diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/index.js b/lib/workers/repository/index.js
index 17a6f1bae8d9f39e0910ab21cc9406cd4d9ed133..d6954edf6363d00593dc421604f7a7e176bef30b 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/index.js
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/index.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ const { writeUpdates } = require('./write');
 const { handleError } = require('./error');
 const { pruneStaleBranches } = require('./cleanup');
 const { validatePrs } = require('./validate');
+const delay = require('delay');
 
 const { resolvePackageFiles } = require('../../manager');
 
@@ -81,6 +82,7 @@ async function renovateRepository(repoConfig, token, loop = 1) {
       : await ensureOnboardingPr(config);
     if (res === 'pr-closed' || res === 'automerged') {
       logger.info(`Restarting repo renovation after ${res}`);
+      await delay(5000);
       return renovateRepository(repoConfig, token, loop + 1);
     }
     await validatePrs(commonConfig || config);
diff --git a/test/workers/repository/index.spec.js b/test/workers/repository/index.spec.js
index 948ed872f536ec281e81b339fc1a73271d418792..33b28986b47c31d8d5531e678b2f50eae9ff0479 100644
--- a/test/workers/repository/index.spec.js
+++ b/test/workers/repository/index.spec.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ jest.mock('../../../lib/workers/repository/write');
 jest.mock('../../../lib/workers/repository/cleanup');
 jest.mock('../../../lib/workers/repository/validate');
 jest.mock('../../../lib/manager');
+jest.mock('delay');
 
 let config;
 beforeEach(() => {