diff --git a/src/runtime-rs/crates/resource/src/network/network_model/tc_filter_model.rs b/src/runtime-rs/crates/resource/src/network/network_model/tc_filter_model.rs
index 882003e669..c2ef06ebc8 100644
--- a/src/runtime-rs/crates/resource/src/network/network_model/tc_filter_model.rs
+++ b/src/runtime-rs/crates/resource/src/network/network_model/tc_filter_model.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 //
 
+use std::time::Duration;
+
 use anyhow::{Context, Result};
 use async_trait::async_trait;
 use rtnetlink::Handle;
@@ -12,6 +14,9 @@ use scopeguard::defer;
 use super::{NetworkModel, NetworkModelType};
 use crate::network::NetworkPair;
 
+const QDISC_ADD_ATTEMPTS: u64 = 5; // Number of attempts when adding an ingress qdisc
+const QDISC_ADD_BACKOFF_MS: u64 = 10; // Base delay for the linear backoff between qdisc add retries on EBUSY
+
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub(crate) struct TcFilterModel {}
 
@@ -42,19 +47,11 @@ impl NetworkModel for TcFilterModel {
             .await
             .context("fetch virt by index")?;
 
-        handle
-            .qdisc()
-            .add(tap_index as i32)
-            .ingress()
-            .execute()
+        add_ingress_qdisc(&handle, tap_index as i32)
             .await
             .context("add tap ingress")?;
 
-        handle
-            .qdisc()
-            .add(virt_index as i32)
-            .ingress()
-            .execute()
+        add_ingress_qdisc(&handle, virt_index as i32)
             .await
             .context("add virt ingress")?;
 
@@ -95,6 +92,29 @@ impl NetworkModel for TcFilterModel {
     }
 }
 
+/// Add an ingress qdisc to the device at the given index, retrying on EBUSY
+/// with linear backoff (10ms, 20ms, ...).
+async fn add_ingress_qdisc(handle: &Handle, index: i32) -> Result<(), rtnetlink::Error> {
+    let mut last_err = handle.qdisc().add(index).ingress().execute().await;
+    for i in 1..QDISC_ADD_ATTEMPTS {
+        match &last_err {
+            Ok(()) => return Ok(()),
+            Err(e) if !is_ebusy(e) => break,
+            Err(_) => {}
+        }
+        tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(QDISC_ADD_BACKOFF_MS * i)).await;
+        last_err = handle.qdisc().add(index).ingress().execute().await;
+    }
+    last_err
+}
+
+fn is_ebusy(err: &rtnetlink::Error) -> bool {
+    match err {
+        rtnetlink::Error::NetlinkError(msg) => msg.code.is_some_and(|c| c.get() == -libc::EBUSY),
+        _ => false,
+    }
+}
+
 pub async fn fetch_index(handle: &Handle, name: &str) -> Result<u32> {
     let link = crate::network::network_pair::get_link_by_name(handle, name)
         .await
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/network_linux.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/network_linux.go
index b10fe11aa3..9bee440a04 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/network_linux.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/network_linux.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ package virtcontainers
 import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"math/rand"
 	"net"
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 	"sort"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
+	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/containernetworking/plugins/pkg/ns"
@@ -38,6 +40,8 @@ import (
 const (
 	defaultFilePerms = 0600
 	defaultQlen      = 1500
+	qdiscAddAttempts = 5                     // Number of attempts when adding an ingress qdisc
+	qdiscAddBackoff  = 10 * time.Millisecond // Base delay for the linear backoff between qdisc add retries on EBUSY
 )
 
 // LinuxNetwork represents a sandbox networking setup.
@@ -1163,12 +1167,20 @@ func addQdiscIngress(index int) error {
 		},
 	}
 
-	err := netlink.QdiscAdd(qdisc)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to add qdisc for network index %d : %s", index, err)
+	var err error
+	for i := 0; i < qdiscAddAttempts; i++ {
+		err = netlink.QdiscAdd(qdisc)
+		if err == nil {
+			return nil
+		}
+		if !errors.Is(err, syscall.EBUSY) {
+			break // non-retryable error
+		}
+		if i < qdiscAddAttempts-1 {
+			time.Sleep(time.Duration(i+1) * qdiscAddBackoff)
+		}
 	}
-
-	return nil
+	return fmt.Errorf("Failed to add qdisc for network index %d : %w", index, err)
 }
 
 // addRedirectTCFilter adds a tc filter for device with index "sourceIndex".