diff --git a/util/saas/cloudwatch.py b/util/saas/cloudwatch.py
index 7f7fc3ad3..78e4abc11 100644
--- a/util/saas/cloudwatch.py
+++ b/util/saas/cloudwatch.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import logging
 import boto
 import time
+import random
 
 from Queue import Empty
 from threading import Thread
@@ -82,7 +83,9 @@ class CloudWatchSender(Thread):
 
         logger.exception('Failed to write to CloudWatch: %s', metrics)
         logger.debug('Attempted to requeue %d metrics.', len(metrics['name']))
-        time.sleep(FAILED_SEND_SLEEP_SECS)
+        # random int between 1/2 and 1 1/2 of FAILED_SEND_SLEEP duration
+        sleep_secs = random.randint(FAILED_SEND_SLEEP_SECS/2, 3*FAILED_SEND_SLEEP_SECS/2)
+        time.sleep(sleep_secs)
 
 def append_metric(metrics, m):
   name, value, kwargs = m