diff --git a/manila/tests/test_utils.py b/manila/tests/test_utils.py
index a979ed6eab..fb4dc33501 100644
--- a/manila/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/manila/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -649,6 +649,28 @@ class TestRetryDecorator(test.TestCase):
             self.assertRaises(ValueError, raise_unexpected_error)
             self.assertFalse(mock_sleep.called)
 
+    def test_wrong_retries_num(self):
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, utils.retry, exception.ManilaException,
+                          retries=-1)
+
+    def test_max_backoff_sleep(self):
+        self.counter = 0
+
+        with mock.patch.object(time, 'sleep') as mock_sleep:
+            @utils.retry(exception.ManilaException,
+                         retries=0,
+                         backoff_rate=2,
+                         backoff_sleep_max=4)
+            def fails_then_passes():
+                self.counter += 1
+                if self.counter < 5:
+                    raise exception.ManilaException(data='fake')
+                else:
+                    return 'success'
+
+            self.assertEqual('success', fails_then_passes())
+            mock_sleep.assert_has_calls(map(mock.call, [2, 4, 4, 4]))
+
 
 @ddt.ddt
 class RequireDriverInitializedTestCase(test.TestCase):
diff --git a/manila/utils.py b/manila/utils.py
index 5ca1658a76..c79a95b913 100644
--- a/manila/utils.py
+++ b/manila/utils.py
@@ -432,7 +432,7 @@ class ComparableMixin(object):
 
 
 def retry(exception, interval=1, retries=10, backoff_rate=2,
-          wait_random=False):
+          wait_random=False, backoff_sleep_max=None):
     """A wrapper around retrying library.
 
     This decorator allows to log and to check 'retries' input param.
@@ -445,12 +445,13 @@ def retry(exception, interval=1, retries=10, backoff_rate=2,
     :param interval: param 'interval' is used to calculate time interval
                      between retries:
                      interval * backoff_rate ^ previous_attempt_number
-    :param retries: number of retries.
+    :param retries: number of retries. Use 0 for an infinite retry loop.
     :param backoff_rate: param 'backoff_rate' is used to calculate time
                          interval between retries:
                          interval * backoff_rate ^ previous_attempt_number
     :param wait_random: boolean value to enable retry with random wait timer.
-
+    :param backoff_sleep_max: Maximum number of seconds for the calculated
+                              backoff sleep. Use None if no maximum is needed.
     """
     def _retry_on_exception(e):
         return isinstance(e, exception)
@@ -464,6 +465,9 @@ def retry(exception, interval=1, retries=10, backoff_rate=2,
         else:
             wait_val = wait_for * 1000.0
 
+        if backoff_sleep_max:
+            wait_val = min(backoff_sleep_max * 1000.0, wait_val)
+
         LOG.debug("Sleeping for %s seconds.", (wait_val / 1000.0))
         return wait_val
 
@@ -472,11 +476,11 @@ def retry(exception, interval=1, retries=10, backoff_rate=2,
         LOG.debug("Failed attempt %s", previous_attempt_number)
         LOG.debug("Have been at this for %s seconds",
                   delay_since_first_attempt)
-        return previous_attempt_number == retries
+        return retries > 0 and previous_attempt_number == retries
 
-    if retries < 1:
+    if retries < 0:
         raise ValueError(_('Retries must be greater than or '
-                           'equal to 1 (received: %s).') % retries)
+                           'equal to 0 (received: %s).') % retries)
 
     def _decorator(f):