diff --git a/apigee_sync.go b/apigee_sync.go
index 612e891..d6b3a19 100644
--- a/apigee_sync.go
+++ b/apigee_sync.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
  */
 func pollWithBackoff(quit chan bool, toExecute func(chan bool) error, handleError func(error)) {
 
-	backoff := NewExponentialBackoff(200*time.Millisecond, config.GetDuration(configPollInterval), 2)
+	backoff := NewExponentialBackoff(200*time.Millisecond, config.GetDuration(configPollInterval), 2, true)
 
 	//inintialize the retry channel to start first attempt immediately
 	retry := time.After(0 * time.Millisecond)
diff --git a/backoff.go b/backoff.go
index 291a037..e3a7403 100644
--- a/backoff.go
+++ b/backoff.go
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 
 import (
 	"math"
-	"math/rand"
 	"time"
+	"math/rand"
 )
 
 const defaultInitial time.Duration = 200 * time.Millisecond
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 type Backoff struct {
 	attempt         int
 	initial, max    time.Duration
+	jitter bool
 	backoffStrategy func() time.Duration
 }
 
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@
 	factor float64
 }
 
-func NewExponentialBackoff(initial, max time.Duration, factor float64) *Backoff {
+func NewExponentialBackoff(initial, max time.Duration, factor float64, jitter bool) *ExponentialBackoff {
 	backoff := &ExponentialBackoff{}
 
 	if initial <= 0 {
@@ -39,9 +40,10 @@
 	backoff.max = max
 	backoff.attempt = 0
 	backoff.factor = factor
+	backoff.jitter = jitter
 	backoff.backoffStrategy = backoff.exponentialBackoffStrategy
 
-	return &backoff.Backoff
+	return backoff
 }
 
 func (b *Backoff) Duration() time.Duration {
@@ -56,14 +58,15 @@
 	attempt := float64(b.Backoff.attempt)
 	duration := initial * math.Pow(b.factor, attempt)
 
-	//introduce some jitter
-	duration = (rand.Float64()*(duration-initial) + initial)
-
 	if duration > math.MaxInt64 {
 		return b.max
 	}
 	dur := time.Duration(duration)
 
+	if b.jitter {
+		duration = (rand.Float64()*(duration-initial) + initial)
+	}
+
 	if dur > b.max {
 		return b.max
 	}
diff --git a/backoff_test.go b/backoff_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dbf956c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backoff_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+package apidApigeeSync
+
+import (
+	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo"
+	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
+	"time"
+)
+
+var _ = FDescribe("backoff", func() {
+
+	Context("Backoff timeout calculations", func() {
+
+		It("Should properly apply defaults", func() {
+			log.Info("Starting backoff tests...")
+			b := NewExponentialBackoff(0, 0, 0, true)
+			Expect(defaultInitial).To(Equal(b.initial))
+			Expect(defaultMax).To(Equal(b.max))
+			Expect(defaultFactor).To(Equal(b.factor))
+
+			b = NewExponentialBackoff(-1, -1, -1, true)
+			Expect(defaultInitial).To(Equal(b.initial))
+			Expect(defaultMax).To(Equal(b.max))
+			Expect(defaultFactor).To(Equal(b.factor))
+		})
+
+		It("should properly apply exponential backoff strategy", func() {
+			b := NewExponentialBackoff(200 * time.Millisecond, 2 * time.Second, 2, false)
+			Expect(200 * time.Millisecond).To(Equal(b.Duration()))
+			Expect(1).To(Equal(b.Attempt()))
+			Expect(400 * time.Millisecond).To(Equal(b.Duration()))
+			Expect(2).To(Equal(b.Attempt()))
+			Expect(800 * time.Millisecond).To(Equal(b.Duration()))
+			Expect(3).To(Equal(b.Attempt()))
+			Expect(1600 * time.Millisecond).To(Equal(b.Duration()))
+			Expect(4).To(Equal(b.Attempt()))
+		})
+
+		It("should reset properly", func() {
+			b := NewExponentialBackoff(200 * time.Millisecond, 2 * time.Second, 2, false)
+			Expect(200 * time.Millisecond).To(Equal(b.Duration()))
+			Expect(1).To(Equal(b.Attempt()))
+			Expect(400 * time.Millisecond).To(Equal(b.Duration()))
+			Expect(2).To(Equal(b.Attempt()))
+			Expect(800 * time.Millisecond).To(Equal(b.Duration()))
+			Expect(3).To(Equal(b.Attempt()))
+			b.Reset()
+			Expect(200 * time.Millisecond).To(Equal(b.Duration()))
+			Expect(1).To(Equal(b.Attempt()))
+			Expect(400 * time.Millisecond).To(Equal(b.Duration()))
+			Expect(2).To(Equal(b.Attempt()))
+			Expect(800 * time.Millisecond).To(Equal(b.Duration()))
+			Expect(3).To(Equal(b.Attempt()))
+		})
+	})
+
+})