diff --git a/scripts/releases/r2.py b/scripts/releases/r2.py
index 7c4e8afe31..2962251b18 100644
--- a/scripts/releases/r2.py
+++ b/scripts/releases/r2.py
@@ -363,6 +363,10 @@ def read_public_receipt(base: str, key: str) -> dict:
         conn.close()
 
 
+class _TransferMismatch(ValueError):
+    """A completed download whose size or SHA256 disagrees with its receipt."""
+
+
 def download_public_object(base: str, key: str, file: Path, *, expected_size: int, expected_sha256: str) -> None:
     _download_url(public_artifact_url(base, key), file, lambda _attempt: {},
                   expected_size=expected_size, expected_sha256=expected_sha256)
@@ -393,12 +397,17 @@ def _download_url(url: str, file: Path, request_headers: Callable[[int], dict[st
                     digest.update(chunk)
                     size += len(chunk)
                     if size > expected_size:
-                        raise ValueError(f"Artifact checksum mismatch: {parsed.path}")
+                        raise _TransferMismatch(f"Artifact checksum mismatch: {parsed.path}")
                     output.write(chunk)
             if size != expected_size or digest.hexdigest() != expected_sha256:
-                raise ValueError(f"Artifact checksum mismatch: {parsed.path}")
+                raise _TransferMismatch(f"Artifact checksum mismatch: {parsed.path}")
             temporary.replace(file)
             return
+        except _TransferMismatch:
+            # The receipt is the authority: a body that disagrees with it is a bad transfer, so
+            # fetch again; a stored object that really differs fails the same way three times.
+            if attempt == 3:
+                raise
         except R2RequestError as error:
             if error.status not in _RETRYABLE_STATUSES or attempt == 3:
                 raise
diff --git a/tests/scripts/test_release_r2.py b/tests/scripts/test_release_r2.py
index cfe50969eb..67826239d8 100644
--- a/tests/scripts/test_release_r2.py
+++ b/tests/scripts/test_release_r2.py
@@ -793,11 +793,28 @@ def test_download_streams_verified_bytes_and_preserves_destination_on_failure(r2
     monkeypatch.setattr(r2.time, 'sleep', lambda _: None)
     r2.download_object(**args)
     assert request_times == [NOW, refreshed]
+    # A body corrupted in transit (right length, wrong bytes) is fetched again, not failed on the spot.
+    sent = []
+
+    def corrupt_once(handler):
+        sent.append(1)
+        if len(sent) == 1:
+            handler._send(200, payload[:-1] + b"!")
+        else:
+            original_get(handler)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(_R2StubHandler, 'do_GET', corrupt_once)
+    target.write_bytes(b"previous complete file")
+    r2.download_object(**args)
+    assert target.read_bytes() == payload and len(sent) == 2
     monkeypatch.setattr(_R2StubHandler, 'do_GET', original_get)
 
+    # A stored object that really differs from its receipt still fails, after the bounded attempts.
     r2_server.store[key] = (b"corrupt replacement", '"e"')
+    r2_server.requests.clear()
     with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="checksum mismatch"):
         r2.download_object(**args)
+    assert sum(1 for method, _, _ in r2_server.requests if method == "GET") == 3
     assert target.read_bytes() == payload
     assert list(target.parent.iterdir()) == [target]
     del r2_server.store[key]