diff --git a/tests/test_issue5196_windows_safe_replace.py b/tests/test_issue5196_windows_safe_replace.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..26ca2da1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_issue5196_windows_safe_replace.py
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+# tests/test_issue5196_windows_safe_replace.py
+from unittest import mock
+from api import models
+
+def test_safe_replace_passthrough_off_windows():
+    calls = []
+    with mock.patch.object(models.os, "name", "posix"), \
+         mock.patch.object(models.os, "replace", lambda s, d: calls.append((s, d))), \
+         mock.patch.object(models.time, "sleep") as slept:
+        models._safe_replace("a", "b")
+    assert len(calls) == 1 and not slept.called
+
+def test_safe_replace_retries_then_succeeds_on_windows():
+    n = {"c": 0}
+    def flaky(s, d):
+        n["c"] += 1
+        if n["c"] <= 2:
+            raise PermissionError("WinError 5")
+    with mock.patch.object(models.os, "name", "nt"), \
+         mock.patch.object(models.os, "replace", flaky), \
+         mock.patch.object(models.time, "sleep", lambda x: None):
+        models._safe_replace("a", "b")
+    assert n["c"] == 3
+
+def test_safe_replace_reraises_after_exhausting_retries():
+    n = {"c": 0}
+    def always(s, d):
+        n["c"] += 1
+        raise PermissionError("WinError 5")
+    with mock.patch.object(models.os, "name", "nt"), \
+         mock.patch.object(models.os, "replace", always), \
+         mock.patch.object(models.time, "sleep", lambda x: None):
+        import pytest
+        with pytest.raises(PermissionError):
+            models._safe_replace("a", "b")
+    assert n["c"] == 5  # no silent success on a save path
+
+def test_safe_replace_does_not_retry_non_permission_errors():
+    n = {"c": 0}
+    def oserr(s, d):
+        n["c"] += 1
+        raise OSError("disk full")
+    with mock.patch.object(models.os, "name", "nt"), \
+         mock.patch.object(models.os, "replace", oserr), \
+         mock.patch.object(models.time, "sleep", lambda x: None):
+        import pytest
+        with pytest.raises(OSError):
+            models._safe_replace("a", "b")
+    assert n["c"] == 1
+
+def test_safe_replace_backoff_sequence():
+    delays = []
+    def always(s, d):
+        raise PermissionError("x")
+    with mock.patch.object(models.os, "name", "nt"), \
+         mock.patch.object(models.os, "replace", always), \
+         mock.patch.object(models.time, "sleep", lambda x: delays.append(round(x, 3))):
+        import pytest
+        with pytest.raises(PermissionError):
+            models._safe_replace("a", "b")
+    assert delays == [0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4]