diff --git a/certbot/cli.py b/certbot/cli.py
index 8e599cfda..ff1827cb1 100644
--- a/certbot/cli.py
+++ b/certbot/cli.py
@@ -1215,6 +1215,10 @@ def prepare_and_parse_args(plugins, args, detect_defaults=False):  # pylint: dis
         " one will be run.")
     helpful.add("renew", "--renew-hook",
                 action=_RenewHookAction, help=argparse.SUPPRESS)
+    helpful.add(
+        "renew", "--no-random-sleep-on-renew", action="store_false",
+        default=flag_default("random_sleep_on_renew"), dest="random_sleep_on_renew",
+        help=argparse.SUPPRESS)
     helpful.add(
         "renew", "--deploy-hook", action=_DeployHookAction,
         help='Command to be run in a shell once for each successfully'
diff --git a/certbot/constants.py b/certbot/constants.py
index eb4105f82..7d0e0c879 100644
--- a/certbot/constants.py
+++ b/certbot/constants.py
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ CLI_DEFAULTS = dict(
     directory_hooks=True,
     reuse_key=False,
     disable_renew_updates=False,
+    random_sleep_on_renew=True,
     eab_hmac_key=None,
     eab_kid=None,
 
diff --git a/certbot/main.py b/certbot/main.py
index b24c5c622..ac639bc80 100644
--- a/certbot/main.py
+++ b/certbot/main.py
@@ -4,9 +4,7 @@ from __future__ import print_function
 import functools
 import logging.handlers
 import os
-import random
 import sys
-import time
 
 import configobj
 import josepy as jose
@@ -1269,16 +1267,6 @@ def renew(config, unused_plugins):
     :rtype: None
 
     """
-    if not sys.stdin.isatty():
-        # Noninteractive renewals include a random delay in order to spread
-        # out the load on the certificate authority servers, even if many
-        # users all pick the same time for renewals.  This delay precedes
-        # running any hooks, so that side effects of the hooks (such as
-        # shutting down a web service) aren't prolonged unnecessarily.
-        sleep_time = random.randint(1, 60*8)
-        logger.info("Non-interactive renewal: random delay of %s seconds", sleep_time)
-        time.sleep(sleep_time)
-
     try:
         renewal.handle_renewal_request(config)
     finally:
diff --git a/certbot/renewal.py b/certbot/renewal.py
index 5b2e00740..4c592b27f 100644
--- a/certbot/renewal.py
+++ b/certbot/renewal.py
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ import itertools
 import logging
 import os
 import traceback
+import sys
+import time
+import random
 
 import six
 import zope.component
@@ -372,7 +375,7 @@ def _renew_describe_results(config, renew_successes, renew_failures,
     disp.notification("\n".join(out), wrap=False)
 
 
-def handle_renewal_request(config):
+def handle_renewal_request(config):  # pylint: disable=too-many-locals,too-many-branches,too-many-statements
     """Examine each lineage; renew if due and report results"""
 
     # This is trivially False if config.domains is empty
@@ -396,6 +399,14 @@ def handle_renewal_request(config):
     renew_failures = []
     renew_skipped = []
     parse_failures = []
+
+    # Noninteractive renewals include a random delay in order to spread
+    # out the load on the certificate authority servers, even if many
+    # users all pick the same time for renewals.  This delay precedes
+    # running any hooks, so that side effects of the hooks (such as
+    # shutting down a web service) aren't prolonged unnecessarily.
+    apply_random_sleep = not sys.stdin.isatty() and config.random_sleep_on_renew
+
     for renewal_file in conf_files:
         disp = zope.component.getUtility(interfaces.IDisplay)
         disp.notification("Processing " + renewal_file, pause=False)
@@ -424,6 +435,15 @@ def handle_renewal_request(config):
                 from certbot import main
                 plugins = plugins_disco.PluginsRegistry.find_all()
                 if should_renew(lineage_config, renewal_candidate):
+                    # Apply random sleep upon first renewal if needed
+                    if apply_random_sleep:
+                        sleep_time = random.randint(1, 60 * 8)
+                        logger.info("Non-interactive renewal: random delay of %s seconds",
+                                    sleep_time)
+                        time.sleep(sleep_time)
+                        # We will sleep only once this day, folks.
+                        apply_random_sleep = False
+
                     # domains have been restored into lineage_config by reconstitute
                     # but they're unnecessary anyway because renew_cert here
                     # will just grab them from the certificate