+pub use metrics::{GrpcMetrics, GrpcMetricsLayer, GrpcRetryPolicy, GrpcStatusCode, RpcName};
 pub use one_task_per_call_layer::{OneTaskPerCallLayer, TaskCancelled};
 pub use pool::Pool;
 pub use rate::{ConstantRate, Rate};
diff --git a/quickwit/quickwit-serve/src/metastore.rs b/quickwit/quickwit-serve/src/metastore.rs
index a4ee434232b..f42dc80dbf5 100644
--- a/quickwit/quickwit-serve/src/metastore.rs
+++ b/quickwit/quickwit-serve/src/metastore.rs
@@ -176,10 +176,13 @@ impl LocalMetastoreServer {
             }
             _ => unreachable!("unexpected metastore service `{service}`"),
         };
+        let retry_policy =
+            metrics_layer.from_retry_policy(RetryPolicy::from(RetryParams::standard()));
         Ok(MetastoreServiceClient::tower()
-            .stack_layer(RetryLayer::new(RetryPolicy::from(RetryParams::standard())))
-            .stack_layer(TimeoutLayer::new(GRPC_METASTORE_SERVICE_TIMEOUT))
+            // Metrics wrap retries so they record only the final outcome.
             .stack_layer(metrics_layer)
+            .stack_layer(RetryLayer::new(retry_policy))
+            .stack_layer(TimeoutLayer::new(GRPC_METASTORE_SERVICE_TIMEOUT))
             .stack_layer(tower::limit::GlobalConcurrencyLimitLayer::new(
                 get_metastore_client_max_concurrency(),
             ))