diff --git a/src/main/java/com/emc/rest/smart/Host.java b/src/main/java/com/emc/rest/smart/Host.java
index 2b1fc14..4314929 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/emc/rest/smart/Host.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/emc/rest/smart/Host.java
@@ -26,11 +26,11 @@
  */
 package com.emc.rest.smart;
 
-import java.util.Date;
-
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
+import java.util.Date;
+
 /**
  * Some basic statements about response index calculation:
  * <p>
@@ -105,7 +105,9 @@ public boolean isHealthy() {
         if (!healthy) return false;
         else if (consecutiveErrors == 0) return true;
         else {
-            long coolDownExp = consecutiveErrors > MAX_COOL_DOWN_EXP ? MAX_COOL_DOWN_EXP : consecutiveErrors - 1;
+            // errorWaitTime * 2 ^ (min(errors-1, 4))
+            // i.e. back-off is doubled for each consecutive error up to 4
+            long coolDownExp = Math.min(consecutiveErrors - 1, MAX_COOL_DOWN_EXP);
             long msSinceLastUse = System.currentTimeMillis() - lastConnectionTime;
             long errorCoolDown = (long) Math.pow(2, coolDownExp) * errorWaitTime;
             return msSinceLastUse > errorCoolDown;
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/emc/rest/smart/HostTest.java b/src/test/java/com/emc/rest/smart/HostTest.java
index fc30426..151469e 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/emc/rest/smart/HostTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/emc/rest/smart/HostTest.java
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ public void testHost() throws Exception {
         Thread.sleep(errorWaitTime - 500); // wait until just before the error is cooled down
         Assert.assertFalse(host.isHealthy()); // host should still be in cool down period
 
-        Thread.sleep(500); // wait until cool down period is over
+        Thread.sleep(600); // wait until cool down period is over
         Assert.assertTrue(host.isHealthy());
 
         // test another error
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ public void testHost() throws Exception {
         Thread.sleep(2 * errorWaitTime - 500); // wait until just before cool down is over
         Assert.assertFalse(host.isHealthy());
 
-        Thread.sleep(500); // wait until cool down period is over
+        Thread.sleep(600); // wait until cool down period is over
         Assert.assertTrue(host.isHealthy());
 
         // test one more error
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ public void testHost() throws Exception {
         Thread.sleep(2 * 2 * errorWaitTime - 500); // wait until just before cool down is over
         Assert.assertFalse(host.isHealthy());
 
-        Thread.sleep(500); // wait until cool down period is over
+        Thread.sleep(600); // wait until cool down period is over
         Assert.assertTrue(host.isHealthy());
 
         // test no more errors
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/emc/rest/smart/SmartClientTest.java b/src/test/java/com/emc/rest/smart/SmartClientTest.java
index c15cee8..7306e3a 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/emc/rest/smart/SmartClientTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/emc/rest/smart/SmartClientTest.java
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ public void testConnTimeout() throws Exception {
         HttpParams httpParams = new BasicHttpParams();
         HttpConnectionParams.setConnectionTimeout(httpParams, CONNECTION_TIMEOUT_MILLIS);
 
-        SmartConfig smartConfig = new SmartConfig("10.4.4.180");
+        SmartConfig smartConfig = new SmartConfig("8.8.4.4:9020");
         smartConfig.setProperty(ApacheHttpClient4Config.PROPERTY_HTTP_PARAMS, httpParams);
 
         final Client client = SmartClientFactory.createStandardClient(smartConfig);
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ public void testConnTimeout() throws Exception {
         Future future = Executors.newSingleThreadExecutor().submit(new Runnable() {
             @Override
             public void run() {
-                client.resource("http://10.4.4.180:9020/?ping").get(String.class);
+                client.resource("http://8.8.4.4:9020/?ping").get(String.class);
                 Assert.fail("response was not expected; choose an IP that is not in use");
             }
         });