diff --git a/.ci_helpers/docker/setup-services.py b/.ci_helpers/docker/setup-services.py
index b460e6766..c5b2f8c25 100755
--- a/.ci_helpers/docker/setup-services.py
+++ b/.ci_helpers/docker/setup-services.py
@@ -31,11 +31,7 @@ def get_pooch_data_path() -> Path:
     """Return path to the Pooch test data cache."""
     ver = os.getenv("ECHOPYPE_DATA_VERSION", "v0.11.1a2")
     cache_dir = Path(pooch.os_cache("echopype")) / ver
-    if not cache_dir.exists():
-        raise FileNotFoundError(
-            f"Pooch cache directory not found: {cache_dir}\n"
-            "Make sure test data was fetched via conftest.py"
-        )
+    cache_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
     return cache_dir
 
 
diff --git a/docs/source/contrib_setup.md b/docs/source/contrib_setup.md
index ab7679ca0..311da5d12 100644
--- a/docs/source/contrib_setup.md
+++ b/docs/source/contrib_setup.md
@@ -47,6 +47,20 @@ To create an environment for developing Echopype, we recommend the following ste
     pip install -e ".[plot]"
     ```
 
+For a fresh local setup, enable the Pooch-based test data fetch before running tests.
+
+On Linux/macOS:
+```shell
+export USE_POOCH=True
+```
+
+On Windows PowerShell:
+```shell
+$env:USE_POOCH="True"
+```
+
+This allows the required test data to be downloaded into the local Pooch cache on first run.
+
 :::{tip}
 We recommend using Mamba to get around Conda's sometimes slow or stuck behavior when solving dependencies.
 See [Mamba's documentation](https://mamba.readthedocs.io/en/latest/) for installation and usage.
diff --git a/echopype/tests/conftest.py b/echopype/tests/conftest.py
index 6b1f9513c..82dd22f9d 100644
--- a/echopype/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/echopype/tests/conftest.py
@@ -69,9 +69,11 @@
         base_url=base,
         version=ver,
         registry=registry,
-        retry_if_failed=1,
+        retry_if_failed=5,
     )
 
+    downloader = pooch.HTTPDownloader(timeout=300)
+
     def _unpack(fname, action, pooch_instance):
         z = Path(fname)
         out = z.parent / z.stem
@@ -125,12 +127,11 @@ def _unpack(fname, action, pooch_instance):
 
         return str(out)
 
-
     for b in bundles:
         url = base.format(version=ver) + b
         print(f"[echopype-ci] fetching bundle: {b}")
-        print(f"[echopype-ci]   → URL: {url}")
-        EP.fetch(b, processor=_unpack, progressbar=False)
+        print(f"[echopype-ci]   -> URL: {url}")
+        EP.fetch(b, processor=_unpack, progressbar=False, downloader=downloader)
     
     print(
         "\n[echopype-ci] TEST_DATA_FOLDER\n"
diff --git a/requirements-dev.txt b/requirements-dev.txt
index c4f35dc11..cf63c2f7d 100644
--- a/requirements-dev.txt
+++ b/requirements-dev.txt
@@ -25,3 +25,4 @@ sphinx_rtd_theme
 sphinxcontrib-mermaid
 twine
 wheel
+pooch