diff --git a/arangod/Cluster/ClusterComm.cpp b/arangod/Cluster/ClusterComm.cpp
index e2e61f6eac..314556840d 100644
--- a/arangod/Cluster/ClusterComm.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Cluster/ClusterComm.cpp
@@ -995,41 +995,63 @@ size_t ClusterComm::performRequests(std::vector<ClusterCommRequest>& requests,
   std::unordered_map<OperationID, size_t> opIDtoIndex;
 
   try {
-    while (now <= endTime) {
+    while (true) {
+      now = TRI_microtime();
+      if (now > endTime) {
+        break;
+      }
       if (nrDone >= requests.size()) {
         // All good, report
         return nrGood;
       }
 
+      double actionNeeded = endTime;
+
       // First send away what is due:
       for (size_t i = 0; i < requests.size(); i++) {
-        if (!requests[i].done && now >= dueTime[i]) {
-          if (requests[i].headerFields.get() == nullptr) {
-            requests[i].headerFields = std::make_unique<
-                std::unordered_map<std::string, std::string>>();
-          }
-          LOG_TOPIC(TRACE, logTopic)
-              << "ClusterComm::performRequests: sending request to "
-              << requests[i].destination << ":" << requests[i].path
-              << "body:" << requests[i].body;
-          
-          dueTime[i] = endTime + 10; 
-          double localTimeout = endTime - now;
-          OperationID opId = asyncRequest(
-              "", coordinatorTransactionID, requests[i].destination,
-              requests[i].requestType, requests[i].path, requests[i].body,
-              requests[i].headerFields, nullptr, localTimeout, false,
-              2.0);
+        if (!requests[i].done) {
+          if (now >= dueTime[i]) {
+            if (requests[i].headerFields.get() == nullptr) {
+              requests[i].headerFields = std::make_unique<
+                  std::unordered_map<std::string, std::string>>();
+            }
+            LOG_TOPIC(TRACE, logTopic)
+                << "ClusterComm::performRequests: sending request to "
+                << requests[i].destination << ":" << requests[i].path
+                << "body:" << requests[i].body;
+            
+            dueTime[i] = endTime + 10; 
+            double localTimeout = endTime - now;
+            OperationID opId = asyncRequest(
+                "", coordinatorTransactionID, requests[i].destination,
+                requests[i].requestType, requests[i].path, requests[i].body,
+                requests[i].headerFields, nullptr, localTimeout, false,
+                2.0);
 
-          opIDtoIndex.insert(std::make_pair(opId, i));
-          // It is possible that an error occurs right away, we will notice
-          // below after wait(), though, and retry in due course.
+            opIDtoIndex.insert(std::make_pair(opId, i));
+            // It is possible that an error occurs right away, we will notice
+            // below after wait(), though, and retry in due course.
+          } else if (dueTime[i] < actionNeeded) {
+            actionNeeded = dueTime[i];
+          }
         }
       }
 
-      now = TRI_microtime();
-      auto res =
-          wait("", coordinatorTransactionID, 0, "", endTime - now);
+      auto res = wait("", coordinatorTransactionID, 0, "", actionNeeded - now);
+      // wait could have taken some time, so we need to update now now
+      now = TRI_microtime();  
+      // note that this is needed further below from here, so it is *not*
+      // good enough to only update at the top of the loop!
+
+      if (res.status == CL_COMM_DROPPED) {
+        // this indicates that no request for this coordinatorTransactionID
+        // is in flight, this is possible, since we might have scheduled
+        // a retry later than now and simply wait till then
+        if (now < actionNeeded) {
+          usleep((actionNeeded - now) * 1000000);
+        }
+        continue;
+      }
 
       auto it = opIDtoIndex.find(res.operationID);
       if (it == opIDtoIndex.end()) {
@@ -1052,32 +1074,33 @@ size_t ClusterComm::performRequests(std::vector<ClusterCommRequest>& requests,
           << requests[index].path << " with return code "
           << (int)res.answer_code;
       } else if (res.status == CL_COMM_BACKEND_UNAVAILABLE ||
-           (res.status == CL_COMM_TIMEOUT && !res.sendWasComplete)) {
-          requests[index].result = res;
+         (res.status == CL_COMM_TIMEOUT && !res.sendWasComplete)) {
+        requests[index].result = res;
 
-          // In this case we will retry:
-          dueTime[index] =
-              (std::min)(10.0, (std::max)(0.2, 2 * (now - startTime))) + now;
-          if (dueTime[index] >= endTime) {
-            requests[index].done = true;
-            nrDone++;
-          }
-          LOG_TOPIC(ERR, Logger::CLUSTER) << "ClusterComm::performRequests: "
-              << "got BACKEND_UNAVAILABLE or TIMEOUT from "
-              << requests[index].destination << ":" << requests[index].path;
-        } else {  // a "proper error"
-          requests[index].result = res;
+        // In this case we will retry:
+        double tryAgainAfter = now - startTime;
+        if (tryAgainAfter < 0.2) {
+          tryAgainAfter = 0.2;
+        } else if (tryAgainAfter > 10.0) {
+          tryAgainAfter = 10.0;
+        }
+        dueTime[index] = tryAgainAfter + now;
+        if (dueTime[index] >= endTime) {
           requests[index].done = true;
           nrDone++;
-          LOG_TOPIC(ERR, Logger::CLUSTER) << "ClusterComm::performRequests: "
-              << "got no answer from " << requests[index].destination << ":"
-              << requests[index].path << " with error " << res.status;
-        }
-        if (nrDone >= requests.size()) {
-          // We are done, all results are in!
-          return nrGood;
         }
+        LOG_TOPIC(ERR, Logger::CLUSTER) << "ClusterComm::performRequests: "
+            << "got BACKEND_UNAVAILABLE or TIMEOUT from "
+            << requests[index].destination << ":" << requests[index].path;
+      } else {  // a "proper error"
+        requests[index].result = res;
+        requests[index].done = true;
+        nrDone++;
+        LOG_TOPIC(ERR, Logger::CLUSTER) << "ClusterComm::performRequests: "
+            << "got no answer from " << requests[index].destination << ":"
+            << requests[index].path << " with error " << res.status;
       }
+    }
   } catch (...) {
     LOG_TOPIC(ERR, Logger::CLUSTER) << "ClusterComm::performRequests: "
         << "caught exception, ignoring...";