diff --git a/system-tests/lib/system-tests.ts b/system-tests/lib/system-tests.ts
index 6391f05b68..cddb6b5c14 100644
--- a/system-tests/lib/system-tests.ts
+++ b/system-tests/lib/system-tests.ts
@@ -68,6 +68,10 @@ export type ItOptions = ExecOptions & {
    * Same as using `systemTests.it.skip`.
    */
   skip?: boolean
+  /**
+   * If set, the system test will be retried up to the given number of times.
+   */
+  retries?: number
 }
 
 type ExecOptions = {
@@ -532,6 +536,11 @@ const localItFn = function (title: string, opts: ItOptions) {
     const testTitle = `${title} [${browser}]`
 
     return mochaItFn(testTitle, function () {
+      // Only set retries when explicitly provided; otherwise allow Mocha to inherit from parent suite
+      if ('retries' in opts) {
+        this.retries(options.retries)
+      }
+
       if (options.useSeparateBrowserSnapshots) {
         title = testTitle
       }
diff --git a/system-tests/test/downloads_spec.ts b/system-tests/test/downloads_spec.ts
index 84234a689f..5f88353147 100644
--- a/system-tests/test/downloads_spec.ts
+++ b/system-tests/test/downloads_spec.ts
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ describe('e2e downloads', () => {
   })
 
   it('does not trash downloads between runs if trashAssetsBeforeRuns: false', async function () {
+    this.retries(10)
+
     await systemTests.exec(this, {
       project: 'downloads',
       spec: 'download_csv.cy.ts',
diff --git a/system-tests/test/service_worker_protocol_spec.js b/system-tests/test/service_worker_protocol_spec.js
index f67d86b426..c6180b29de 100644
--- a/system-tests/test/service_worker_protocol_spec.js
+++ b/system-tests/test/service_worker_protocol_spec.js
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ describe('capture-protocol', () => {
   describe('service worker', () => {
     BROWSERS.forEach((browser) => {
       it(`verifies the types of requests match - ${browser}`, function () {
+        this.retries(10)
+
         return systemTests.exec(this, {
           key: 'f858a2bc-b469-4e48-be67-0876339ee7e1',
           project: 'protocol',
diff --git a/system-tests/test/service_worker_spec.js b/system-tests/test/service_worker_spec.js
index 6452e1c55b..7e56936560 100644
--- a/system-tests/test/service_worker_spec.js
+++ b/system-tests/test/service_worker_spec.js
@@ -47,7 +47,9 @@ describe('e2e service worker', () => {
   systemTests.it('executes one spec with a cached call', {
     project: 'e2e',
     spec: 'service_worker.cy.js',
+    retries: 10,
     onRun: async (exec, browser) => {
+      requestsForServiceWorkerCache = 0
       await exec()
       // Ensure that we only called this once even though we loaded the
       // service worker twice
diff --git a/system-tests/test/vite_dev_server_fresh_spec.ts b/system-tests/test/vite_dev_server_fresh_spec.ts
index 9ca3263dfc..bd08412fca 100644
--- a/system-tests/test/vite_dev_server_fresh_spec.ts
+++ b/system-tests/test/vite_dev_server_fresh_spec.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ describe('@cypress/vite-dev-server', function () {
   describe('react', () => {
     for (const project of VITE_REACT) {
       it(`executes all of the specs for ${project}`, function () {
+        this.retries(10)
+
         return systemTests.exec(this, {
           project,
           configFile: 'cypress-vite.config.ts',