diff --git a/src/v/raft/tests/raft_fixture.h b/src/v/raft/tests/raft_fixture.h
index 515ab0e8db9f1..9d4ef51a2113a 100644
--- a/src/v/raft/tests/raft_fixture.h
+++ b/src/v/raft/tests/raft_fixture.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include "base/vassert.h"
 #include "bytes/iobuf.h"
 #include "bytes/random.h"
+#include "cluster/errc.h"
 #include "config/property.h"
 #include "features/feature_table.h"
 #include "model/fundamental.h"
@@ -44,6 +45,9 @@
 #include <boost/range/irange.hpp>
 
 #include <optional>
+#include <ranges>
+#include <system_error>
+#include <type_traits>
 
 namespace raft {
 
@@ -397,6 +401,42 @@ class raft_fixture
           [f = std::forward<Func>(f)](auto& pair) { return f(*pair.second); });
     }
 
+    template<typename E>
+    struct retry_policy {
+        static_assert(
+          std::is_same_v<E, raft::errc> || std::is_same_v<E, cluster::errc>);
+        static E timeout_error() { return E::timeout; }
+        static bool should_retry(const E& err) {
+            return err == E::timeout || err == E::not_leader;
+        }
+    };
+    template<>
+    struct retry_policy<std::error_code> {
+        static std::error_code timeout_error() {
+            return raft::make_error_code(raft::errc::timeout);
+        }
+        static bool should_retry(const std::error_code& err) {
+            if (err.category() == raft::error_category()) {
+                return retry_policy<raft::errc>::should_retry(
+                  raft::errc(err.value()));
+            } else if (err.category() == cluster::error_category()) {
+                return retry_policy<cluster::errc>::should_retry(
+                  cluster::errc(err.value()));
+            } else {
+                vassert(
+                  false,
+                  "error category {} not supported",
+                  err.category().name());
+            }
+        }
+    };
+
+    template<>
+    struct retry_policy<bool> {
+        static bool timeout_error() { return false; }
+        static bool should_retry(const bool& err) { return !err; }
+    };
+
     template<typename Func>
     auto retry_with_leader(
       model::timeout_clock::time_point deadline,
@@ -405,9 +445,27 @@ class raft_fixture
         using futurator
           = ss::futurize<std::invoke_result_t<Func, raft_node_instance&>>;
         using ret_t = futurator::value_type;
+        // some functions return bare error code, we'll cast to result anyway
+        using result_t = std::
+          conditional_t<is_result_v<ret_t>, const ret_t&, result<void, ret_t>>;
+        using error_t = std::remove_cvref_t<result_t>::error_type;
+        using policy = retry_policy<error_t>;
+
         struct retry_state {
-            ret_t result = errc::timeout;
+            ret_t result = policy::timeout_error();
             int retry = 0;
+
+            auto result_with_value() { return static_cast<result_t>(result); }
+
+            // assume, as result_t may be e.g. result<void, bool>
+            error_t get_error() { return result_with_value().assume_error(); }
+
+            bool ready() {
+                if (!result_with_value().has_error()) {
+                    return true;
+                }
+                return !policy::should_retry(get_error());
+            }
         };
         return ss::do_with(
           retry_state{},
@@ -416,7 +474,7 @@ class raft_fixture
               return ss::do_until(
                        [&state, deadline] {
                            return model::timeout_clock::now() > deadline
-                                  || state.result.has_value();
+                                  || state.ready();
                        },
                        [this,
                         &state,
@@ -425,7 +483,8 @@ class raft_fixture
                         backoff]() mutable {
                            vlog(
                              _logger.info,
-                             "Executing action with leader, current retry: {}",
+                             "Executing action with leader, current retry: "
+                             "{}",
                              state.retry);
 
                            return wait_for_leader(deadline).then(
@@ -433,16 +492,18 @@ class raft_fixture
                                model::node_id leader_id) {
                                  return ss::futurize_invoke(f, node(leader_id))
                                    .then([this, &state, backoff](
-                                           auto result) mutable {
-                                       // success
-                                       if (result) {
-                                           state.result = std::move(result);
+                                           ret_t result) mutable {
+                                       state.result = std::move(result);
+                                       // "success"
+                                       if (state.ready()) {
                                            return ss::now();
                                        }
                                        vlog(
                                          _logger.info,
-                                         "Leader action returned an error: {}",
-                                         result.error());
+                                         "Leader action returned an error: "
+                                         "{}",
+                                         state.get_error());
+                                       state.result = policy::timeout_error();
                                        state.retry++;
 
                                        return ss::sleep(backoff);