diff --git a/scripts/outbox-worker.ts b/scripts/outbox-worker.ts
index 6d8ec41..0c90446 100644
--- a/scripts/outbox-worker.ts
+++ b/scripts/outbox-worker.ts
@@ -74,7 +74,15 @@ async function run(): Promise<void> {
 }
 
 try {
-  await run();
+  while (!stopping) {
+    try {
+      await run();
+    } catch (cause) {
+      console.error("Outbox worker failed; retrying in 5 seconds", cause);
+      await Promise.all([closeDb(), closeRedisClient()]);
+      if (!stopping) await wait(5_000);
+    }
+  }
 } finally {
   await Promise.all([closeDb(), closeRedisClient()]);
 }
diff --git a/tests/outbox-worker.test.ts b/tests/outbox-worker.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b635021
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/outbox-worker.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  closeDb: vi.fn(),
+  closeRedisClient: vi.fn(),
+  getRedisClient: vi.fn(),
+  claimOutboxEvents: vi.fn(),
+  markOutboxProcessed: vi.fn(),
+  releaseOutboxEvent: vi.fn(),
+  processOutboxEvent: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("@/db/client", () => ({ closeDb: mocks.closeDb }));
+vi.mock("@/lib/redis/client", () => ({
+  getRedisClient: mocks.getRedisClient,
+  closeRedisClient: mocks.closeRedisClient,
+}));
+vi.mock("@/lib/outbox/repository", () => ({
+  claimOutboxEvents: mocks.claimOutboxEvents,
+  markOutboxProcessed: mocks.markOutboxProcessed,
+  releaseOutboxEvent: mocks.releaseOutboxEvent,
+}));
+vi.mock("@/lib/outbox/processor", () => ({
+  createRedisOutboxTransport: () => ({}),
+  processOutboxEvent: mocks.processOutboxEvent,
+}));
+vi.mock("@/lib/commission/cleanup", () => ({
+  removeExpiredUnpaidCheckouts: vi.fn(),
+}));
+vi.mock("@/lib/guides/notifications", () => ({
+  sendGuidePublicationNotifications: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+describe("outbox worker recovery", () => {
+  let stop: () => void;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.resetModules();
+    vi.resetAllMocks();
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    vi.spyOn(console, "error").mockImplementation(() => undefined);
+    const once = process.once.bind(process);
+    vi.spyOn(process, "once").mockImplementation(((event: string | symbol, listener: () => void) => {
+      if (event === "SIGINT" || event === "SIGTERM") {
+        stop = listener;
+        return process;
+      }
+      return once(event, listener);
+    }) as typeof process.once);
+    mocks.getRedisClient.mockResolvedValue({});
+    mocks.claimOutboxEvents.mockResolvedValue([
+      { id: 1, attempts: 1, eventType: "guide.updated" },
+    ]);
+    mocks.markOutboxProcessed.mockImplementation(async () => stop());
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.useRealTimers();
+    vi.restoreAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it.each(["connection", "polling"])(
+    "recovers from a temporary %s failure and processes the next event",
+    async (failure) => {
+      const cause = new Error("Connection is closed.");
+      if (failure === "connection") {
+        mocks.getRedisClient.mockRejectedValueOnce(cause);
+      } else {
+        mocks.claimOutboxEvents.mockRejectedValueOnce(cause);
+      }
+      const worker = import("../scripts/outbox-worker");
+
+      await vi.waitFor(() => {
+        expect(mocks.closeRedisClient).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      });
+      expect(mocks.markOutboxProcessed).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(5_000);
+      await worker;
+
+      expect(mocks.getRedisClient).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+      expect(mocks.markOutboxProcessed).toHaveBeenCalledWith(1);
+      expect(mocks.closeDb).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+      expect(mocks.closeRedisClient).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+      expect(console.error).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        "Outbox worker failed; retrying in 5 seconds",
+        cause,
+      );
+    },
+  );
+
+  it("stops during the retry delay without opening another connection", async () => {
+    mocks.getRedisClient.mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error("Connection is closed."));
+    const worker = import("../scripts/outbox-worker");
+    await vi.waitFor(() => {
+      expect(mocks.closeRedisClient).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    });
+
+    stop();
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(5_000);
+    await worker;
+
+    expect(mocks.getRedisClient).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(mocks.claimOutboxEvents).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(mocks.closeRedisClient).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+});