diff --git a/borgmatic/commands/borgmatic.py b/borgmatic/commands/borgmatic.py
index abecd4e..b3796c6 100644
--- a/borgmatic/commands/borgmatic.py
+++ b/borgmatic/commands/borgmatic.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import json
 import logging
 import os
 import sys
+import time
 from queue import Queue
 from subprocess import CalledProcessError
 
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ def run_configuration(config_filename, config, arguments):
     local_path = location.get('local_path', 'borg')
     remote_path = location.get('remote_path')
     retries = storage.get('retries', 0)
+    retry_timeout = storage.get('retry_timeout', 0)
     borg_environment.initialize(storage)
     encountered_error = None
     error_repository = ''
@@ -130,6 +132,10 @@ def run_configuration(config_filename, config, arguments):
 
         while not repo_queue.empty():
             repository_path, retry_num = repo_queue.get()
+            timeout = retry_num * retry_timeout
+            if timeout:
+                logger.warning(f'Sleeping {timeout}s before next retry')
+                time.sleep(timeout)
             try:
                 yield from run_actions(
                     arguments=arguments,
diff --git a/borgmatic/config/schema.yaml b/borgmatic/config/schema.yaml
index b30ae0c..ae92f9b 100644
--- a/borgmatic/config/schema.yaml
+++ b/borgmatic/config/schema.yaml
@@ -257,6 +257,12 @@ properties:
                     Number of times to retry a backup before failing. Defaults
                     to 0 (i.e. does not attempt retry).
                 example: 3
+            retry_timeout:
+                type: integer
+                description: |
+                    Wait time between retries, to allow transient issues to pass.
+                    Defaults to 0s.
+                example: 10
             temporary_directory:
                 type: string
                 description: |
diff --git a/tests/unit/commands/test_borgmatic.py b/tests/unit/commands/test_borgmatic.py
index eef2d3a..5e67ee9 100644
--- a/tests/unit/commands/test_borgmatic.py
+++ b/tests/unit/commands/test_borgmatic.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import logging
 import subprocess
+import time
 
 from flexmock import flexmock
 
@@ -257,6 +258,52 @@ def test_run_retries_one_passes():
     results = list(module.run_configuration('test.yaml', config, arguments))
     assert results == expected_results
 
+def test_run_retry_timeout():
+    flexmock(module.borg_environment).should_receive('initialize')
+    flexmock(module.command).should_receive('execute_hook')
+    flexmock(module).should_receive('run_actions').and_raise(OSError).times(4)
+    expected_results = [flexmock(), flexmock(), flexmock(), flexmock()]
+    flexmock(module).should_receive('make_error_log_records') \
+                        .with_args('foo: Error running actions for repository', OSError).and_return(expected_results[0:1]).ordered()
+
+    flexmock(time).should_receive('sleep').with_args(10).and_return().ordered()
+    flexmock(module).should_receive('make_error_log_records') \
+                        .with_args('foo: Error running actions for repository', OSError).and_return(expected_results[1:2]).ordered()
+
+    flexmock(time).should_receive('sleep').with_args(20).and_return().ordered()
+    flexmock(module).should_receive('make_error_log_records') \
+                        .with_args('foo: Error running actions for repository', OSError).and_return(expected_results[2:3]).ordered() 
+
+    flexmock(time).should_receive('sleep').with_args(30).and_return().ordered()
+    flexmock(module).should_receive('make_error_log_records') \
+                        .with_args('foo: Error running actions for repository', OSError).and_return(expected_results[3:4]).ordered()
+    config = {'location': {'repositories': ['foo']}, 'storage': {'retries':3, 'retry_timeout':10}}
+    arguments = {'global': flexmock(monitoring_verbosity=1, dry_run=False), 'create': flexmock()}
+    results = list(module.run_configuration('test.yaml', config, arguments))
+    assert results == expected_results
+
+def test_run_retries_timeout_multiple_repos():
+    flexmock(module.borg_environment).should_receive('initialize')
+    flexmock(module.command).should_receive('execute_hook')
+    flexmock(module).should_receive('run_actions').and_raise(OSError).and_raise(OSError).and_return([]).and_raise(OSError).times(4)
+    expected_results = [flexmock(), flexmock(), flexmock()]
+    flexmock(module).should_receive('make_error_log_records') \
+                        .with_args('foo: Error running actions for repository', OSError).and_return(expected_results[0:1]).ordered()
+    flexmock(module).should_receive('make_error_log_records') \
+                        .with_args('bar: Error running actions for repository', OSError).and_return(expected_results[1:2]).ordered()
+
+    # Sleep before retrying foo (and passing)
+    flexmock(time).should_receive('sleep').with_args(10).and_return().ordered()
+    
+    # Sleep before retrying bar (and failing)
+    flexmock(time).should_receive('sleep').with_args(10).and_return().ordered()
+    flexmock(module).should_receive('make_error_log_records') \
+                        .with_args('bar: Error running actions for repository', OSError).and_return(expected_results[2:3]).ordered()
+    config = {'location': {'repositories': ['foo','bar']}, 'storage': {'retries':1, 'retry_timeout':10}}
+    arguments = {'global': flexmock(monitoring_verbosity=1, dry_run=False), 'create': flexmock()}
+    results = list(module.run_configuration('test.yaml', config, arguments))
+    assert results == expected_results
+
 def test_load_configurations_collects_parsed_configurations():
     configuration = flexmock()
     other_configuration = flexmock()