diff --git a/remotes/docker/schema1/converter.go b/remotes/docker/schema1/converter.go
index 99940c88a..6e0dcb4e2 100644
--- a/remotes/docker/schema1/converter.go
+++ b/remotes/docker/schema1/converter.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
+	"math/rand"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -215,13 +216,26 @@ func (c *Converter) fetchManifest(ctx context.Context, desc ocispec.Descriptor)
 func (c *Converter) fetchBlob(ctx context.Context, desc ocispec.Descriptor) error {
 	log.G(ctx).Debug("fetch blob")
 
-	ref := remotes.MakeRefKey(ctx, desc)
-
-	calc := newBlobStateCalculator()
+	var (
+		ref   = remotes.MakeRefKey(ctx, desc)
+		calc  = newBlobStateCalculator()
+		retry = 16
+	)
 
+tryit:
 	cw, err := c.contentStore.Writer(ctx, ref, desc.Size, desc.Digest)
 	if err != nil {
-		if !errdefs.IsAlreadyExists(err) {
+		if errdefs.IsUnavailable(err) {
+			select {
+			case <-time.After(time.Millisecond * time.Duration(rand.Intn(retry))):
+				if retry < 2048 {
+					retry = retry << 1
+				}
+				goto tryit
+			case <-ctx.Done():
+				return err
+			}
+		} else if !errdefs.IsAlreadyExists(err) {
 			return err
 		}
 
diff --git a/remotes/handlers.go b/remotes/handlers.go
index e6d213299..7b1dad99e 100644
--- a/remotes/handlers.go
+++ b/remotes/handlers.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"math/rand"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/content"
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ func fetch(ctx context.Context, ingester content.Ingester, fetcher Fetcher, desc
 			// of writer and abort if not updated recently.
 
 			select {
-			case <-time.After(time.Millisecond * time.Duration(retry)):
+			case <-time.After(time.Millisecond * time.Duration(rand.Intn(retry))):
 				if retry < 2048 {
 					retry = retry << 1
 				}