diff --git a/xos/openstack_observer/steps/sync_slivers.py b/xos/openstack_observer/steps/sync_slivers.py
index 3cb3347..4c29e3d 100644
--- a/xos/openstack_observer/steps/sync_slivers.py
+++ b/xos/openstack_observer/steps/sync_slivers.py
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
         exclude_templates = set()
         for ns in sliver.networkslivers.all():
             if not ns.port_id:
-                raise Exception("Port %s on sliver %s has no id; Try again later" % (str(ns), str(sliver)) )
+                raise DeferredException("Port %s on sliver %s has no id; Try again later" % (str(ns), str(sliver)) )
             ports.append(ns.port_id)
             exclude_networks.add(ns.network)
             exclude_templates.add(ns.network.template)
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
             if controller_network.network.template.visibility == 'private' and \
                controller_network.network.template.translation == 'none':
                    if not controller_network.net_id:
-                        raise Exception("Private Network %s has no id; Try again later" % controller_network.network.name)
+                        raise DeferredException("Private Network %s has no id; Try again later" % controller_network.network.name)
                    nics.append(controller_network.net_id)
 
         # Now include network templates, for those networks that use a
diff --git a/xos/openstack_observer/syncstep.py b/xos/openstack_observer/syncstep.py
index 165e3d6..03f6d16 100644
--- a/xos/openstack_observer/syncstep.py
+++ b/xos/openstack_observer/syncstep.py
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@
 class InnocuousException(Exception):
     pass
 
+class DeferredException(Exception):
+    pass
+
 class FailedDependency(Exception):
     pass
 
@@ -144,7 +147,7 @@
                         o.backend_register = json.dumps(scratchpad)
                         o.backend_status = "1 - OK"
                         o.save(update_fields=['enacted','backend_status','backend_register'])
-                except (InnocuousException,Exception) as e:
+                except (InnocuousException,Exception,DeferredException) as e:
                     logger.log_exc("sync step failed!")
                     try:
                         if (o.backend_status.startswith('2 - ')):
@@ -174,9 +177,13 @@
 
                     # Second failure
                     if (scratchpad['exponent']):
-                        delay = scratchpad['exponent'] * 600 # 10 minutes
-                        if (delay<1440):
-                            delay = 1440
+                        if isinstance(e,DeferredException):
+                            delay = scratchpad['exponent'] * 60 # 1 minute
+                        else:
+                            delay = scratchpad['exponent'] * 600 # 10 minutes
+                        # cap delays at 8 hours
+                        if (delay>8*60*60):
+                            delay=8*60*60
                         scratchpad['next_run'] = time.time() + delay
 
                     scratchpad['exponent']+=1