diff --git a/src/control/lib/control/system.go b/src/control/lib/control/system.go
index 5c5fd8e4eb0..3c77374d932 100644
--- a/src/control/lib/control/system.go
+++ b/src/control/lib/control/system.go
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 //
 // (C) Copyright 2020-2024 Intel Corporation.
-// (C) Copyright 2025 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
+// (C) Copyright 2025-2026 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
 //
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-2-Clause-Patent
 //
@@ -1318,6 +1318,7 @@ func SystemRebuildManage(ctx context.Context, rpcClient UnaryInvoker, req *Syste
 type SystemSelfHealEvalReq struct {
 	unaryRequest
 	msRequest
+	retryableRequest
 }
 
 // SystemSelfHealEvalResp contains the response.
@@ -1341,6 +1342,10 @@ func SystemSelfHealEval(ctx context.Context, rpcClient UnaryInvoker, req *System
 	req.setRPC(func(ctx context.Context, conn *grpc.ClientConn) (proto.Message, error) {
 		return mgmtpb.NewMgmtSvcClient(conn).SystemSelfHealEval(ctx, pbReq)
 	})
+	req.retryTestFn = func(err error, _ uint) bool {
+		return (system.IsUnavailable(err) || IsRetryableConnErr(err) ||
+			system.IsNotLeader(err) || system.IsNotReplica(err))
+	}
 
 	rpcClient.Debugf("DAOS system self-heal eval request: %s", pbUtil.Debug(pbReq))
 	ur, err := rpcClient.InvokeUnaryRPC(ctx, req)
diff --git a/src/control/system/errors.go b/src/control/system/errors.go
index 509bee13906..335a255bf2f 100644
--- a/src/control/system/errors.go
+++ b/src/control/system/errors.go
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 //
 // (C) Copyright 2020-2024 Intel Corporation.
-// (C) Copyright 2025 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
+// (C) Copyright 2025-2026 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
 //
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-2-Clause-Patent
 //
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 
 	"github.com/daos-stack/daos/src/control/build"
+	"github.com/daos-stack/daos/src/control/fault"
+	"github.com/daos-stack/daos/src/control/fault/code"
 	"github.com/daos-stack/daos/src/control/lib/ranklist"
 )
 
@@ -39,8 +41,10 @@ func IsUnavailable(err error) bool {
 	if err == nil {
 		return false
 	}
-	cause := errors.Cause(err).Error()
-	return strings.Contains(cause, ErrRaftUnavail.Error()) || strings.Contains(cause, ErrLeaderStepUpInProgress.Error())
+	cause := errors.Cause(err)
+	return strings.Contains(cause.Error(), ErrRaftUnavail.Error()) ||
+		strings.Contains(cause.Error(), ErrLeaderStepUpInProgress.Error()) ||
+		fault.IsFaultCode(cause, code.ServerDataPlaneNotStarted)
 }
 
 // IsEmptyGroupMap returns a boolean indicating whether or not the