diff --git a/src/config.py b/src/config.py
index 7dcd68c..8f5ccf7 100644
--- a/src/config.py
+++ b/src/config.py
@@ -83,6 +83,12 @@ class Settings(BaseSettings):
     # Extra attempts after a transient failure (stall/timeout/network hiccup) before
     # falling back to a link-only post. Permanent failures (private/removed/etc.) never retry.
     yt_dlp_retry_attempts: int = 2
+    # A fresh upload's lower-quality renditions can still be mid-transcode on VK's side,
+    # so a height-capped URL briefly serves the full-res master and trips our size check -
+    # confirmed on a real post still happening 8 minutes after publish. Needs a separate,
+    # much longer retry budget than the generic stall/timeout case above.
+    yt_dlp_size_retry_attempts: int = 5
+    yt_dlp_size_retry_delay_sec: float = 90.0
 
     # Text Styling & Decoration
     header_text: str = ""
diff --git a/src/media_processor.py b/src/media_processor.py
index 09fcfc1..d293627 100644
--- a/src/media_processor.py
+++ b/src/media_processor.py
@@ -102,24 +102,35 @@ class MediaProcessor:
     async def download_video_ytdlp(
         self, url: str, prefix: str = "video_"
     ) -> tuple[Optional[Path], Optional[str], bool]:
-        """Retries transient failures (stalls, timeouts, one-off yt-dlp/network hiccups)
-        a couple of times before giving up - a single flaky attempt used to fall straight
-        through to the link-only fallback even though the video was perfectly downloadable."""
+        """Retries transient failures before giving up - a single flaky attempt used to fall
+        straight through to the link-only fallback even though the video was perfectly
+        downloadable. Stalls/timeouts/network hiccups get a couple of quick retries; a
+        size-exceeded result (likely VK still transcoding lower renditions) switches to a
+        much longer, more patient retry budget - see yt_dlp_size_retry_* in config.py."""
         last_result: tuple[Optional[Path], Optional[str], bool] = (None, "video download failed", False)
-        for attempt in range(1, settings.yt_dlp_retry_attempts + 2):
+        attempt = 0
+        max_attempts = settings.yt_dlp_retry_attempts + 1
+        delay = 3.0
+        while attempt < max_attempts:
+            attempt += 1
             path, err, is_permanent = await self._download_video_ytdlp_attempt(url, prefix)
             if path or is_permanent:
                 return path, err, is_permanent
             last_result = (path, err, is_permanent)
-            if attempt <= settings.yt_dlp_retry_attempts:
-                # A fresh upload's lower-quality renditions can still be mid-transcode on
-                # VK's side - the "720p" URL then briefly serves the full-res master until
-                # the ladder catches up, which trips our size cap. That's not a permanent
-                # rejection, just needs more time than a stalled connection does.
-                delay = 60.0 if "exceeds size limit" in (err or "") else 3.0
+            # A fresh upload's lower-quality renditions can still be mid-transcode on
+            # VK's side - the "720p" URL then briefly serves the full-res master until
+            # the ladder catches up, which trips our size cap. Confirmed on a real post
+            # still happening 8 minutes after publish, so this needs a much longer and
+            # more patient retry budget than a stalled connection does - switch to it
+            # (and restart the attempt count) the first time we see this specific error.
+            if "exceeds size limit" in (err or "") and max_attempts != settings.yt_dlp_size_retry_attempts + 1:
+                max_attempts = settings.yt_dlp_size_retry_attempts + 1
+                delay = settings.yt_dlp_size_retry_delay_sec
+                attempt = 0
+            if attempt < max_attempts:
                 logger.warning(
                     "yt-dlp attempt {}/{} failed transiently for {}: {} - retrying in {}s",
-                    attempt, settings.yt_dlp_retry_attempts + 1, url, err, delay,
+                    attempt, max_attempts, url, err, delay,
                 )
                 await asyncio.sleep(delay)
         return last_result