diff --git a/src/main/java/com/rometools/fetcher/impl/HttpClientFeedFetcher.java b/src/main/java/com/rometools/fetcher/impl/HttpClientFeedFetcher.java
index eaa989b..3dadb58 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/rometools/fetcher/impl/HttpClientFeedFetcher.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/rometools/fetcher/impl/HttpClientFeedFetcher.java
@@ -29,9 +29,11 @@ import org.apache.commons.httpclient.Header;
 import org.apache.commons.httpclient.HttpClient;
 import org.apache.commons.httpclient.HttpException;
 import org.apache.commons.httpclient.HttpMethod;
+import org.apache.commons.httpclient.HttpMethodRetryHandler;
 import org.apache.commons.httpclient.auth.AuthScope;
 import org.apache.commons.httpclient.methods.GetMethod;
 import org.apache.commons.httpclient.params.HttpClientParams;
+import org.apache.commons.httpclient.params.HttpMethodParams;
 
 import com.rometools.fetcher.FetcherEvent;
 import com.rometools.fetcher.FetcherException;
@@ -68,6 +70,13 @@ public class HttpClientFeedFetcher extends AbstractFeedFetcher {
         setCredentialSupplier(credentialSupplier);
     }
 
+	/**
+	 * @param handler Sets the retry handler
+	 */
+	public synchronized void setRetryHandler(HttpMethodRetryHandler handler) {
+		httpClientParams.setParameter(HttpMethodParams.RETRY_HANDLER, handler);
+	}
+	
     /**
      * @param timeout Sets the connect timeout for the HttpClient but using the URLConnection method
      *            name. Uses the HttpClientParams method setConnectionManagerTimeout instead of