diff --git a/backend/internal/notification/dispatcher_test.go b/backend/internal/notification/dispatcher_test.go
index 9a9b0fc06..96a91e388 100644
--- a/backend/internal/notification/dispatcher_test.go
+++ b/backend/internal/notification/dispatcher_test.go
@@ -17,8 +17,10 @@ type fakeRuntimeStore struct {
 	mu          sync.Mutex
 	unrouted    []domain.Notification
 	deliveries  []DeliveryRow
+	byID        map[string]DeliveryRow
 	routed      []domain.NotificationID
 	releases    int
+	retryNext   time.Time
 	failEnqueue map[domain.NotificationID]error
 }
 
@@ -45,6 +47,13 @@ func (f *fakeRuntimeStore) EnqueueDelivery(_ context.Context, row DeliveryRow) (
 	return row, true, nil
 }
 
+func (f *fakeRuntimeStore) GetDelivery(_ context.Context, id string) (DeliveryRow, bool, error) {
+	f.mu.Lock()
+	defer f.mu.Unlock()
+	row, ok := f.byID[id]
+	return row, ok, nil
+}
+
 func (f *fakeRuntimeStore) ClaimDueDeliveries(context.Context, string, string, time.Time, int, time.Duration) ([]DeliveryRow, error) {
 	return nil, nil
 }
@@ -57,7 +66,10 @@ func (f *fakeRuntimeStore) ReleaseExpiredDeliveryLeases(context.Context, time.Ti
 func (f *fakeRuntimeStore) MarkDeliverySent(context.Context, string, string, time.Time) error {
 	return nil
 }
-func (f *fakeRuntimeStore) MarkDeliveryRetry(context.Context, string, string, string, time.Time) error {
+func (f *fakeRuntimeStore) MarkDeliveryRetry(_ context.Context, _ string, _ string, _ string, next time.Time) error {
+	f.mu.Lock()
+	defer f.mu.Unlock()
+	f.retryNext = next
 	return nil
 }
 func (f *fakeRuntimeStore) MarkDeliveryFailed(context.Context, string, string, string, time.Time) error {
@@ -119,6 +131,29 @@ func TestRoutePendingDeliveryFailureDoesNotBlockOtherNotifications(t *testing.T)
 	}
 }
 
+func TestMarkDeliveryErrorUsesAttemptAwareBackoff(t *testing.T) {
+	now := time.Date(2026, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 0, time.UTC)
+	cfg := config.DefaultNotificationConfig()
+	cfg.Retry.BaseDelay = time.Second
+	cfg.Retry.MaxDelay = time.Minute
+	store := &fakeRuntimeStore{byID: map[string]DeliveryRow{
+		"del_1": {ID: "del_1", Attempts: 2, MaxAttempts: 5},
+	}}
+	mgr := NewManager(store, StaticSettings(cfg), discardLogger())
+	mgr.clock = func() time.Time { return now }
+
+	if err := mgr.MarkDeliveryError(context.Background(), "del_1", "timeout", "timed out"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	store.mu.Lock()
+	next := store.retryNext
+	store.mu.Unlock()
+	delay := next.Sub(now)
+	if delay < 3200*time.Millisecond || delay > 4800*time.Millisecond {
+		t.Fatalf("retry delay for third attempt = %s, want jittered 4s backoff", delay)
+	}
+}
+
 func sampleDomainNotification(id domain.NotificationID, priority string) domain.Notification {
 	return domain.Notification{
 		Seq:       1,
diff --git a/backend/internal/notification/manager.go b/backend/internal/notification/manager.go
index ea505ff8c..80f23f7db 100644
--- a/backend/internal/notification/manager.go
+++ b/backend/internal/notification/manager.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package notification
 import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"log/slog"
 	"time"
 
