diff --git a/.github/workflows/examples.yaml b/.github/workflows/examples.yaml
index 392eec8b..0c196a5e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/examples.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/examples.yaml
@@ -119,7 +119,25 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Build
         working-directory: examples/${{ matrix.example }}
-        run: sam build
+        run: |
+          # Retry to tolerate transient registry rate limits (toomanyrequests: Rate
+          # exceeded). public.ecr.aws throttles unauthenticated pulls at ~1 req/s per
+          # source IP, and the matrix runs many jobs from shared runner IPs, so bursts
+          # collide. Exponential backoff with random jitter desynchronizes retries
+          # across jobs to avoid a thundering herd re-colliding on the same boundary.
+          max_attempts=5
+          attempt=1
+          while true; do
+            if sam build; then exit 0; fi
+            if [ "$attempt" -ge "$max_attempts" ]; then
+              echo "sam build failed after ${max_attempts} attempts"
+              exit 1
+            fi
+            delay=$(( 10 * 2 ** (attempt - 1) + RANDOM % 16 ))   # ~10/20/40/80s + 0-15s jitter
+            echo "sam build failed (attempt ${attempt}/${max_attempts}), retrying in ${delay}s..."
+            sleep "$delay"
+            attempt=$(( attempt + 1 ))
+          done
 
       - name: Start local API and verify
         working-directory: examples/${{ matrix.example }}
@@ -201,7 +219,25 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Build
         working-directory: examples/${{ matrix.example }}
-        run: sam build
+        run: |
+          # Retry to tolerate transient registry rate limits (toomanyrequests: Rate
+          # exceeded). public.ecr.aws throttles unauthenticated pulls at ~1 req/s per
+          # source IP, and the matrix runs many jobs from shared runner IPs, so bursts
+          # collide. Exponential backoff with random jitter desynchronizes retries
+          # across jobs to avoid a thundering herd re-colliding on the same boundary.
+          max_attempts=5
+          attempt=1
+          while true; do
+            if sam build; then exit 0; fi
+            if [ "$attempt" -ge "$max_attempts" ]; then
+              echo "sam build failed after ${max_attempts} attempts"
+              exit 1
+            fi
+            delay=$(( 10 * 2 ** (attempt - 1) + RANDOM % 16 ))   # ~10/20/40/80s + 0-15s jitter
+            echo "sam build failed (attempt ${attempt}/${max_attempts}), retrying in ${delay}s..."
+            sleep "$delay"
+            attempt=$(( attempt + 1 ))
+          done
 
       - name: Inject local layer into build output
         working-directory: examples/${{ matrix.example }}
diff --git a/examples/fasthtml-zip/app/requirements.txt b/examples/fasthtml-zip/app/requirements.txt
index 3a46ffff..8afeaefa 100644
--- a/examples/fasthtml-zip/app/requirements.txt
+++ b/examples/fasthtml-zip/app/requirements.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-python-fasthtml
+python-fasthtml==0.13.4
diff --git a/examples/fasthtml/app/requirements.txt b/examples/fasthtml/app/requirements.txt
index 3a46ffff..8afeaefa 100644
--- a/examples/fasthtml/app/requirements.txt
+++ b/examples/fasthtml/app/requirements.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-python-fasthtml
+python-fasthtml==0.13.4
diff --git a/examples/nextjs-zip/template.yaml b/examples/nextjs-zip/template.yaml
index c6ae6e3f..5b79bf9f 100644
--- a/examples/nextjs-zip/template.yaml
+++ b/examples/nextjs-zip/template.yaml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ Resources:
       CodeUri: app/
       MemorySize: 256
       Handler: run.sh
-      Runtime: nodejs20.x
+      Runtime: nodejs22.x
       Architectures:
         - x86_64
       Environment:
diff --git a/examples/remix-zip/template.yaml b/examples/remix-zip/template.yaml
index eb10fccc..6a45c8a1 100644
--- a/examples/remix-zip/template.yaml
+++ b/examples/remix-zip/template.yaml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ Resources:
     Properties:
       CodeUri: .
       Handler: run.sh
-      Runtime: nodejs20.x
+      Runtime: nodejs22.x
       MemorySize: 1024
       Architectures:
         - x86_64