diff --git a/crates/api_common/src/lib.rs b/crates/api_common/src/lib.rs
index 399f9513d..dd9d51015 100644
--- a/crates/api_common/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/api_common/src/lib.rs
@@ -48,8 +48,14 @@ impl Default for SuccessResponse {
 const DAY: Duration = Duration::from_secs(3600);
 
 /// Calculate how long to sleep until next federation send based on how many
-/// retries have already happened. Uses exponential backoff with maximum of one day.
+/// retries have already happened. Uses exponential backoff with maximum of one day. The first
+/// error is ignored.
 pub fn federate_retry_sleep_duration(retry_count: i32) -> Duration {
+  debug_assert!(retry_count != 0);
+  if retry_count == 1 {
+    return Duration::from_secs(0);
+  }
+  let retry_count = retry_count - 1;
   let pow = 1.25_f64.powf(retry_count.into());
   let pow = Duration::try_from_secs_f64(pow).unwrap_or(DAY);
   min(DAY, pow)
@@ -61,10 +67,15 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
 
   #[test]
   fn test_federate_retry_sleep_duration() {
-    let s = |s,m: u32| Duration::new(s, m * 1000);
-    assert_eq!(s(1, 0), federate_retry_sleep_duration(0));
-    assert_eq!(s(1, 250000), federate_retry_sleep_duration(1));
-    assert_eq!(s(1, 562500), federate_retry_sleep_duration(2));
+    assert_eq!(Duration::from_secs(0), federate_retry_sleep_duration(1));
+    assert_eq!(
+      Duration::new(1, 250000000),
+      federate_retry_sleep_duration(2)
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+      Duration::new(2, 441406250),
+      federate_retry_sleep_duration(5)
+    );
     assert_eq!(DAY, federate_retry_sleep_duration(100));
   }
 }