linkcheck_retries.diff

diff --git a/doc/config.rst b/doc/config.rst
--- a/doc/config.rst
+++ b/doc/config.rst
@@ -1336,6 +1336,13 @@
 
    .. versionadded:: 1.1
 
+.. confval:: linkcheck_retries
+
+   The number of checking attempts before a link will be considered broken.
+   Default is 1 attempt.
+
+   .. versionadded:: 1.2
+
 .. confval:: linkcheck_workers
 
    The number of worker threads to use when checking links.  Default is 5
diff --git a/sphinx/builders/linkcheck.py b/sphinx/builders/linkcheck.py
--- a/sphinx/builders/linkcheck.py
+++ b/sphinx/builders/linkcheck.py
@@ -124,22 +124,30 @@
                 hash = None
 
             # need to actually check the URI
-            try:
-                if hash and self.app.config.linkcheck_anchors:
-                    # Read the whole document and see if #hash exists
-                    f = opener.open(Request(req_url), **kwargs)
-                    found = check_anchor(f, unquote(hash))
-                    f.close()
+            attempt_nr = 1
+            while True:
+                try:
+                    if hash and self.app.config.linkcheck_anchors:
+                        # Read the whole document and see if #hash exists
+                        f = opener.open(Request(req_url), **kwargs)
+                        found = check_anchor(f, unquote(hash))
+                        f.close()
 
-                    if not found:
-                        raise Exception("Anchor '%s' not found" % hash)
-                else:
-                    f = opener.open(HeadRequest(req_url), **kwargs)
-                    f.close()
+                        if not found:
+                            raise Exception("Anchor '%s' not found" % hash)
+                    else:
+                        f = opener.open(HeadRequest(req_url), **kwargs)
+                        f.close()
+                    # Link is not broken
+                    break
+                except Exception, err:
+                    if attempt_nr < self.app.config.linkcheck_retries:
+                        attempt_nr += 1
+                        pass
+                    else:
+                        self.broken[uri] = str(err)
+                        return 'broken', str(err)
 
-            except Exception, err:
-                self.broken[uri] = str(err)
-                return 'broken', str(err)
             if f.url.rstrip('/') == req_url.rstrip('/'):
                 self.good.add(uri)
                 return 'working', 'new'
diff --git a/sphinx/config.py b/sphinx/config.py
--- a/sphinx/config.py
+++ b/sphinx/config.py
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@
         # linkcheck options
         linkcheck_ignore = ([], None),
         linkcheck_timeout = (None, None),
+        linkcheck_retries = (1, None),
         linkcheck_workers = (5, None),
         linkcheck_anchors = (True, None),