diff --git a/cmd/poller/collector/collector.go b/cmd/poller/collector/collector.go
index b87dcfe40..0350f00a1 100644
--- a/cmd/poller/collector/collector.go
+++ b/cmd/poller/collector/collector.go
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ func (c *AbstractCollector) Start(wg *sync.WaitGroup) {
 					c.SetStatus(1, errs.ErrConnection.Error())
 				// there are no instances to collect
 				case errors.Is(err, errs.ErrNoInstance):
-					c.Schedule.SetStandByMode(task, 5*time.Minute)
+					c.Schedule.SetStandByModeMax(task, 5*time.Minute)
 					c.SetStatus(1, errs.ErrNoInstance.Error())
 					c.Logger.Info().
 						Str("task", task.Name).
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ func (c *AbstractCollector) Start(wg *sync.WaitGroup) {
 				// no metrics available
 				case errors.Is(err, errs.ErrNoMetric):
 					c.SetStatus(1, errs.ErrNoMetric.Error())
-					c.Schedule.SetStandByMode(task, 1*time.Hour)
+					c.Schedule.SetStandByModeMax(task, 1*time.Hour)
 					c.Logger.Info().
 						Str("task", task.Name).
 						Str("object", c.Object).
@@ -351,11 +351,11 @@ func (c *AbstractCollector) Start(wg *sync.WaitGroup) {
 				// not an error we are expecting, so enter failed or standby state
 				default:
 					if errors.Is(err, errs.ErrPermissionDenied) {
-						c.Schedule.SetStandByMode(task, 1*time.Hour)
+						c.Schedule.SetStandByModeMax(task, 1*time.Hour)
 						c.Logger.Error().Err(err).Str("task", task.Name).Msg("Entering standby mode")
 					} else if errors.Is(err, errs.ErrAPIRequestRejected) {
 						// API was rejected, this happens when a resource is not available or does not exist
-						c.Schedule.SetStandByMode(task, 1*time.Hour)
+						c.Schedule.SetStandByModeMax(task, 1*time.Hour)
 						// Log as info since some of these aren't errors
 						c.Logger.Info().Err(err).Str("task", task.Name).Msg("Entering standby mode")
 					} else {
diff --git a/cmd/poller/schedule/schedule.go b/cmd/poller/schedule/schedule.go
index bffdb9c7a..cbdac8c4e 100644
--- a/cmd/poller/schedule/schedule.go
+++ b/cmd/poller/schedule/schedule.go
@@ -109,9 +109,25 @@ func (s *Schedule) IsTaskStandBy(t *Task) bool {
 	return t.Name == s.standByTask.Name
 }
 
+// SetStandByModeMax initializes StandbyMode: Schedule will suspend all tasks until
+// the critical task t has succeeded. The amount of time to standby will be the maximum of the task's current interval
+// and i. That interval will be used for the task until the Schedule recovers to normal mode.
+func (s *Schedule) SetStandByModeMax(t *Task, i time.Duration) {
+	for _, x := range s.tasks {
+		if x.Name == t.Name {
+			s.standByTask = t
+			t.interval = max(i, t.interval)
+			t.timer = time.Now()
+			s.standByMode = true
+			return
+		}
+	}
+	panic("invalid task: " + t.Name)
+}
+
 // SetStandByMode initializes StandbyMode: Schedule will suspend all tasks until
 // the critical task t has succeeded. The temporary interval i will be used for
-// the task until Schedule recovers to normal mode.
+// the task until the Schedule recovers to normal mode.
 func (s *Schedule) SetStandByMode(t *Task, i time.Duration) {
 	for _, x := range s.tasks {
 		if x.Name == t.Name {