python-telegram-bot · Bibo-Joshi · Aug 2, 2025 · Jul 26, 2025 · Jul 26, 2025 · Jul 27, 2025
diff --git a/changes/unreleased/4880.42PW26hGpLypMJMxTeiQZ6.toml b/changes/unreleased/4880.42PW26hGpLypMJMxTeiQZ6.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+internal = "Improve Internal Logic for Network Retries"
+
+[[pull_requests]]
+uid = "4880"
+author_uid = "Bibo-Joshi"
+closes_threads = ["4871"]
diff --git a/src/telegram/ext/_updater.py b/src/telegram/ext/_updater.py
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ async def _start_polling(
 
         _LOGGER.debug("Bootstrap done")
 
-        async def polling_action_cb() -> bool:
+        async def polling_action_cb() -> None:
             try:
                 updates = await self.bot.get_updates(
                     offset=self._last_update_id,
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ async def polling_action_cb() -> bool:
                     "Received data was *not* processed!",
                     exc_info=exc,
                 )
-                return True
+                return
 
             if updates:
                 if not self.running:
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ async def polling_action_cb() -> bool:
                         await self.update_queue.put(update)
                     self._last_update_id = updates[-1].update_id + 1  # Add one to 'confirm' it
 
-            return True  # Keep fetching updates & don't quit. Polls with poll_interval.
+            return
 
         def default_error_callback(exc: TelegramError) -> None:
             _LOGGER.exception("Exception happened while polling for updates.", exc_info=exc)
@@ -678,14 +678,13 @@ async def _bootstrap(
         :paramref:`max_retries`.
         """
 
-        async def bootstrap_del_webhook() -> bool:
+        async def bootstrap_del_webhook() -> None:
             _LOGGER.debug("Deleting webhook")
             if drop_pending_updates:
                 _LOGGER.debug("Dropping pending updates from Telegram server")
             await self.bot.delete_webhook(drop_pending_updates=drop_pending_updates)
-            return False
 
-        async def bootstrap_set_webhook() -> bool:
+        async def bootstrap_set_webhook() -> None:
             _LOGGER.debug("Setting webhook")
             if drop_pending_updates:
                 _LOGGER.debug("Dropping pending updates from Telegram server")
@@ -698,7 +697,6 @@ async def bootstrap_set_webhook() -> bool:
                 max_connections=max_connections,
                 secret_token=secret_token,
             )
-            return False
 
         # Dropping pending updates from TG can be efficiently done with the drop_pending_updates
         # parameter of delete/start_webhook, even in the case of polling. Also, we want to make

diff --git a/src/telegram/ext/_utils/networkloop.py b/src/telegram/ext/_utils/networkloop.py
@@ -54,10 +54,12 @@ async def network_retry_loop(
 ) -> None:
     """Perform a loop calling `action_cb`, retrying after network errors.
 
-    Stop condition for loop:
-        * `is_running()` evaluates :obj:`False` or
-        * return value of `action_cb` evaluates :obj:`False`
+    Stop condition for loop in case of ``max_retries < 0``:
+        * `is_running()` evaluates :obj:`False`
         * or `stop_event` is set.
+
+    Additional stop condition for loop in case of `max_retries >= 0``:
+        * a call to `action_cb` succeeds
         * or `max_retries` is reached.
 
     Args:
@@ -86,12 +88,14 @@ async def network_retry_loop(
             * > 0: Number of retries.
 
     """
+    infinite_loop = max_retries < 0
     log_prefix = f"Network Retry Loop ({description}):"
     effective_is_running = is_running or (lambda: True)
 
-    async def do_action() -> bool:
+    async def do_action() -> None:
         if not stop_event:
-            return await action_cb()
+            await action_cb()
+            return
 
         action_cb_task = asyncio.create_task(action_cb())
         stop_task = asyncio.create_task(stop_event.wait())
@@ -104,16 +108,20 @@ async def do_action() -> bool:
 
         if stop_task in done:
             _LOGGER.debug("%s Cancelled", log_prefix)
-            return False
+            return
 
-        return action_cb_task.result()
+        # Calling `result()` on `action_cb_task` will raise an exception if the task failed.
+        # this is important to propagate the error to the caller.
+        action_cb_task.result()
 
     _LOGGER.debug("%s Starting", log_prefix)
     cur_interval = interval
     retries = 0
     while effective_is_running():
         try:
-            if not await do_action():
+            await do_action()
+            if not infinite_loop:
+                _LOGGER.debug("%s Action succeeded. Stopping loop.", log_prefix)
                 break
         except RetryAfter as exc:
             slack_time = 0.5

diff --git a/tests/ext/test_application.py b/tests/ext/test_application.py
@@ -1716,6 +1716,7 @@ def thread_target():
         expected = {
             name: name for name in updater_signature.parameters if name != "error_callback"
         }
+        expected["bootstrap_retries"] = 42
         thread = Thread(target=thread_target)
         thread.start()
         app.run_polling(close_loop=False, **expected)
@@ -2022,6 +2023,7 @@ def thread_target():
             assert self.received[name] == param.default
 
         expected = {name: name for name in updater_signature.parameters if name != "self"}
+        expected["bootstrap_retries"] = 42
         thread = Thread(target=thread_target)
         thread.start()
         app.run_webhook(close_loop=False, **expected)