diff --git a/src/core/utils/mod.rs b/src/core/utils/mod.rs
index 12baee8f8..e1e143497 100644
--- a/src/core/utils/mod.rs
+++ b/src/core/utils/mod.rs
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@
 	string::{str_from_bytes, string_from_bytes},
 	sys::compute::available_parallelism,
 	time::{
-		exponential_backoff::{continue_exponential_backoff, continue_exponential_backoff_secs},
-		now_millis as millis_since_unix_epoch, timepoint_ago, timepoint_from_now,
+		exponential_backoff::should_continue_backoff, now_millis as millis_since_unix_epoch,
+		timepoint_ago, timepoint_from_now,
 	},
 };
 
diff --git a/src/core/utils/time/exponential_backoff.rs b/src/core/utils/time/exponential_backoff.rs
index 76f0be2b2..aca2286d3 100644
--- a/src/core/utils/time/exponential_backoff.rs
+++ b/src/core/utils/time/exponential_backoff.rs
@@ -1,38 +1,23 @@
-use std::{cmp, time::Duration};
+use std::time::Duration;
 
-/// Returns false if the exponential backoff has expired based on the inputs
+/// Returns false if the backoff interval has expired based on the inputs,
+/// meaning the operation should be retried.
 #[inline]
 #[must_use]
-pub fn continue_exponential_backoff_secs(
-	min: u64,
-	max: u64,
-	elapsed: Duration,
-	tries: u32,
-) -> bool {
-	let min = Duration::from_secs(min);
-	let max = Duration::from_secs(max);
-	continue_exponential_backoff(min, max, elapsed, tries)
-}
-
-/// Returns false if the exponential backoff has expired based on the inputs
-#[inline]
-#[must_use]
-pub fn continue_exponential_backoff(
+pub fn should_continue_backoff(
 	min: Duration,
 	max: Duration,
 	elapsed: Duration,
 	tries: u32,
 ) -> bool {
-	let min = min.saturating_mul(tries).saturating_mul(tries);
-	let min = cmp::min(min, max);
-	elapsed < min
+	elapsed < next_interval(min, max, tries)
 }
 
-/// Determines the minimum number of backoff seconds
+/// Determines the interval that should be waited before retrying the operation
+/// using the algorithm: `(min * retries).min(max)`.
 #[must_use]
-pub fn min_exp_backoff_duration(min: u64, max: u64, retries: u32) -> Duration {
-	let min = Duration::from_secs(min)
-		.saturating_mul(retries)
-		.saturating_mul(retries);
-	Duration::from_secs(max).min(min)
+#[inline]
+pub fn next_interval(min: Duration, max: Duration, retries: u32) -> Duration {
+	// TODO(nex): jitter?
+	min.saturating_mul(retries).min(max)
 }
diff --git a/src/service/federation/mod.rs b/src/service/federation/mod.rs
index 86ea9b662..c46d34a40 100644
--- a/src/service/federation/mod.rs
+++ b/src/service/federation/mod.rs
@@ -6,10 +6,7 @@
 use async_trait::async_trait;
 use conduwuit::{
 	Error, Result, Server, SyncRwLock, debug,
-	utils::{
-		math::Expected, millis_since_unix_epoch,
-		time::exponential_backoff::min_exp_backoff_duration,
-	},
+	utils::{math::Expected, millis_since_unix_epoch, time::exponential_backoff::next_interval},
 };
 pub(crate) use execute::FederationPathBuilderInput;
 use http::StatusCode;
@@ -94,12 +91,12 @@ pub fn hit_unhealthy(&self, server_name: OwnedServerName) {
 			return;
 		}
 
-		let min = self.services.server.config.sender_timeout;
-		let max = self.services.server.config.sender_retry_backoff_limit;
+		let min = Duration::from_secs(self.services.server.config.sender_timeout);
+		let max = Duration::from_secs(self.services.server.config.sender_retry_backoff_limit);
 
 		*retries = retries.saturating_add(1);
 		*next_retry = unix_now.saturating_add(
-			u64::try_from(min_exp_backoff_duration(min, max, *retries).as_millis())
+			u64::try_from(next_interval(min, max, *retries).as_millis())
 				.expect("backoff milliseconds should not exceed u64::MAX"),
 		);
 		debug!(
diff --git a/src/service/sending/sender.rs b/src/service/sending/sender.rs
index c3e886352..d64002e9c 100644
--- a/src/service/sending/sender.rs
+++ b/src/service/sending/sender.rs
@@ -10,14 +10,15 @@
 
 use base64::{Engine as _, engine::general_purpose::URL_SAFE_NO_PAD};
 use conduwuit::{
-	debug_info, debug_warn, info, utils::time::exponential_backoff::min_exp_backoff_duration,
+	debug_info, debug_warn, info,
+	utils::{should_continue_backoff, time::exponential_backoff::next_interval},
 };
 use conduwuit_core::{
 	Error, Event, Result, at, debug, err, error,
 	matrix::pdu::sticky,
 	result::LogErr,
 	utils::{
-		ReadyExt, calculate_hash, continue_exponential_backoff_secs,
+		ReadyExt, calculate_hash,
 		future::TryExtExt,
 		stream::{BroadbandExt, IterStream, WidebandExt},
 	},
@@ -409,13 +410,12 @@ fn should_attempt_send(
 			.entry(dest.clone())
 			.and_modify(|e| match e {
 				| TransactionStatus::Failed(tries, time) => {
-					// Fail if a request has failed recently (exponential backoff)
-					let min = self.server.config.sender_timeout;
-					let max = self.server.config.sender_retry_backoff_limit;
-					if continue_exponential_backoff_secs(min, max, time.elapsed(), *tries)
+					let min = Duration::from_secs(self.server.config.sender_timeout);
+					let max = Duration::from_secs(self.server.config.sender_retry_backoff_limit);
+					if should_continue_backoff(min, max, time.elapsed(), *tries)
 						&& !matches!(dest, Destination::Appservice(_))
 					{
-						let retry_after = min_exp_backoff_duration(min, max, *tries);
+						let retry_after = next_interval(min, max, *tries);
 						debug_warn!("Not retrying destination for another {retry_after:?}");
 						allow = false;
 					} else {