diff --git a/src/modules/parcel-sync/services/eterra-client.ts b/src/modules/parcel-sync/services/eterra-client.ts
index 96387f4..a0d1f73 100644
--- a/src/modules/parcel-sync/services/eterra-client.ts
+++ b/src/modules/parcel-sync/services/eterra-client.ts
@@ -60,8 +60,8 @@ const BASE_URL = "https://eterra.ancpi.ro/eterra";
 const LOGIN_URL = `${BASE_URL}/api/authentication`;
 
 const DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS = 40_000;
-const DEFAULT_PAGE_SIZE = 2000;
-const PAGE_SIZE_FALLBACKS = [1000, 500, 200];
+const DEFAULT_PAGE_SIZE = 1000;
+const PAGE_SIZE_FALLBACKS = [500, 200];
 const MAX_RETRIES = 2;
 const SESSION_TTL_MS = 9 * 60 * 1000;
 const MAX_URL_LENGTH = 1500;
@@ -343,6 +343,7 @@ export class EterraClient {
     // If we request 2000 but get exactly 1000, we hit the server cap.
     // Track this so we continue paginating instead of stopping.
     let serverMaxRecordCount: number | null = null;
+    let retried = false; // one retry per page for transient ArcGIS errors
 
     while (true) {
       const params = new URLSearchParams();
@@ -360,15 +361,27 @@ export class EterraClient {
         data = await this.queryLayer(layer, params, Boolean(options?.geometry));
       } catch (err) {
         const cause = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
+        const isQueryError = cause.includes("Error performing query");
+
+        // ArcGIS "Error performing query" — retry same page size first
+        // (often a transient server-side timeout), then try smaller.
+        if (isQueryError && !retried) {
+          retried = true;
+          await sleep(2000);
+          continue;
+        }
+        retried = false;
+
         // Try next smaller page size
         const nextSize = PAGE_SIZE_FALLBACKS.find((s) => s < pageSize);
         if (nextSize) {
           pageSize = nextSize;
-          await sleep(500); // small delay before retry with smaller page
+          await sleep(1000);
           continue;
         }
         throw new Error(`Failed to fetch layer ${layer.name}: ${cause}`);
       }
+      retried = false; // reset on success
 
       const features = data.features ?? [];
       if (features.length === 0) {