diff --git a/src/lsf.jl b/src/lsf.jl
index ca5dce3..d2aa738 100755
--- a/src/lsf.jl
+++ b/src/lsf.jl
@@ -15,54 +15,61 @@ struct LSFException <: Exception
     msg
 end
 
+function parse_host_port(stream, port_host_regex = r"julia_worker:([0-9]+)#([0-9.]+)")
+    bytestr = readline(stream)
+    conn_info_match = match(port_host_regex, bytestr)
+    if !isnothing(conn_info_match)
+        host = conn_info_match.captures[2]
+        port = parse(Int, conn_info_match.captures[1])
+        @debug("lsf worker listening", connect_info=bytestr, host, port)
+
+        return true, bytestr, host, port
+    end
+    return false, bytestr, nothing, nothing
+end
+
 function lsf_bpeek(manager::LSFManager, jobid, iarray)
-    port_host_regex = r"julia_worker:([0-9]+)#([0-9.]+)"
     stream = Base.BufferStream()
     mark(stream)    # so that we can reset to beginning after ensuring process started
 
     streamer_cmd = pipeline(`$(manager.ssh_cmd) $(manager.bpeek_cmd) $(manager.bpeek_flags) $(jobid)\[$iarray\]`; stdout=stream, stderr=stream)
-    backoff = manager.retry_delays
-    delay, backoff_state = iterate(backoff)
+    retry_delays = manager.retry_delays
     streamer_proc = run(streamer_cmd; wait=false)
-    worker_started = false
-    host = nothing
-    port = nothing
-
-    while !worker_started
-        bytestr = readline(stream)
-        conn_info_match = match(port_host_regex, bytestr)
-        if !isnothing(conn_info_match)
-            host = conn_info_match.captures[2]
-            port = parse(Int, conn_info_match.captures[1])
-            @debug("lsf worker listening", connect_info=bytestr, host, port)
-            # process started, reset to marked position and hand over to Distributed module
-            reset(stream)
-            worker_started = true
+
+    # Try once before retry loop in case user supplied an empty retry_delays iterator
+    worker_started, bytestr, host, port = parse_host_port(stream)
+    worker_started && return stream, host, port
+
+    for retry_delay in retry_delays        
+        if occursin("Not yet started", bytestr)
+            # reset to marked position, bpeek process would have stopped
+            wait(streamer_proc)
+            mark(stream)
+
+            # Try bpeeking again after the retry delay
+            sleep(retry_delay)
+            streamer_proc = run(streamer_cmd; wait=false)
+        elseif occursin("<< output from stdout >>", bytestr) || occursin("<< output from stderr >>", bytestr)
+            # ignore this bpeek output decoration and continue to read the next line
+            mark(stream)
         else
-            if occursin("Not yet started", bytestr)
-                # reset to marked position, bpeek process would have stopped
-                wait(streamer_proc)
-                mark(stream)
-
-                # retry with backoff if within retry limit
-                if backoff_state[1] == 0
-                    close(stream)
-                    throw(LSFException(bytestr))
-                end
-                sleep(delay)
-                delay, backoff_state = iterate(backoff, backoff_state)
-                streamer_proc = run(streamer_cmd; wait=false)
-            elseif occursin("<< output from stdout >>", bytestr) || occursin("<< output from stderr >>", bytestr)
-                # ignore this bpeek output decoration and continue to read the next line
-                mark(stream)
-            else
-                # unknown response from worker process
-                close(stream)
-                throw(LSFException(bytestr))
-            end
+            # unknown response from worker process
+            close(stream)
+            throw(LSFException(bytestr))
         end
+        
+        worker_started, bytestr, host, port = parse_host_port(stream)
+        worker_started && break
     end
 
+    if !worker_started
+        close(stream)
+        throw(LSFException(bytestr))
+    end
+
+    # process started, reset to marked position and hand over to Distributed module
+    reset(stream)
+
     return stream, host, port
 end