diff --git a/helm/templates/env-configmap.yaml b/helm/templates/env-configmap.yaml
index 9afc8e9..a7894ed 100644
--- a/helm/templates/env-configmap.yaml
+++ b/helm/templates/env-configmap.yaml
@@ -7,4 +7,6 @@ data:
   TZ: {{ .Values.env.TZ | quote }}
   POLLING: {{ .Values.env.POLLING | quote }}
   APP_ENV: {{ .Values.env.APP_ENV | quote }}
-  LOG: {{ .Values.env.LOG | quote }}
\ No newline at end of file
+  LOG: {{ .Values.env.LOG | quote }}
+  RETRY_ATTEMPTS: {{ .Values.env.RETRY_ATTEMPTS | quote }}
+  RETRY_BACKOFF_MS: {{ .Values.env.RETRY_BACKOFF_MS | quote }}
diff --git a/src/services/restore/downloader.rs b/src/services/restore/downloader.rs
index da65f96..4efaaf9 100644
--- a/src/services/restore/downloader.rs
+++ b/src/services/restore/downloader.rs
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ impl RestoreService {
 
         let logger_ref = &logger;
 
-        retry("Backup download", &logger, &policy, move |_| {
+        let outcome = retry("Backup download", &logger, &policy, move |_| {
             let expected = expected_size.clone();
 
             async move {
@@ -40,7 +40,13 @@ impl RestoreService {
                     .await
             }
         })
-        .await
+        .await;
+
+        if let Err(e) = &outcome {
+            logger.log("error", format!("Download failed: {e}"));
+        }
+
+        outcome
     }
 
     pub async fn download_once(
diff --git a/src/tests/services/backup_runner_tests.rs b/src/tests/services/backup_runner_tests.rs
index 883a4c6..6473e10 100644
--- a/src/tests/services/backup_runner_tests.rs
+++ b/src/tests/services/backup_runner_tests.rs
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ async fn a_failing_backup_is_retried_and_leaves_no_attempt_directory() {
     assert!(
         entries
             .iter()
-            .any(|e| e.level == "error" && e.message.starts_with("Database backup failed after 3 attempts")),
-        "expected a single terminal error naming the attempt count"
+            .any(|e| e.level == "error" && e.message.starts_with("Backup failed:")),
+        "expected a single terminal error from the runner"
     );
 
     let leftovers: Vec<_> = std::fs::read_dir(tmp_path)
diff --git a/src/tests/utils/retry_tests.rs b/src/tests/utils/retry_tests.rs
index fe4279a..e991ca3 100644
--- a/src/tests/utils/retry_tests.rs
+++ b/src/tests/utils/retry_tests.rs
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ async fn retries_until_success_and_logs_each_attempt() {
 }
 
 #[tokio::test]
-async fn exhausts_attempts_and_logs_a_single_error() {
+async fn exhausts_attempts_and_logs_no_terminal_error() {
     init_tracing_for_test();
     let logger = JobLogger::new();
     let calls = AtomicU32::new(0);
@@ -105,11 +105,7 @@ async fn exhausts_attempts_and_logs_a_single_error() {
 
     let entries = logger.into_entries();
     assert_eq!(entries.iter().filter(|e| e.level == "warn").count(), 2);
-    assert_eq!(entries.iter().filter(|e| e.level == "error").count(), 1);
-    assert_eq!(
-        entries.iter().find(|e| e.level == "error").unwrap().message,
-        "Test op failed after 3 attempts: always"
-    );
+    assert_eq!(entries.iter().filter(|e| e.level == "error").count(), 0);
 }
 
 #[tokio::test]
diff --git a/src/utils/retry.rs b/src/utils/retry.rs
index c4df2c6..b2c19f4 100644
--- a/src/utils/retry.rs
+++ b/src/utils/retry.rs
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ where
                 attempt += 1;
             }
             Err(e) => {
-                logger.log("error", format!("{op} failed after {total} attempts: {e}"));
                 return Err(e);
             }
         }