diff --git a/gallery_dl/downloader/common.py b/gallery_dl/downloader/common.py
index a4732dff..70813897 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/downloader/common.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/downloader/common.py
@@ -74,14 +74,14 @@ class DownloaderBase():
             # connect to (remote) source
             try:
                 offset, size = self.connect(url, filesize)
-            except exception.DownloadError as exc:
-                self.out.error(pathfmt.path, exc, 0, 0)
-                return False
+            except exception.DownloadRetry as exc:
+                msg = exc
+                continue
             except exception.DownloadComplete:
                 break
             except Exception as exc:
-                msg = exc
-                continue
+                self.out.error(pathfmt.path, exc, 0, 0)
+                return False
 
             # check response
             if not offset:
diff --git a/gallery_dl/downloader/http.py b/gallery_dl/downloader/http.py
index 2477a3a6..bf461ae2 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/downloader/http.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/downloader/http.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 import time
 import mimetypes
+from requests.exceptions import ConnectionError, Timeout
 from .common import DownloaderBase
 from .. import util, exception
 
@@ -38,9 +39,12 @@ class Downloader(DownloaderBase):
         if offset:
             headers["Range"] = "bytes={}-".format(offset)
 
-        self.response = self.session.request(
-            "GET", url, stream=True, headers=headers, allow_redirects=True,
-            timeout=self.timeout, verify=self.verify)
+        try:
+            self.response = self.session.request(
+                "GET", url, stream=True, headers=headers, allow_redirects=True,
+                timeout=self.timeout, verify=self.verify)
+        except (ConnectionError, Timeout) as exc:
+            raise exception.DownloadRetry(exc)
 
         code = self.response.status_code
         if code == 200:  # OK
@@ -50,9 +54,9 @@ class Downloader(DownloaderBase):
             size = self.response.headers["Content-Range"].rpartition("/")[2]
         elif code == 416:  # Requested Range Not Satisfiable
             raise exception.DownloadComplete()
-        elif 400 <= code < 500 and code != 429:  # Client Error
-            raise exception.DownloadError(
-                "{} Client Error: {} for url: {}".format(
+        elif code == 429 or 500 <= code < 600:  # Server Error
+            raise exception.DownloadRetry(
+                "{} Server Error: {} for url: {}".format(
                     code, self.response.reason, url))
         else:
             self.response.raise_for_status()
diff --git a/gallery_dl/exception.py b/gallery_dl/exception.py
index f35f5089..8feb8325 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/exception.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/exception.py
@@ -50,8 +50,8 @@ class HttpError(ExtractionError):
     """HTTP request during extraction failed"""
 
 
-class DownloadError(GalleryDLException):
-    """Error during file download"""
+class DownloadRetry(GalleryDLException):
+    """Download attempt failed and should be retried"""
 
 
 class DownloadComplete(GalleryDLException):