diff --git a/heat/common/timeutils.py b/heat/common/timeutils.py
index 2249cbac6..3fc273755 100644
--- a/heat/common/timeutils.py
+++ b/heat/common/timeutils.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 Utilities for handling ISO 8601 duration format.
 """
 
+import random
 import re
 
 
@@ -39,3 +40,21 @@ def parse_isoduration(duration):
     t += int(result.group(3)) if result.group(3) else 0
 
     return t
+
+
+def retry_backoff_delay(attempt, scale_factor=1.0, jitter_max=0.0):
+    """
+    Calculate an exponential backoff delay with jitter.
+
+    Delay is calculated as
+    2^attempt + (uniform random from [0,1) * jitter_max)
+
+    :param attempt: The count of the current retry attempt
+    :param scale_factor: Multiplier to scale the exponential delay by
+    :param jitter_max: Maximum of random seconds to add to the delay
+    :returns: Seconds since epoch to wait until
+    """
+    exp = float(2 ** attempt) * float(scale_factor)
+    if jitter_max == 0.0:
+        return exp
+    return exp + random.random() * jitter_max
diff --git a/heat/tests/test_iso8601_utils.py b/heat/tests/test_timeutils.py
similarity index 50%
rename from heat/tests/test_iso8601_utils.py
rename to heat/tests/test_timeutils.py
index e3e0fbccf..66213d0ad 100644
--- a/heat/tests/test_iso8601_utils.py
+++ b/heat/tests/test_timeutils.py
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 
+from testtools import matchers
+
 from heat.common import timeutils as util
 from heat.tests.common import HeatTestCase
 
@@ -42,3 +44,101 @@ class ISO8601UtilityTest(HeatTestCase):
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, util.parse_isoduration, 'PT1MM')
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, util.parse_isoduration, 'PT1S0S')
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, util.parse_isoduration, 'ABCDEFGH')
+
+
+class RetryBackoffExponentialTest(HeatTestCase):
+
+    scenarios = [(
+        '0_0',
+        dict(
+            attempt=0,
+            scale_factor=0.0,
+            delay=0.0,
+        )
+    ), (
+        '0_1',
+        dict(
+            attempt=0,
+            scale_factor=1.0,
+            delay=1.0,
+        )
+    ), (
+        '1_1',
+        dict(
+            attempt=1,
+            scale_factor=1.0,
+            delay=2.0,
+        )
+    ), (
+        '2_1',
+        dict(
+            attempt=2,
+            scale_factor=1.0,
+            delay=4.0,
+        )
+    ), (
+        '3_1',
+        dict(
+            attempt=3,
+            scale_factor=1.0,
+            delay=8.0,
+        )
+    ), (
+        '4_1',
+        dict(
+            attempt=4,
+            scale_factor=1.0,
+            delay=16.0,
+        )
+    ), (
+        '4_4',
+        dict(
+            attempt=4,
+            scale_factor=4.0,
+            delay=64.0,
+        )
+    )]
+
+    def test_backoff_delay(self):
+        delay = util.retry_backoff_delay(
+            self.attempt, self.scale_factor)
+        self.assertEqual(delay, self.delay)
+
+
+class RetryBackoffJitterTest(HeatTestCase):
+
+    scenarios = [(
+        '0_0_1',
+        dict(
+            attempt=0,
+            scale_factor=0.0,
+            jitter_max=1.0,
+            delay_from=0.0,
+            delay_to=1.0
+        )
+    ), (
+        '1_1_1',
+        dict(
+            attempt=1,
+            scale_factor=1.0,
+            jitter_max=1.0,
+            delay_from=2.0,
+            delay_to=3.0
+        )
+    ), (
+        '1_1_5',
+        dict(
+            attempt=1,
+            scale_factor=1.0,
+            jitter_max=5.0,
+            delay_from=2.0,
+            delay_to=7.0
+        )
+    )]
+
+    def test_backoff_delay(self):
+        for _ in range(100):
+            delay = util.retry_backoff_delay(
+                self.attempt, self.scale_factor, self.jitter_max)
+            self.assertThat(delay, matchers.GreaterThan(self.delay_from))
+            self.assertThat(delay, matchers.LessThan(self.delay_to))