diff --git a/proxy/src/proxy.rs b/proxy/src/proxy.rs
index 66ce2e5fd0..f9da145859 100644
--- a/proxy/src/proxy.rs
+++ b/proxy/src/proxy.rs
@@ -28,10 +28,11 @@ use tracing::{error, info, info_span, warn, Instrument};
 use utils::measured_stream::MeasuredStream;
 
 /// Number of times we should retry the `/proxy_wake_compute` http request.
-/// Retry duration is BASE_RETRY_WAIT_DURATION * 1.5^n
-pub const NUM_RETRIES_CONNECT: u32 = 10;
+/// Retry duration is BASE_RETRY_WAIT_DURATION * RETRY_WAIT_EXPONENT_BASE ^ n, where n starts at 0
+pub const NUM_RETRIES_CONNECT: u32 = 16;
 const CONNECT_TIMEOUT: time::Duration = time::Duration::from_secs(2);
-const BASE_RETRY_WAIT_DURATION: time::Duration = time::Duration::from_millis(100);
+const BASE_RETRY_WAIT_DURATION: time::Duration = time::Duration::from_millis(25);
+const RETRY_WAIT_EXPONENT_BASE: f64 = std::f64::consts::SQRT_2;
 
 const ERR_INSECURE_CONNECTION: &str = "connection is insecure (try using `sslmode=require`)";
 const ERR_PROTO_VIOLATION: &str = "protocol violation";
@@ -553,8 +554,7 @@ impl ShouldRetry for compute::ConnectionError {
 }
 
 pub fn retry_after(num_retries: u32) -> time::Duration {
-    // 1.5 seems to be an ok growth factor heuristic
-    BASE_RETRY_WAIT_DURATION.mul_f64(1.5_f64.powi(num_retries as i32))
+    BASE_RETRY_WAIT_DURATION.mul_f64(RETRY_WAIT_EXPONENT_BASE.powi((num_retries as i32) - 1))
 }
 
 /// Finish client connection initialization: confirm auth success, send params, etc.
diff --git a/proxy/src/proxy/tests.rs b/proxy/src/proxy/tests.rs
index 99ec8fb090..9615017883 100644
--- a/proxy/src/proxy/tests.rs
+++ b/proxy/src/proxy/tests.rs
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ async fn scram_auth_mock() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 #[test]
 fn connect_compute_total_wait() {
     let mut total_wait = tokio::time::Duration::ZERO;
-    for num_retries in 1..10 {
+    for num_retries in 1..NUM_RETRIES_CONNECT {
         total_wait += retry_after(num_retries);
     }
     assert!(total_wait < tokio::time::Duration::from_secs(12));
@@ -494,11 +494,11 @@ async fn connect_to_compute_non_retry_2() {
 /// Retry for at most `NUM_RETRIES_CONNECT` times.
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn connect_to_compute_non_retry_3() {
-    assert_eq!(NUM_RETRIES_CONNECT, 10);
+    assert_eq!(NUM_RETRIES_CONNECT, 16);
     use ConnectAction::*;
     let mechanism = TestConnectMechanism::new(vec![
-        Retry, Wake, Retry, Retry, Retry, Retry, Retry, Retry, Retry, Retry, Retry,
-        /* the 11th time */ Retry,
+        Retry, Wake, Retry, Retry, Retry, Retry, Retry, Retry, Retry, Retry, Retry, Retry, Retry,
+        Retry, Retry, Retry, Retry, /* the 17th time */ Retry,
     ]);
     let (cache, extra, creds) = helper_create_connect_info(&mechanism);
     connect_to_compute(&mechanism, cache, &extra, &creds)