diff --git a/backend/controller/dal/fsm_integration_test.go b/backend/controller/dal/fsm_integration_test.go
index 5874fdc999..d78e210615 100644
--- a/backend/controller/dal/fsm_integration_test.go
+++ b/backend/controller/dal/fsm_integration_test.go
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ func TestFSMRetry(t *testing.T) {
 				if i > 0 {
 					delay := times[i].Sub(times[i-1])
 					targetDelay := delays[i-1]
-					assert.True(t, delay >= targetDelay && delay < time.Second+targetDelay, "unexpected time diff for %s retry %d: %v (expected %v - %v)", origin, i, delay, targetDelay, time.Second+targetDelay)
+					acceptableWindow := 1500 * time.Millisecond
+					assert.True(t, delay >= targetDelay && delay < acceptableWindow+targetDelay, "unexpected time diff for %s retry %d: %v (expected %v - %v)", origin, i, delay, targetDelay, acceptableWindow+targetDelay)
 				}
 			}
 		}
@@ -94,15 +95,15 @@ func TestFSMRetry(t *testing.T) {
 		in.Call("fsmretry", "startTransitionToTwo", in.Obj{"id": "1"}, func(t testing.TB, response in.Obj) {}),
 		in.Call("fsmretry", "startTransitionToThree", in.Obj{"id": "2"}, func(t testing.TB, response in.Obj) {}),
 
-		in.Sleep(8*time.Second), //6s is longest run of retries
+		in.Sleep(8*time.Second), //5s is longest run of retries
 
 		// both FSMs instances should have failed
 		in.QueryRow("ftl", "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM fsm_instances WHERE status = 'failed'", int64(2)),
 
-		in.QueryRow("ftl", fmt.Sprintf("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM async_calls WHERE origin = '%s' AND verb = '%s'", "fsm:fsmretry.fsm:1", "fsmretry.state2"), int64(4)),
-		checkRetries("fsm:fsmretry.fsm:1", "fsmretry.state2", []time.Duration{time.Second, time.Second, time.Second}),
-		in.QueryRow("ftl", fmt.Sprintf("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM async_calls WHERE origin = '%s' AND verb = '%s'", "fsm:fsmretry.fsm:2", "fsmretry.state3"), int64(4)),
-		checkRetries("fsm:fsmretry.fsm:2", "fsmretry.state3", []time.Duration{time.Second, 2 * time.Second, 3 * time.Second}),
+		in.QueryRow("ftl", fmt.Sprintf("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM async_calls WHERE origin = '%s' AND verb = '%s'", "fsm:fsmretry.fsm:1", "fsmretry.state2"), int64(3)),
+		checkRetries("fsm:fsmretry.fsm:1", "fsmretry.state2", []time.Duration{2 * time.Second, 2 * time.Second}),
+		in.QueryRow("ftl", fmt.Sprintf("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM async_calls WHERE origin = '%s' AND verb = '%s'", "fsm:fsmretry.fsm:2", "fsmretry.state3"), int64(3)),
+		checkRetries("fsm:fsmretry.fsm:2", "fsmretry.state3", []time.Duration{2 * time.Second, 3 * time.Second}),
 	)
 }
 
diff --git a/backend/controller/dal/testdata/go/fsmretry/fsmretry.go b/backend/controller/dal/testdata/go/fsmretry/fsmretry.go
index 00ef94a5d6..f6faa704f4 100644
--- a/backend/controller/dal/testdata/go/fsmretry/fsmretry.go
+++ b/backend/controller/dal/testdata/go/fsmretry/fsmretry.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/TBD54566975/ftl/go-runtime/ftl"
 )
 
-//ftl:retry 3 1s 3s
+//ftl:retry 2 2s 3s
 var fsm = ftl.FSM("fsm",
 	ftl.Start(State1),
 	ftl.Transition(State1, State2),
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ func State1(ctx context.Context, in StartEvent) error {
 }
 
 //ftl:verb
-//ftl:retry 3 1s 1s
+//ftl:retry 2 2s 2s
 func State2(ctx context.Context, in TransitionToTwoEvent) error {
 	return fmt.Errorf("transition will never succeed")
 }