diff --git a/internal/handler/composer.go b/internal/handler/composer.go
index ccb42bbb..aa790808 100644
--- a/internal/handler/composer.go
+++ b/internal/handler/composer.go
@@ -905,9 +905,9 @@ type composerDist struct {
 }
 
 // findDownloadURLFromMetadata fetches a metadata document and returns the dist
-// of the given version, with an empty URL if the version is not present. An
-// error is returned only on transport failure; a missing document (non-200)
-// or a missing version both yield an empty URL so the caller can fall back.
+// of the given version, with an empty URL if the version is not present. A
+// missing document (404 or 410) or a missing version both yield an empty URL
+// so the caller can fall back; any other failure is an error.
 func (h *ComposerHandler) findDownloadURLFromMetadata(ctx context.Context, metaURL, packageName, version string) (composerDist, error) {
 	h.proxy.Logger.Debug("fetching upstream metadata for download lookup",
 		"url", metaURL, "package", packageName, "version", version)
@@ -926,8 +926,16 @@ func (h *ComposerHandler) findDownloadURLFromMetadata(ctx context.Context, metaU
 	h.proxy.Logger.Debug("upstream metadata response",
 		"url", metaURL, "status", resp.StatusCode)
 
-	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
+	switch {
+	case resp.StatusCode == http.StatusNotFound || resp.StatusCode == http.StatusGone:
 		return composerDist{}, nil
+	case resp.StatusCode == http.StatusTooManyRequests && h.proxy.RateLimits != nil:
+		if err := h.proxy.RateLimits.Held(metaURL); err != nil {
+			return composerDist{}, err
+		}
+	}
+	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
+		return composerDist{}, fmt.Errorf("upstream metadata returned %d", resp.StatusCode)
 	}
 
 	body, err := h.proxy.ReadMetadata(resp.Body)
diff --git a/internal/handler/composer_download_lookup_test.go b/internal/handler/composer_download_lookup_test.go
index 56350004..53a0cfe0 100644
--- a/internal/handler/composer_download_lookup_test.go
+++ b/internal/handler/composer_download_lookup_test.go
@@ -11,23 +11,25 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/git-pkgs/cooldown"
+	registryclient "github.com/git-pkgs/registries/client"
 	"github.com/git-pkgs/registries/fetch"
 )
 
 // composerLookupUpstream serves v/p's metadata listing versions and the
 // archives they point at, counts metadata and archive requests, and fails
-// every request while down is set. A version listed in published carries that
-// publish time.
+// every request while down is set, with downStatus or 503. A version listed in
+// published carries that publish time.
 type composerLookupUpstream struct {
-	h         http.Handler
-	handler   *ComposerHandler
-	proxy     *Proxy
-	versions  atomic.Value // []string
-	published map[string]time.Time
-	down      atomic.Bool
-	metadata  atomic.Int32
-	archives  atomic.Int32
-	routeURL  string
+	h          http.Handler
+	handler    *ComposerHandler
+	proxy      *Proxy
+	versions   atomic.Value // []string
+	published  map[string]time.Time
+	down       atomic.Bool
+	downStatus atomic.Int32
+	metadata   atomic.Int32
+	archives   atomic.Int32
+	routeURL   string
 }
 
 func setupComposerLookup(t *testing.T, cacheMetadata bool, versions ...string) *composerLookupUpstream {
@@ -37,7 +39,12 @@ func setupComposerLookup(t *testing.T, cacheMetadata bool, versions ...string) *
 	var srv *httptest.Server
 	srv = httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		if u.down.Load() {
-			http.Error(w, "down", http.StatusServiceUnavailable)
+			status := int(u.downStatus.Load())
+			if status == 0 {
+				status = http.StatusServiceUnavailable
+			}
+			w.Header().Set("Retry-After", "30")
+			http.Error(w, "down", status)
 			return
 		}
 		switch {
@@ -146,6 +153,42 @@ func TestComposerDownloadWithoutMetadataCache(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestComposerDownloadLookupUpstreamError checks that a download whose
+// metadata lookup fails upstream answers 502, or 503 while upstream holds
+// requests, and not 404: Composer treats 404 as the version being gone.
+func TestComposerDownloadLookupUpstreamError(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, status := range []int{http.StatusInternalServerError, http.StatusServiceUnavailable} {
+		t.Run(http.StatusText(status), func(t *testing.T) {
+			u := setupComposerLookup(t, false, "1.0.0")
+			u.downStatus.Store(int32(status))
+			u.down.Store(true)
+			if w := u.get(t, "/files/v/p/1.0.0/1.0.0.zip"); w.Code != http.StatusBadGateway {
+				t.Errorf("status = %d, want 502", w.Code)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+
+	t.Run("rate limited", func(t *testing.T) {
+		u := setupComposerLookup(t, false, "1.0.0")
+		gate := registryclient.NewRateLimitGate(http.DefaultTransport)
+		u.proxy.HTTPClient = &http.Client{Transport: gate}
+		u.proxy.RateLimits = gate
+		u.downStatus.Store(http.StatusTooManyRequests)
+		u.down.Store(true)
+		w := u.get(t, "/files/v/p/1.0.0/1.0.0.zip")
+		if w.Code != http.StatusServiceUnavailable || w.Header().Get("Retry-After") == "" {
+			t.Errorf("status = %d, Retry-After %q; want 503 with Retry-After", w.Code, w.Header().Get("Retry-After"))
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("not listed", func(t *testing.T) {
+		u := setupComposerLookup(t, false, "1.0.0")
+		if w := u.get(t, "/files/v/p/2.0.0/2.0.0.zip"); w.Code != http.StatusNotFound {
+			t.Errorf("status = %d, want 404", w.Code)
+		}
+	})
+}
+
 // storedPublishTime returns the publish time recorded for v/p at version.
 func (u *composerLookupUpstream) storedPublishTime(t *testing.T, version string) (time.Time, bool) {
 	t.Helper()