diff --git a/api_tests/src/comment.spec.ts b/api_tests/src/comment.spec.ts
index 55d0c5d46..314f18ecc 100644
--- a/api_tests/src/comment.spec.ts
+++ b/api_tests/src/comment.spec.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import {
   listCommentReports,
   randomString,
   API,
+  unfollows,
 } from './shared';
 import { CommentView } from 'lemmy-js-client';
 
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ let postRes: PostResponse;
 
 beforeAll(async () => {
   await setupLogins();
+  await unfollows();
   await followBeta(alpha);
   await followBeta(gamma);
   let betaCommunity = (await resolveBetaCommunity(alpha)).community;
@@ -42,8 +44,7 @@ beforeAll(async () => {
 });
 
 afterAll(async () => {
-  await unfollowRemotes(alpha);
-  await unfollowRemotes(gamma);
+  await unfollows();
 });
 
 function assertCommentFederation(
diff --git a/api_tests/src/post.spec.ts b/api_tests/src/post.spec.ts
index 3e834dbe4..f545754f7 100644
--- a/api_tests/src/post.spec.ts
+++ b/api_tests/src/post.spec.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ import {
   randomString,
   registerUser,
   API,
-  getSite
+  getSite,
+  unfollows
 } from './shared';
 import { PostView, CommunityView } from 'lemmy-js-client';
 
@@ -46,13 +47,6 @@ afterAll(async () => {
   await unfollows();
 });
 
-async function unfollows() {
-  await unfollowRemotes(alpha);
-  await unfollowRemotes(gamma);
-  await unfollowRemotes(delta);
-  await unfollowRemotes(epsilon);
-}
-
 function assertPostFederation(postOne: PostView, postTwo: PostView) {
   expect(postOne.post.ap_id).toBe(postTwo.post.ap_id);
   expect(postOne.post.name).toBe(postTwo.post.name);
@@ -291,14 +285,6 @@ test('Search for a post', async () => {
   expect(betaPost.post.name).toBeDefined();
 });
 
-test('A and G subscribe to B (center) A posts, it gets announced to G', async () => {
-  let postRes = await createPost(alpha, betaCommunity.community.id);
-  expect(postRes.post_view.post).toBeDefined();
-
-  let betaPost = (await resolvePost(gamma, postRes.post_view.post)).post;
-  expect(betaPost.post.name).toBeDefined();
-});
-
 test('Enforce site ban for federated user', async () => {
   // create a test user
   let alphaUserJwt = await registerUser(alpha);
@@ -384,6 +370,15 @@ test('Enforce community ban for federated user', async () => {
   expect(searchBeta2.posts[0]).toBeDefined();
 });
 
+
+test('A and G subscribe to B (center) A posts, it gets announced to G', async () => {
+  let postRes = await createPost(alpha, betaCommunity.community.id);
+  expect(postRes.post_view.post).toBeDefined();
+
+  let betaPost = (await resolvePost(gamma, postRes.post_view.post)).post;
+  expect(betaPost.post.name).toBeDefined();
+});
+
 test('Report a post', async () => {
   let betaCommunity = (await resolveBetaCommunity(beta)).community;
   let postRes = await createPost(beta, betaCommunity.community.id);
@@ -400,4 +395,4 @@ test('Report a post', async () => {
   expect(betaReport.original_post_url).toBe(alphaReport.original_post_url);
   expect(betaReport.original_post_body).toBe(alphaReport.original_post_body);
   expect(betaReport.reason).toBe(alphaReport.reason);
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+});
diff --git a/api_tests/src/shared.ts b/api_tests/src/shared.ts
index da606b1fa..4f305237e 100644
--- a/api_tests/src/shared.ts
+++ b/api_tests/src/shared.ts
@@ -653,3 +653,10 @@ export function randomString(length: number): string {
   }
   return result;
 }
+
+export async function unfollows() {
+  await unfollowRemotes(alpha);
+  await unfollowRemotes(gamma);
+  await unfollowRemotes(delta);
+  await unfollowRemotes(epsilon);
+}
diff --git a/crates/apub_lib/src/activity_queue.rs b/crates/apub_lib/src/activity_queue.rs
index ca8645cb1..a94229ff4 100644
--- a/crates/apub_lib/src/activity_queue.rs
+++ b/crates/apub_lib/src/activity_queue.rs
@@ -72,8 +72,19 @@ impl ActixJob for SendActivityTask {
   type Future = Pin<Box<dyn Future<Output = Result<(), Error>>>>;
   const NAME: &'static str = "SendActivityTask";
 
+  /// With these params, retries are made at the following intervals:
+  ///          3s
+  ///          9s
+  ///         27s
+  ///      1m 21s
+  ///      4m  3s
+  ///     12m  9s
+  ///     36m 27s
+  ///  1h 49m 21s
+  ///  5h 28m  3s
+  /// 16h 24m  9s
   const MAX_RETRIES: MaxRetries = MaxRetries::Count(10);
-  const BACKOFF: Backoff = Backoff::Exponential(2);
+  const BACKOFF: Backoff = Backoff::Exponential(3);
 
   fn run(self, state: Self::State) -> Self::Future {
     Box::pin(async move { do_send(self, &state.client).await })