diff --git a/pkg/client/spaceblobadd.go b/pkg/client/spaceblobadd.go
index 888a6ee3..4d10d62a 100644
--- a/pkg/client/spaceblobadd.go
+++ b/pkg/client/spaceblobadd.go
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"iter"
+	"math"
+	"math/rand"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"time"
@@ -32,6 +34,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/storacha/go-ucanto/principal/ed25519/signer"
 	ucanhttp "github.com/storacha/go-ucanto/transport/http"
 	"github.com/storacha/go-ucanto/ucan"
+	"log"
 )
 
 // SpaceBlobAdd adds a blob to the service. The issuer needs proof of
@@ -477,6 +480,35 @@ func (c *Client) sendPutReceipt(ctx context.Context, putTask invocation.Invocati
 	return nil
 }
 
+const (
+	initialBackoff = 100 * time.Millisecond
+	maxBackoff     = 10 * time.Second
+	maxRetries     = 5
+	backoffFactor  = 2.0
+	jitterFactor   = 0.2
+)
+
+// backoffDuration calculates the next backoff duration using exponential backoff with jitter
+func backoffDuration(retry int) time.Duration {
+	if retry == 0 {
+		return initialBackoff
+	}
+	
+	// Calculate exponential backoff
+	backoff := float64(initialBackoff) * math.Pow(backoffFactor, float64(retry))
+	
+	// Add jitter (±20%)
+	jitter := (rand.Float64() * 2 - 1) * jitterFactor * backoff
+	backoff = backoff + jitter
+	
+	// Ensure we don't exceed max backoff
+	if backoff > float64(maxBackoff) {
+		backoff = float64(maxBackoff)
+	}
+	
+	return time.Duration(backoff)
+}
+
 func pollAccept(ctx context.Context, acceptTaskLink ucan.Link, conn uclient.Connection, receiptsURL *url.URL) (receipt.AnyReceipt, error) {
 	receiptURL := receiptsURL.JoinPath(acceptTaskLink.String())
 	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, http.MethodGet, receiptURL.String(), nil)
@@ -484,39 +516,74 @@ func pollAccept(ctx context.Context, acceptTaskLink ucan.Link, conn uclient.Conn
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("creating get request: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	// TODO: custom HTTP client with timeout
-	client := &http.Client{}
+	// Create HTTP client with timeout
+	client := &http.Client{
+		Timeout: 30 * time.Second,
+	}
 
 	var msg message.AgentMessage
-	for retry := 0; retry < 5 && msg == nil; retry++ {
-		resp, err := client.Do(req)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("polling receipts endpoint: %w", err)
-		}
-		defer resp.Body.Close()
-
-		respBytes, err := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("reading response body: %w", err)
-		}
+	var lastErr error
 
-		switch resp.StatusCode {
-		case http.StatusOK:
-			msg, err = conn.Codec().Decode(ucanhttp.NewHTTPResponse(resp.StatusCode, bytes.NewReader(respBytes), resp.Header))
+	for retry := 0; retry < maxRetries; retry++ {
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return nil, ctx.Err()
+		default:
+			resp, err := client.Do(req)
 			if err != nil {
-				return nil, fmt.Errorf("decoding message: %w", err)
+				lastErr = fmt.Errorf("polling receipts endpoint: %w", err)
+				goto backoff
+			}
+			
+			respBytes, err := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+			resp.Body.Close() // Always close body
+			
+			if err != nil {
+				lastErr = fmt.Errorf("reading response body: %w", err)
+				goto backoff
 			}
 
-		case http.StatusNotFound:
-			time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
+			switch resp.StatusCode {
+			case http.StatusOK:
+				msg, err = conn.Codec().Decode(ucanhttp.NewHTTPResponse(resp.StatusCode, bytes.NewReader(respBytes), resp.Header))
+				if err != nil {
+					lastErr = fmt.Errorf("decoding message: %w", err)
+					goto backoff
+				}
+				// Success - exit retry loop
+				goto done
 
-		default:
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("polling receipts endpoint: %s", resp.Status)
+			case http.StatusNotFound:
+				lastErr = fmt.Errorf("receipt not found (will retry)")
+				goto backoff
+
+			default:
+				// Don't retry on other status codes
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("polling receipts endpoint: %s", resp.Status)
+			}
+
+		backoff:
+			// Calculate and wait for backoff duration
+			backoff := backoffDuration(retry)
+			log.Debugf("Polling attempt %d failed: %v. Retrying in %v", retry+1, lastErr, backoff)
+			
+			timer := time.NewTimer(backoff)
+			select {
+			case <-ctx.Done():
+				timer.Stop()
+				return nil, ctx.Err()
+			case <-timer.C:
+				continue
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
+done:
 	if msg == nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("accept receipt not found: %s", acceptTaskLink)
+		if lastErr != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("polling failed after %d attempts: %w", maxRetries, lastErr)
+		}
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("accept receipt not found after %d attempts: %s", maxRetries, acceptTaskLink)
 	}
 
 	rcptlnk, ok := msg.Get(acceptTaskLink)
@@ -525,6 +592,5 @@ func pollAccept(ctx context.Context, acceptTaskLink ucan.Link, conn uclient.Conn
 	}
 
 	reader := receipt.NewAnyReceiptReader(captypes.Converters...)
-
 	return reader.Read(rcptlnk, msg.Blocks())
 }