diff --git a/build-aux/getswdb.sh b/build-aux/getswdb.sh
index 0b97f0de5..5feaf8612 100755
--- a/build-aux/getswdb.sh
+++ b/build-aux/getswdb.sh
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ Options:
                        (default if not used in the GnuPG tree)
     --find-sha1sum     Print the name of the sha1sum utility
     --find-sha256sum   Print the name of the sha256sum utility
+    --wgetopt STRING   Pass STRING as options to wget
     --help             Print this help.
 
 Example:
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ EOF
 #
 # Parse options
 #
+WGETOPT=
 skip_download=no
 skip_verify=no
 skip_selfcheck=no
@@ -91,6 +93,9 @@ while test $# -gt 0; do
         --find-sha256sum)
             find_sha256sum=yes
             ;;
+        --wgetopt|--wgetopt=*)
+            WGETOPT=$optarg
+            ;;
         --info)
             info_mode=yes
             ;;
@@ -192,12 +197,12 @@ else
       exit 1
   fi
 
-  if ! $WGET -q -O swdb.lst "$urlbase/swdb.lst" ; then
+  if ! $WGET ${WGETOPT} -q -O swdb.lst "$urlbase/swdb.lst" ; then
       echo "download of swdb.lst failed." >&2
       exit 1
   fi
   if [ $skip_verify = no ]; then
-    if ! $WGET -q -O swdb.lst.sig "$urlbase/swdb.lst.sig" ; then
+    if ! $WGET ${WGETOPT} -q -O swdb.lst.sig "$urlbase/swdb.lst.sig" ; then
       echo "download of swdb.lst.sig failed." >&2
       exit 1
     fi
@@ -235,13 +240,13 @@ download_pkg () {
     local url="$1"
     local file="${url##*/}"
 
-    if ! $WGET -q -O -  "$url" >"${file}.tmp" ; then
+    if ! $WGET ${WGETOPT} -q -O -  "$url" >"${file}.tmp" ; then
       echo "download of $file failed." >&2
       [ -f "${file}.tmp" ] && rm "${file}.tmp"
       return 1
     fi
     if [ $skip_verify = no ]; then
-        if ! $WGET -q -O - "${url}.sig" >"${file}.tmpsig" ; then
+        if ! $WGET ${WGETOPT} -q -O - "${url}.sig" >"${file}.tmpsig" ; then
             echo "download of $file.sig failed." >&2
             [ -f "${file}.tmpsig" ] && rm "${file}.tmpsig"
             return 1
diff --git a/build-aux/speedo.mk b/build-aux/speedo.mk
index e4aa97cba..80d42d96f 100644
--- a/build-aux/speedo.mk
+++ b/build-aux/speedo.mk
@@ -185,6 +185,10 @@ MAKE_J = $(shell if command -v nproc >/dev/null 2>&1; then \
            nproc; else echo 6; \
          fi)
 
+# Extra options for wget(1)
+WGETOPT= --retry-connrefused  --retry-on-host-error
+
+
 # Name to use for the w32 installer and sources
 
 
@@ -309,6 +313,7 @@ endif
 ifeq ($(SELFCHECK),0)
 getswdb_options += --skip-selfcheck
 endif
+getswdb_options += --wgetopt="$(WGETOPT)"
 ifeq ($(UPD_SWDB),1)
 SWDB := $(shell $(topsrc)/build-aux/getswdb.sh $(getswdb_options) && echo okay)
 ifeq ($(strip $(SWDB)),)
@@ -862,7 +867,7 @@ $(stampdir)/stamp-$(1)-00-unpack: $(stampdir)/stamp-directories
            [ -f tmp.tgz ] && rm tmp.tgz;                \
            case "$$$${tar}" in				\
 	     /*) $$$${pretar} < $$$${tar} | tar xf - ;;	\
-	     *)  wget -q -O - $$$${tar} | tee tmp.tgz   \
+	     *)  wget $(WGETOPT) -q -O - $$$${tar} | tee tmp.tgz   \
                   | $$$${pretar} | tar x$$$${opt}f - ;; \
 	   esac;					\
 	   if [ -f tmp.tgz ]; then                      \