diff --git a/pr-metrics/get-pr-data.py b/pr-metrics/get-pr-data.py
index 717ec4b31..45401189c 100755
--- a/pr-metrics/get-pr-data.py
+++ b/pr-metrics/get-pr-data.py
@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@
 
 """Get PR data from github and pickle it."""
 
-import pickle
 import os
+import requests.exceptions
+import time
 
 from github import Github
 
@@ -38,4 +39,13 @@
         p.update()
 
 with open("pr-data.p", "wb") as f:
-    pickle.dump(prs, f)
+    for i, p in enumerate(prs):
+        for retry in range(0, 9):
+            try:
+                g.dump(p, f)
+                break
+            except requests.exceptions.ReadTimeout:
+                delay = 2 ** retry
+                print(f"timeout; sleeping {delay} s and retrying...")
+                time.sleep(2 ** delay)
+        print(f"saved {i+1}/{len(prs)}")
diff --git a/pr-metrics/prs.py b/pr-metrics/prs.py
index a436d7e27..decd1d87c 100644
--- a/pr-metrics/prs.py
+++ b/pr-metrics/prs.py
@@ -3,13 +3,18 @@
 
 """PR data an misc common functions."""
 
-import pickle
 import datetime
 import os
+from github import Github
 
+prs = []
 with open("pr-data.p", "rb") as f:
-    prs = pickle.load(f)
-
+    g = Github()
+    try:
+        while True:
+            prs.append(g.load(f))
+    except EOFError:
+        pass
 
 # Current and past core contributors, alphabetical order (sort -f).
 #