diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index f87f965271..660c63b32c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -22,8 +22,10 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ${{ vars.RUNNER_DEFAULT_LABEL || 'ubuntu-latest' }}
     timeout-minutes: 5
     outputs:
-      kilocode_backend: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.kilocode_backend }}
-      cloud_agent_next: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.cloud_agent_next }}
+      # Fall back to the retry attempt when the first Detect changes step died
+      # on a transient GitHub API failure (it sets no outputs when it fails).
+      kilocode_backend: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.kilocode_backend || steps.filter_retry.outputs.kilocode_backend }}
+      cloud_agent_next: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.cloud_agent_next || steps.filter_retry.outputs.cloud_agent_next }}
       workspace_matrix: ${{ steps.workspaces.outputs.matrix }}
     steps:
       - uses: useblacksmith/checkout@41cdeedae8edb2e684ba22896a5fd2a3cb85db6b # v1
@@ -47,8 +49,47 @@ jobs:
       - name: Test dependency change detection
         run: node --test scripts/changed-dependencies.test.mjs
 
+      - name: Test changes-filter retry wiring
+        run: node --test scripts/changes-filter-retry.test.mjs
+
+      # dorny/paths-filter has no built-in retry: one dropped connection to
+      # api.github.com ("other side closed" while listing the PR's changed
+      # files) fails the step and, with it, every check that needs this job.
+      # The first attempt is allowed to fail so the retry below absorbs
+      # transient resets; a persistent failure still fails the job.
       - name: Detect changes
         id: filter
+        continue-on-error: true
+        uses: dorny/paths-filter@fbd0ab8f3e69293af611ebaee6363fc25e6d187d # v4.0.1
+        with:
+          filters: |
+            kilocode_backend:
+              - 'apps/web/src/**'
+              - 'apps/web/.env'
+              - 'apps/web/.env.test'
+              - 'apps/web/.env.development.local.example'
+              - '.env.local.example'
+              - 'apps/web/package.json'
+              - 'apps/web/tsconfig.json'
+              - 'apps/web/tsconfig.*.json'
+              - 'apps/web/next.config.mjs'
+              - 'apps/web/jest.config.ts'
+              - 'apps/web/postcss.config.mjs'
+              - 'apps/web/sentry.*'
+              - 'packages/db/**'
+              - 'packages/encryption/**'
+              - 'packages/trpc/**'
+              - 'packages/worker-utils/**'
+              - 'services/deploy-infra/builder/**'
+              - 'package.json'
+              - 'pnpm-lock.yaml'
+            cloud_agent_next:
+              - 'services/cloud-agent-next/**'
+      - name: Detect changes (retry)
+        id: filter_retry
+        # Keep the filters byte-identical to the attempt above:
+        # scripts/changes-filter-retry.test.mjs fails the job when they drift.
+        if: steps.filter.outcome == 'failure'
         uses: dorny/paths-filter@fbd0ab8f3e69293af611ebaee6363fc25e6d187d # v4.0.1
         with:
           filters: |
diff --git a/scripts/changes-filter-retry.test.mjs b/scripts/changes-filter-retry.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b9957bd98a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/changes-filter-retry.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import test from 'node:test';
+
+import { load } from 'js-yaml';
+
+// The "Detect changes" step in ci.yml runs dorny/paths-filter, which calls the
+// GitHub API to list the PR's changed files. That call fails without retry on
+// transient connection resets ("other side closed"), so the workflow keeps a
+// second attempt whose outputs the job falls back to. This suite pins that
+// wiring: without it a single dropped connection fails every check gated on
+// this job, and drifted filters between the two attempts would let the retry
+// evaluate different paths than the first attempt reported.
+
+const actionRef = 'dorny/paths-filter@fbd0ab8f3e69293af611ebaee6363fc25e6d187d';
+const filterNames = ['kilocode_backend', 'cloud_agent_next'];
+const fallbackOutput = name =>
+  `\${{ steps.filter.outputs.${name} || steps.filter_retry.outputs.${name} }}`;
+
+function readChangesJob() {
+  const workflow = load(
+    readFileSync(new URL('../.github/workflows/ci.yml', import.meta.url), 'utf8')
+  );
+  return workflow.jobs.changes;
+}
+
+function firstAttempt(job) {
+  const step = job.steps.find(item => item.id === 'filter');
+  assert.ok(step, 'changes: first Detect changes step (id filter) is missing');
+  return step;
+}
+
+function retryStep(job) {
+  const step = job.steps.find(item => item.id === 'filter_retry');
+  assert.ok(step, 'changes: Detect changes retry step (id filter_retry) is missing');
+  return step;
+}
+
+function validate(job) {
+  const first = firstAttempt(job);
+  const retry = retryStep(job);
+  assert.ok(
+    job.steps.indexOf(retry) > job.steps.indexOf(first),
+    'changes: retry must run after the first Detect changes attempt'
+  );
+  assert.equal(first.uses, actionRef, 'changes: first attempt must use the pinned paths-filter');
+  assert.equal(retry.uses, actionRef, 'changes: retry must use the same pinned paths-filter');
+  assert.equal(
+    first['continue-on-error'],
+    true,
+    'changes: first attempt must tolerate failure so the retry can run'
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    retry['continue-on-error'],
+    undefined,
+    'changes: a persistent filter failure must fail the job, never be ignored'
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    retry.if,
+    "steps.filter.outcome == 'failure'",
+    'changes: retry must run only after a failed first attempt'
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    retry.with.filters,
+    first.with.filters,
+    'changes: retry filters must be byte-identical to the first attempt'
+  );
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    Object.keys(load(first.with.filters)).sort(),
+    [...filterNames].sort(),
+    'changes: filters must keep the expected filter names'
+  );
+  for (const name of filterNames) {
+    assert.equal(
+      job.outputs[name],
+      fallbackOutput(name),
+      `changes: output ${name} must fall back to the retry attempt`
+    );
+  }
+}
+
+test('ci.yml retries the changes filter after a transient GitHub API failure', () => {
+  validate(readChangesJob());
+});
+
+for (const defect of [
+  'missing-retry',
+  'fatal-first-attempt',
+  'ignored-retry',
+  'unconditional-retry',
+  'drifted-filters',
+  'missing-fallback',
+]) {
+  test(`changes rejects ${defect}`, () => {
+    const job = readChangesJob();
+    const first = job.steps.find(item => item.id === 'filter');
+    const retry = job.steps.find(item => item.id === 'filter_retry');
+    if (defect === 'missing-retry') job.steps.splice(job.steps.indexOf(retry), 1);
+    if (defect === 'fatal-first-attempt') delete first['continue-on-error'];
+    if (defect === 'ignored-retry') retry['continue-on-error'] = true;
+    if (defect === 'unconditional-retry') delete retry.if;
+    if (defect === 'drifted-filters')
+      retry.with.filters = retry.with.filters.replace("'apps/web/src/**'", "'apps/web/src2/**'");
+    if (defect === 'missing-fallback')
+      job.outputs.kilocode_backend = '${{ steps.filter.outputs.kilocode_backend }}';
+    assert.throws(() => validate(job), assert.AssertionError);
+  });
+}