diff --git a/eng/common/tools.ps1 b/eng/common/tools.ps1
index 02347914f5d..44484289943 100644
--- a/eng/common/tools.ps1
+++ b/eng/common/tools.ps1
@@ -709,14 +709,7 @@ function MSBuild() {
       Write-PipelineSetVariable -Name 'NUGET_PLUGIN_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS' -Value '20'
     }
 
-    if ($ci) {
-      $env:NUGET_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_HTTP_RETRY = 'true'
-      $env:NUGET_EXPERIMENTAL_MAX_NETWORK_TRY_COUNT = 6
-      $env:NUGET_EXPERIMENTAL_NETWORK_RETRY_DELAY_MILLISECONDS = 1000
-      Write-PipelineSetVariable -Name 'NUGET_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_HTTP_RETRY' -Value 'true'
-      Write-PipelineSetVariable -Name 'NUGET_EXPERIMENTAL_MAX_NETWORK_TRY_COUNT' -Value '6'
-      Write-PipelineSetVariable -Name 'NUGET_EXPERIMENTAL_NETWORK_RETRY_DELAY_MILLISECONDS' -Value '1000'
-    }
+    Enable-Nuget-EnhancedRetry
 
     $toolsetBuildProject = InitializeToolset
     $basePath = Split-Path -parent $toolsetBuildProject
@@ -764,6 +757,8 @@ function MSBuild-Core() {
     }
   }
 
+  Enable-Nuget-EnhancedRetry
+
   $buildTool = InitializeBuildTool
 
   $cmdArgs = "$($buildTool.Command) /m /nologo /clp:Summary /v:$verbosity /nr:$nodeReuse /p:ContinuousIntegrationBuild=$ci"
@@ -904,3 +899,18 @@ function Try-LogClientIpAddress()
         Write-Host "Unable to get this machine's effective IP address for logging: $_"
     }
 }
+
+#
+# If $ci flag is set, turn on (and log that we did) special environment variables for improved Nuget client retry logic.
+#
+function Enable-Nuget-EnhancedRetry() {
+    if ($ci) {
+      Write-Host "Setting NUGET enhanced retry environment variables"
+      $env:NUGET_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_HTTP_RETRY = 'true'
+      $env:NUGET_EXPERIMENTAL_MAX_NETWORK_TRY_COUNT = 6
+      $env:NUGET_EXPERIMENTAL_NETWORK_RETRY_DELAY_MILLISECONDS = 1000
+      Write-PipelineSetVariable -Name 'NUGET_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_HTTP_RETRY' -Value 'true'
+      Write-PipelineSetVariable -Name 'NUGET_EXPERIMENTAL_MAX_NETWORK_TRY_COUNT' -Value '6'
+      Write-PipelineSetVariable -Name 'NUGET_EXPERIMENTAL_NETWORK_RETRY_DELAY_MILLISECONDS' -Value '1000'
+    }
+}