diff --git a/quic/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quic/connection/LevelState.kt b/quic/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quic/connection/LevelState.kt
index e02df4498..58064fcab 100644
--- a/quic/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quic/connection/LevelState.kt
+++ b/quic/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quic/connection/LevelState.kt
@@ -153,4 +153,45 @@ class LevelState {
         this.sendProtection = sendProtection
         this.receiveProtection = receiveProtection
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Reset the Initial-level state for a successful Retry.
+     *
+     * Differs from [resetForVersionNegotiation] in that the packet number
+     * namespace is **preserved**: per RFC 9001 §5.7 + RFC 9000 §17.2.5,
+     * the Initial PN space spans the original AND the post-Retry Initials.
+     * The client MUST NOT reuse a packet number across the boundary —
+     * the next Initial sent after Retry uses PN = (last-used) + 1.
+     *
+     * The runner's retry test specifically checks for this: a client that
+     * resets the PN gets "Client reset the packet number. Check failed
+     * for PN 0".
+     *
+     * Everything else resets to mirror VN semantics:
+     *  - cryptoSend cleared so the caller can re-enqueue the cached
+     *    ClientHello on top of fresh empty buffer state.
+     *  - sentPackets cleared because the pre-Retry Initial's loss-recovery
+     *    state references PNs the server will never ACK (the server
+     *    discarded that packet when it sent the Retry).
+     *  - keys re-derived from the new DCID and reinstalled.
+     *  - keysDiscarded latch reset (the pre-Retry keys are gone, but the
+     *    level itself is still alive with the new keys).
+     */
+    internal fun resetForRetry(
+        sendProtection: PacketProtection,
+        receiveProtection: PacketProtection,
+    ) {
+        // pnSpace is INTENTIONALLY preserved — see kdoc above.
+        ackTracker =
+            com.vitorpamplona.quic.recovery
+                .AckTracker()
+        cryptoSend = SendBuffer()
+        cryptoReceive = ReceiveBuffer()
+        sentPackets.clear()
+        largestAckedPn = null
+        largestAckedSentTimeMs = null
+        keysDiscarded = false
+        this.sendProtection = sendProtection
+        this.receiveProtection = receiveProtection
+    }
 }
diff --git a/quic/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quic/connection/QuicConnection.kt b/quic/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quic/connection/QuicConnection.kt
index 2056c7779..77dc85ca8 100644
--- a/quic/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quic/connection/QuicConnection.kt
+++ b/quic/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quic/connection/QuicConnection.kt
@@ -579,7 +579,11 @@ class QuicConnection(
         destinationConnectionId = retryPacket.scid
         val proto = InitialSecrets.derive(destinationConnectionId.bytes)
         val hp = AesEcbHeaderProtection(PlatformAesOneBlock)
-        initial.resetForVersionNegotiation(
+        // Use resetForRetry, NOT resetForVersionNegotiation: RFC 9001 §5.7
+        // requires the Initial PN namespace to continue across the Retry
+        // boundary. Resetting PN to 0 caused the runner to flag
+        // "Client reset the packet number. Check failed for PN 0".
+        initial.resetForRetry(
             sendProtection =
                 PacketProtection(bestAes128GcmAead(proto.clientKey), proto.clientKey, proto.clientIv, hp, proto.clientHp),
             receiveProtection =
diff --git a/quic/src/commonTest/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quic/connection/RetryHandlingTest.kt b/quic/src/commonTest/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quic/connection/RetryHandlingTest.kt
index a0bd832c8..d5e79d790 100644
--- a/quic/src/commonTest/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quic/connection/RetryHandlingTest.kt
+++ b/quic/src/commonTest/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quic/connection/RetryHandlingTest.kt
@@ -142,8 +142,14 @@ class RetryHandlingTest {
         assertContentEquals(retryToken, client.retryToken)
         assertTrue(client.retryConsumed)
 
-        // Initial PN space reset — next allocation is 0 again.
-        assertEquals(0L, client.initial.pnSpace.nextPacketNumber)
+        // RFC 9001 §5.7 + RFC 9000 §17.2.5: the Initial PN namespace
+        // CONTINUES across the Retry boundary. The first ClientHello at
+        // PN=0 already consumed PN=0 (it was sent on the wire even though
+        // the server discarded it in favor of replying with Retry). The
+        // post-Retry Initial uses PN=1, not PN=0. The runner's retry
+        // testcase explicitly checks this — a client that resets PN to 0
+        // gets "Client reset the packet number. Check failed for PN 0".
+        assertEquals(1L, client.initial.pnSpace.nextPacketNumber)
         assertEquals(-1L, client.initial.pnSpace.largestReceived)
 
         // Next drain produces the retried Initial: token in header, ClientHello
@@ -179,7 +185,10 @@ class RetryHandlingTest {
                 largestReceivedInSpace = -1L,
             )
         assertNotNull(parsed, "retried Initial must decrypt under keys derived from new DCID")
-        assertEquals(0L, parsed.packet.packetNumber, "retried Initial PN must be 0 (RFC 9000 §17.2.5.2)")
+        // RFC 9001 §5.7: Initial PN namespace continues across Retry. The
+        // pre-Retry Initial in this test already consumed PN=0, so the
+        // retried Initial uses PN=1.
+        assertEquals(1L, parsed.packet.packetNumber, "retried Initial PN continues from pre-Retry counter (RFC 9001 §5.7)")
         // Decoded payload starts with at least one CRYPTO frame (frame type 0x06).
         val frames =
             com.vitorpamplona.quic.frame