diff --git a/src/cli.ts b/src/cli.ts
index a60575f..f629407 100644
--- a/src/cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli.ts
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ const cli = meow(
       directoryListing: {type: 'boolean'},
       retry: {type: 'boolean'},
       retryErrors: {type: 'boolean'},
-      retryErrorsCount: {type: 'number', default: 3},
+      retryErrorsCount: {type: 'number', default: 5},
       retryErrorsJitter: {type: 'number', default: 3000},
       urlRewriteSearch: {type: 'string'},
       urlReWriteReplace: {type: 'string'},
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 7f19c6c..163506e 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ export class LinkChecker extends EventEmitter {
           rootPath: path,
           retry: !!opts.retry,
           retryErrors: !!opts.retryErrors,
-          retryErrorsCount: opts.retryErrorsCount ?? 3,
+          retryErrorsCount: opts.retryErrorsCount ?? 5,
           retryErrorsJitter: opts.retryErrorsJitter ?? 3000,
         });
       });
@@ -446,7 +446,6 @@ export class LinkChecker extends EventEmitter {
    */
   shouldRetryOnError(status: number, opts: CrawlOptions): boolean {
     const maxRetries = opts.retryErrorsCount;
-    const retryAfter = opts.retryErrorsJitter;
 
     if (!opts.retryErrors) {
       return false;
@@ -458,14 +457,19 @@ export class LinkChecker extends EventEmitter {
     }
 
     // check to see if there is already a request to wait for this host
+    let currentRetries = 1;
     if (opts.retryErrorsCache.has(opts.url.host)) {
       // use whichever time is higher in the cache
-      const currentRetries = opts.retryErrorsCache.get(opts.url.host)!;
+      currentRetries = opts.retryErrorsCache.get(opts.url.host)!;
       if (currentRetries > maxRetries) return false;
       opts.retryErrorsCache.set(opts.url.host, currentRetries + 1);
     } else {
       opts.retryErrorsCache.set(opts.url.host, 1);
     }
+    // Use exponential backoff algorithm to take pressure off upstream service:
+    const retryAfter =
+      Math.pow(2, currentRetries) * 1000 +
+      Math.random() * opts.retryErrorsJitter;
 
     opts.queue.add(
       async () => {
diff --git a/src/queue.ts b/src/queue.ts
index b813d65..3ea6553 100644
--- a/src/queue.ts
+++ b/src/queue.ts
@@ -53,16 +53,23 @@ export class Queue extends EventEmitter {
       }
       // grab the element at the front of the array
       const item = this.q.shift()!;
+      // Depending on CPU load and other factors setTimeout() is not guranteed to run exactly
+      // when scheduled. This causes problems if there is only one item in the queue, as
+      // there's a chance it will never be processed. Allow for a small delta to address this:
+      const delta = 150;
+      const readyToExecute =
+        Math.abs(item.timeToRun - Date.now()) < delta ||
+        item.timeToRun < Date.now();
       // make sure this element is ready to execute - if not, to the back of the stack
-      if (item.timeToRun > Date.now()) {
-        this.q.push(item);
-      } else {
+      if (readyToExecute) {
         // this function is ready to go!
         this.activeFunctions++;
         item.fn().finally(() => {
           this.activeFunctions--;
           this.tick();
         });
+      } else {
+        this.q.push(item);
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/test/test.retry.ts b/test/test.retry.ts
index 347dfa5..1ab492b 100644
--- a/test/test.retry.ts
+++ b/test/test.retry.ts
@@ -257,5 +257,28 @@ describe('retries', () => {
       assert.ok(results.passed);
       scope.done();
     });
+
+    it('should eventually stop retrying', async () => {
+      const scope = nock('http://fake.local')
+        .get('/')
+        .replyWithError({code: 'ETIMEDOUT'});
+
+      const {promise, resolve} = invertedPromise();
+      const checker = new LinkChecker().on('retry', resolve);
+      const clock = sinon.useFakeTimers({
+        shouldAdvanceTime: true,
+      });
+      const checkPromise = checker.check({
+        path: 'test/fixtures/basic',
+        retryErrors: true,
+        retryErrorsCount: 1,
+        retryErrorsJitter: 1000,
+      });
+      await promise;
+      await clock.tickAsync(5000);
+      const results = await checkPromise;
+      assert.ok(!results.passed);
+      scope.done();
+    });
   });
 });