diff --git a/lib/modules/manager/bundler/artifacts.spec.ts b/lib/modules/manager/bundler/artifacts.spec.ts
index a9997153188c79..114ad5d8995d2f 100644
--- a/lib/modules/manager/bundler/artifacts.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/modules/manager/bundler/artifacts.spec.ts
@@ -881,6 +881,38 @@ describe('modules/manager/bundler/artifacts', () => {
           { cmd: 'bundler lock --update foo bar' },
         ]);
       });
+
+      it('handles failure of strict updating', async () => {
+        const execError = new ExecError('Exec error', {
+          cmd: '',
+          stdout: '',
+          stderr: 'version solving has failed',
+          options: { encoding: 'utf8' },
+        });
+        fs.readLocalFile.mockResolvedValue('Current Gemfile.lock');
+        const execSnapshots = mockExecSequence([
+          execError,
+          { stdout: '', stderr: '' },
+        ]);
+        git.getRepoStatus.mockResolvedValueOnce(
+          partial<StatusResult>({
+            modified: ['Gemfile.lock'],
+          }),
+        );
+
+        const res = await updateArtifacts({
+          packageFileName: 'Gemfile',
+          updatedDeps: [{ depName: 'foo', updateType: 'minor' }],
+          newPackageFileContent: '{}',
+          config,
+        });
+
+        expect(res).toMatchObject([{ file: { path: 'Gemfile.lock' } }]);
+        expect(execSnapshots).toMatchObject([
+          { cmd: 'bundler lock --minor --strict --update foo' },
+          { cmd: 'bundler lock --minor --conservative --update foo' },
+        ]);
+      });
     });
   });
 });
diff --git a/lib/modules/manager/bundler/artifacts.ts b/lib/modules/manager/bundler/artifacts.ts
index 94fc4ad54c506c..e7c5f7dd43d3a2 100644
--- a/lib/modules/manager/bundler/artifacts.ts
+++ b/lib/modules/manager/bundler/artifacts.ts
@@ -245,6 +245,25 @@ export async function updateArtifacts(
       memCache.set('bundlerArtifactsError', BUNDLER_INVALID_CREDENTIALS);
       throw new Error(BUNDLER_INVALID_CREDENTIALS);
     }
+    if (recursionLimit > 0 && output.includes('version solving has failed')) {
+      logger.debug('Failed to lock strictly, retrying non-strict');
+      const newConfig = {
+        ...config,
+        postUpdateOptions: [
+          ...(config.postUpdateOptions ?? []),
+          'bundlerConservative',
+        ],
+      };
+      return updateArtifacts(
+        {
+          packageFileName,
+          updatedDeps,
+          newPackageFileContent,
+          config: newConfig,
+        },
+        recursionLimit - 1,
+      );
+    }
     const resolveMatches: string[] = getResolvedPackages(output).filter(
       (depName) => !updatedDepNames.includes(depName),
     );