diff --git a/novaclient/exceptions.py b/novaclient/exceptions.py
index 7e9e0c8ae..d550b754b 100644
--- a/novaclient/exceptions.py
+++ b/novaclient/exceptions.py
@@ -105,6 +105,19 @@ class ClientException(Exception):
         return formatted_string
 
 
+class RetryAfterException(ClientException):
+    """
+    The base exception class for ClientExceptions that use Retry-After header.
+    """
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        try:
+            self.retry_after = int(kwargs.pop('retry_after'))
+        except (KeyError, ValueError):
+            self.retry_after = 0
+
+        super(RetryAfterException, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+
+
 class BadRequest(ClientException):
     """
     HTTP 400 - Bad request: you sent some malformed data.
@@ -154,23 +167,15 @@ class Conflict(ClientException):
     message = "Conflict"
 
 
-class OverLimit(ClientException):
+class OverLimit(RetryAfterException):
     """
     HTTP 413 - Over limit: you're over the API limits for this time period.
     """
     http_status = 413
     message = "Over limit"
 
-    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
-        try:
-            self.retry_after = int(kwargs.pop('retry_after'))
-        except (KeyError, ValueError):
-            self.retry_after = 0
 
-        super(OverLimit, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
-
-
-class RateLimit(OverLimit):
+class RateLimit(RetryAfterException):
     """
     HTTP 429 - Rate limit: you've sent too many requests for this time period.
     """
@@ -220,6 +225,8 @@ def from_response(response, body, url, method=None):
         if resp.status_code != 200:
             raise exception_from_response(resp, rest.text)
     """
+    cls = _code_map.get(response.status_code, ClientException)
+
     kwargs = {
         'code': response.status_code,
         'method': method,
@@ -230,7 +237,8 @@ def from_response(response, body, url, method=None):
     if response.headers:
         kwargs['request_id'] = response.headers.get('x-compute-request-id')
 
-        if 'retry-after' in response.headers:
+        if (issubclass(cls, RetryAfterException) and
+                'retry-after' in response.headers):
             kwargs['retry_after'] = response.headers.get('retry-after')
 
     if body:
@@ -245,7 +253,6 @@ def from_response(response, body, url, method=None):
         kwargs['message'] = message
         kwargs['details'] = details
 
-    cls = _code_map.get(response.status_code, ClientException)
     return cls(**kwargs)
 
 
diff --git a/novaclient/tests/test_http.py b/novaclient/tests/test_http.py
index 7d9e3ecfa..bd12ed827 100644
--- a/novaclient/tests/test_http.py
+++ b/novaclient/tests/test_http.py
@@ -44,6 +44,32 @@ unknown_error_response = utils.TestResponse({
 })
 unknown_error_mock_request = mock.Mock(return_value=unknown_error_response)
 
+retry_after_response = utils.TestResponse({
+    "status_code": 413,
+    "text": '',
+    "headers": {
+        "retry-after": "5"
+    },
+})
+retry_after_mock_request = mock.Mock(return_value=retry_after_response)
+
+retry_after_no_headers_response = utils.TestResponse({
+    "status_code": 413,
+    "text": '',
+})
+retry_after_no_headers_mock_request = mock.Mock(
+    return_value=retry_after_no_headers_response)
+
+retry_after_non_supporting_response = utils.TestResponse({
+    "status_code": 403,
+    "text": '',
+    "headers": {
+        "retry-after": "5"
+    },
+})
+retry_after_non_supporting_mock_request = mock.Mock(
+    return_value=retry_after_non_supporting_response)
+
 
 def get_client():
     cl = client.HTTPClient("username", "password",
@@ -154,3 +180,33 @@ class ClientTest(utils.TestCase):
             self.assertIn('Unknown Error', six.text_type(exc))
         else:
             self.fail('Expected exceptions.ClientException')
+
+    @mock.patch.object(requests, "request", retry_after_mock_request)
+    def test_retry_after_request(self):
+        cl = get_client()
+
+        try:
+            cl.get("/hi")
+        except exceptions.OverLimit as exc:
+            self.assertEqual(5, exc.retry_after)
+        else:
+            self.fail('Expected exceptions.OverLimit')
+
+    @mock.patch.object(requests, "request",
+                       retry_after_no_headers_mock_request)
+    def test_retry_after_request_no_headers(self):
+        cl = get_client()
+
+        try:
+            cl.get("/hi")
+        except exceptions.OverLimit as exc:
+            self.assertEqual(0, exc.retry_after)
+        else:
+            self.fail('Expected exceptions.OverLimit')
+
+    @mock.patch.object(requests, "request",
+                       retry_after_non_supporting_mock_request)
+    def test_retry_after_request_non_supporting_exc(self):
+        cl = get_client()
+
+        self.assertRaises(exceptions.Forbidden, cl.get, "/hi")