diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 07153fb202669..baaf12ca4a9b7 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -48,6 +48,13 @@ Change the log4j setting in either `clients/src/test/resources/log4j.properties`
 
     ./gradlew clients:test --tests RequestResponseTest
 
+### Specifying test retries ###
+By default, each failed test is retried once up to a maximum of five retries per test run. Tests are retried at the end of the test task. Adjust these parameters in the following way:
+
+    ./gradlew test -PmaxTestRetries=1 -PmaxTestRetryFailures=5
+    
+See [Test Retry Gradle Plugin](https://github.com/gradle/test-retry-gradle-plugin) for more details.
+
 ### Generating test coverage reports ###
 Generate coverage reports for the whole project:
 
@@ -191,6 +198,8 @@ The following options should be set with a `-P` switch, for example `./gradlew -
 * `skipSigning`: skips signing of artifacts.
 * `testLoggingEvents`: unit test events to be logged, separated by comma. For example `./gradlew -PtestLoggingEvents=started,passed,skipped,failed test`.
 * `xmlSpotBugsReport`: enable XML reports for spotBugs. This also disables HTML reports as only one can be enabled at a time.
+* `maxTestRetries`: the maximum number of retries for a failing test case.
+* `maxTestRetryFailures`: maximum number of test failures before retrying is disabled for subsequent tests.
 
 ### Dependency Analysis ###
 
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 1ed38fe3342ff..658821d1154b7 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ buildscript {
     classpath "org.owasp:dependency-check-gradle:$versions.owaspDepCheckPlugin"
     classpath "com.diffplug.spotless:spotless-plugin-gradle:$versions.spotlessPlugin"
     classpath "com.github.spotbugs:spotbugs-gradle-plugin:$versions.spotbugsPlugin"
+    classpath "org.gradle:test-retry-gradle-plugin:$versions.testRetryPlugin"
   }
 }
 
@@ -97,6 +98,9 @@ ext {
 
   userMaxForks = project.hasProperty('maxParallelForks') ? maxParallelForks.toInteger() : null
 
+  userMaxTestRetries = project.hasProperty('maxTestRetries') ? maxTestRetries.toInteger() : 0
+  userMaxTestRetryFailures = project.hasProperty('maxTestRetryFailures') ? maxTestRetryFailures.toInteger() : 0
+
   skipSigning = project.hasProperty('skipSigning') && skipSigning.toBoolean()
   shouldSign = !skipSigning && !version.endsWith("SNAPSHOT") && project.gradle.startParameter.taskNames.any { it.contains("upload") }
 
@@ -163,6 +167,7 @@ subprojects {
   apply plugin: 'signing'
   apply plugin: 'checkstyle'
   apply plugin: "com.github.spotbugs"
+  apply plugin: 'org.gradle.test-retry'
 
   sourceCompatibility = minJavaVersion
   targetCompatibility = minJavaVersion
@@ -289,6 +294,11 @@ subprojects {
       exceptionFormat = testExceptionFormat
     }
     logTestStdout.rehydrate(delegate, owner, this)()
+
+    retry {
+      maxRetries = userMaxTestRetries
+      maxFailures = userMaxTestRetryFailures
+    }
   }
 
   task integrationTest(type: Test, dependsOn: compileJava) {
diff --git a/gradle/dependencies.gradle b/gradle/dependencies.gradle
index f5673de4c8de6..0c2116cab7c9c 100644
--- a/gradle/dependencies.gradle
+++ b/gradle/dependencies.gradle
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ versions += [
   spotbugs: "3.1.12",
   spotbugsPlugin: "3.0.0",
   spotlessPlugin: "3.27.1",
+  testRetryPlugin: "1.1.0",
   zookeeper: "3.5.6",
   zstd: "1.4.4-7"
 ]