diff --git a/share/search/daemon.py b/share/search/daemon.py
index 90aedb855..6f400afd7 100644
--- a/share/search/daemon.py
+++ b/share/search/daemon.py
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@
 import threading
 import time
 
+import amqp.exceptions
 from django.conf import settings
+import kombu
 from kombu.mixins import ConsumerMixin
 import sentry_sdk
 
@@ -51,9 +53,14 @@ def start_daemonthreads_for_strategy(self, index_strategy):
         # spin up daemonthreads, ready for messages
         self._daemonthreads.extend(_daemon.start())
         # assign a thread to pass messages to this daemon
-        threading.Thread(
-            target=CeleryMessageConsumer(self.celery_app, _daemon).run,
-        ).start()
+        _consumer = CeleryMessageConsumer(
+            celery_app=self.celery_app,
+            stop_event=self.stop_event,
+            index_strategy=index_strategy,
+            message_callback=_daemon.on_message,
+        )
+        _daemon.kombu_connection = _consumer.connection
+        threading.Thread(target=_consumer.run).start()
         return _daemon
 
     def start_all_daemonthreads(self):
@@ -73,12 +80,12 @@ class CeleryMessageConsumer(ConsumerMixin):
     # (from ConsumerMixin)
     # should_stop: bool
 
-    def __init__(self, celery_app, indexer_daemon):
+    def __init__(self, *, celery_app, stop_event, message_callback, index_strategy):
         self.connection = celery_app.pool.acquire(block=True)
         self.celery_app = celery_app
-        self.__stop_event = indexer_daemon.stop_event
-        self.__message_callback = indexer_daemon.on_message
-        self.__index_strategy = indexer_daemon.index_strategy
+        self.__stop_event = stop_event
+        self.__message_callback = message_callback
+        self.__index_strategy = index_strategy
 
     # overrides ConsumerMixin.run
     def run(self):
@@ -115,6 +122,7 @@ def __repr__(self):
 
 class IndexerDaemon:
     MAX_LOCAL_QUEUE_SIZE = 5000
+    kombu_connection: kombu.Connection | None = None
 
     def __init__(self, index_strategy, *, stop_event=None, daemonthread_context=None):
         self.stop_event = (
@@ -154,6 +162,7 @@ def start_typed_loop_and_queue(self, message_type) -> threading.Thread:
             local_message_queue=_queue_from_rabbit_to_daemon,
             log_prefix=f'{repr(self)} MessageHandlingLoop: ',
             daemonthread_context=self.__daemonthread_context,
+            kombu_connection=self.kombu_connection,
         )
         return _handling_loop.start_thread()
 
@@ -187,6 +196,7 @@ class MessageHandlingLoop:
     local_message_queue: queue.Queue
     log_prefix: str
     daemonthread_context: contextlib.AbstractContextManager
+    kombu_connection: kombu.Connection | None = None
     _leftover_daemon_messages_by_target_id = None
 
     def __post_init__(self):
@@ -270,7 +280,7 @@ def _handle_some_messages(self):
                     sentry_sdk.capture_message('error handling message', extras={'message_response': message_response})
                 target_id = message_response.index_message.target_id
                 for daemon_message in daemon_messages_by_target_id.pop(target_id, ()):
-                    daemon_message.ack()  # finally set it free
+                    self._ensure_ack(daemon_message)
             if daemon_messages_by_target_id:  # should be empty by now
                 logger.error('%sUnhandled messages?? %s', self.log_prefix, len(daemon_messages_by_target_id))
                 sentry_sdk.capture_message(
@@ -296,6 +306,16 @@ def _back_off(self):
         logger.warning(f'{self.log_prefix}Backing off (pause for {self._backoff_timeout:.2} seconds)')
         _backoff_wait(stop_event=self.stop_event, backoff_timeout=self._backoff_timeout)
 
+    def _ensure_ack(self, daemon_message: messages.DaemonMessage):
+        try:
+            daemon_message.ack()
+        except amqp.exceptions.RecoverableConnectionError:
+            if self.kombu_connection is not None:
+                @self.kombu_connection.autoretry(channel=daemon_message.kombu_message.channel)
+                def _do_ack(*, channel):
+                    channel.basic_ack(daemon_message.kombu_message.delivery_tag)
+                _do_ack()
+
 
 # helper function for easier testing of backoff logic
 def _backoff_wait(*, stop_event, backoff_timeout):
diff --git a/share/search/messages.py b/share/search/messages.py
index 5ba2e466a..4e17bcf30 100644
--- a/share/search/messages.py
+++ b/share/search/messages.py
@@ -142,7 +142,11 @@ def __init__(self, *, kombu_message=None):
     def ack(self):
         if self.kombu_message is None:
             raise exceptions.DaemonMessageError('ack! called DaemonMessage.ack() but there is nothing to ack')
-        return self.kombu_message.ack()
+        try:
+            return self.kombu_message.ack()
+        except self.kombu_message.recoverable_connection_errors:
+            with ... as _channel:
+                _channel.basic_ack(self.kombu_message.delivery_tag)
 
     def requeue(self):
         if self.kombu_message is None: