diff --git a/influxdb/client.py b/influxdb/client.py
index a8adb915..4721fa3f 100644
--- a/influxdb/client.py
+++ b/influxdb/client.py
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 from sys import version_info
+import time
+import random
 
 import json
 import socket
@@ -237,6 +239,7 @@ def request(self, url, method='GET', params=None, data=None,
         _try = 0
         while retry:
             try:
+                _error = False
                 response = self._session.request(
                     method=method,
                     url=url,
@@ -249,20 +252,27 @@ def request(self, url, method='GET', params=None, data=None,
                     timeout=self._timeout
                 )
                 break
-            except requests.exceptions.ConnectionError:
+            except (requests.exceptions.ConnectionError,
+                    requests.exceptions.HTTPError,
+                    requests.exceptions.Timeout) as _e:
+                _error = _e
                 _try += 1
                 if self._retries != 0:
                     retry = _try < self._retries
-
-        else:
-            raise requests.exceptions.ConnectionError
-
-        if 500 <= response.status_code < 600:
-            raise InfluxDBServerError(response.content)
-        elif response.status_code == expected_response_code:
-            return response
+                if method == "POST":
+                    time.sleep((2 ** _try) * random.random() / 100.0)
+        if _error:
+            raise(_error)
         else:
-            raise InfluxDBClientError(response.content, response.status_code)
+            # if there's not an error, there must have been a successful
+            # response
+            if 500 <= response.status_code < 600:
+                raise InfluxDBServerError(response.content)
+            elif response.status_code == expected_response_code:
+                return response
+            else:
+                raise InfluxDBClientError(response.content,
+                                          response.status_code)
 
     def write(self, data, params=None, expected_response_code=204,
               protocol='json'):
diff --git a/influxdb/tests/client_test.py b/influxdb/tests/client_test.py
index 5c4f26dd..3413c0bf 100644
--- a/influxdb/tests/client_test.py
+++ b/influxdb/tests/client_test.py
@@ -686,7 +686,7 @@ def connection_error(self, *args, **kwargs):
 
     @mock.patch('requests.Session.request')
     def test_request_retry_raises(self, mock_request):
-        """Test that three connection errors will not be handled."""
+        """Test that three requests errors will not be handled."""
         class CustomMock(object):
             """Create custom mock object for test."""
 
@@ -698,7 +698,7 @@ def connection_error(self, *args, **kwargs):
                 self.i += 1
 
                 if self.i < 4:
-                    raise requests.exceptions.ConnectionError
+                    raise requests.exceptions.HTTPError
                 else:
                     r = requests.Response()
                     r.status_code = 200
@@ -708,7 +708,7 @@ def connection_error(self, *args, **kwargs):
 
         cli = InfluxDBClient(database='db')
 
-        with self.assertRaises(requests.exceptions.ConnectionError):
+        with self.assertRaises(requests.exceptions.HTTPError):
             cli.write_points(self.dummy_points)
 
     @mock.patch('requests.Session.request')
@@ -732,7 +732,7 @@ def connection_error(self, *args, **kwargs):
                     r.status_code = 204
                     return r
 
-        retries = random.randint(1, 100)
+        retries = random.randint(1, 5)
         mock_request.side_effect = CustomMock(retries).connection_error
 
         cli = InfluxDBClient(database='db', retries=retries)
@@ -759,7 +759,7 @@ def connection_error(self, *args, **kwargs):
                     r.status_code = 200
                     return r
 
-        retries = random.randint(1, 100)
+        retries = random.randint(1, 5)
         mock_request.side_effect = CustomMock(retries).connection_error
 
         cli = InfluxDBClient(database='db', retries=retries)