@@ -136,11 +137,21 @@ func (m *Manager) MarkDeliverySent(ctx context.Context, id, externalID string) e
 func (m *Manager) MarkDeliveryError(ctx context.Context, id, code, message string) error {
 	settings := m.settings.Settings(ctx)
 	policy := RetryPolicyFromConfig(settings.Retry)
+	now := m.clock().UTC()
 	// The store is the source of truth for attempts/max-attempt terminal
 	// handling. Permanent classification short-circuits to failed; otherwise we
-	// provide the next retry timestamp for retry_wait rows.
+	// fetch the current delivery attempts and provide the attempt-aware next
+	// retry timestamp for retry_wait rows.
 	if ClassifyError(code) == ErrorPermanent {
-		return m.store.MarkDeliveryFailed(ctx, id, code, message, m.clock().UTC())
+		return m.store.MarkDeliveryFailed(ctx, id, code, message, now)
 	}
-	return m.store.MarkDeliveryRetry(ctx, id, code, message, policy.NextAttemptAt(m.clock().UTC(), 1))
+	row, ok, err := m.store.GetDelivery(ctx, id)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if !ok {
+		return fmt.Errorf("notification delivery %s not found", id)
+	}
+	nextAttemptNo := row.Attempts + 1
+	return m.store.MarkDeliveryRetry(ctx, id, code, message, policy.NextAttemptAt(now, nextAttemptNo))
 }
diff --git a/backend/internal/notification/store.go b/backend/internal/notification/store.go
index 9be4aef59..b29d1ebc6 100644
--- a/backend/internal/notification/store.go
+++ b/backend/internal/notification/store.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ type Store interface {
 	ListUnroutedNotifications(ctx context.Context, limit int) ([]domain.Notification, error)
 	MarkNotificationRouted(ctx context.Context, id domain.NotificationID, at time.Time) error
 
+	GetDelivery(ctx context.Context, id string) (DeliveryRow, bool, error)
 	EnqueueDelivery(ctx context.Context, row DeliveryRow) (DeliveryRow, bool, error)
 	ClaimDueDeliveries(ctx context.Context, sink string, owner string, now time.Time, limit int, lease time.Duration) ([]DeliveryRow, error)
 	ReleaseExpiredDeliveryLeases(ctx context.Context, now time.Time) (int, error)
diff --git a/backend/internal/storage/sqlite/migrations/0003_notification_deliveries.sql b/backend/internal/storage/sqlite/migrations/0003_notification_deliveries.sql
index 5cf486887..e1e8e85e2 100644
--- a/backend/internal/storage/sqlite/migrations/0003_notification_deliveries.sql
+++ b/backend/internal/storage/sqlite/migrations/0003_notification_deliveries.sql
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 -- +goose Up
 -- +goose StatementBegin
 ALTER TABLE notifications ADD COLUMN routed_at TIMESTAMP;
+CREATE INDEX idx_notifications_unrouted
+    ON notifications(seq)
+    WHERE routed_at IS NULL;
 
 CREATE TABLE notification_deliveries (
     id                  TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
@@ -115,5 +118,6 @@ DROP TRIGGER IF EXISTS notification_deliveries_cdc_update;
 DROP TRIGGER IF EXISTS notification_deliveries_cdc_insert;
 DROP TABLE IF EXISTS notification_delivery_attempts;
 DROP TABLE IF EXISTS notification_deliveries;
+DROP INDEX IF EXISTS idx_notifications_unrouted;
 ALTER TABLE notifications DROP COLUMN routed_at;
 -- +goose StatementEnd
diff --git a/backend/internal/storage/sqlite/notification_delivery_store.go b/backend/internal/storage/sqlite/notification_delivery_store.go
index 18593b240..c2b8a62a9 100644
--- a/backend/internal/storage/sqlite/notification_delivery_store.go
+++ b/backend/internal/storage/sqlite/notification_delivery_store.go
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func (s *Store) EnqueueDelivery(ctx context.Context, row notification.DeliveryRo
 	if now.IsZero() {
 		now = time.Now().UTC()
 	}
-	row, err := notification.NormalizeDelivery(row, now, 5)
+	row, err := notification.NormalizeDelivery(row, now, row.MaxAttempts)
 	if err != nil {
 		return notification.DeliveryRow{}, false, err
 	}