diff --git a/storage-manager/src/S3Storage.cpp b/storage-manager/src/S3Storage.cpp
index f37e5d90a..0195341e4 100644
--- a/storage-manager/src/S3Storage.cpp
+++ b/storage-manager/src/S3Storage.cpp
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ S3Storage::ScopedConnection::~ScopedConnection()
     s3->returnConnection(conn);
 }
 
-S3Storage::S3Storage()
+S3Storage::S3Storage(bool skipRetry) : skipRetryableErrors(skipRetry)
 {
     /*  Check creds from envvars
         Get necessary vars from config
@@ -239,6 +239,10 @@ int S3Storage::getObject(const string &_sourceKey, boost::shared_array<uint8_t>
             else 
                 logger->log(LOG_ERR, "S3Storage::getObject(): failed to GET, got '%s'.  bucket = %s, key = %s.  Retrying...",
                     s3err_msgs[err], bucket.c_str(), sourceKey.c_str());
+            if (skipRetryableErrors)
+            {
+                return -1;
+            }
             sleep(5);
         }
     } while (err && retryable_error(err));
@@ -329,6 +333,10 @@ int S3Storage::putObject(const boost::shared_array<uint8_t> data, size_t len, co
             else
                 logger->log(LOG_ERR, "S3Storage::putObject(): failed to PUT, got '%s'.  bucket = %s, key = %s."
                     "  Retrying...", s3err_msgs[s3err], bucket.c_str(), destKey.c_str());
+            if (skipRetryableErrors)
+            {
+                return -1;
+            }
             sleep(5);
         }
     } while (s3err && retryable_error(s3err));
@@ -363,6 +371,10 @@ int S3Storage::deleteObject(const string &_key)
             else
                 logger->log(LOG_ERR, "S3Storage::deleteObject(): failed to DELETE, got '%s'.  bucket = %s, key = %s.  Retrying...",
                     s3err_msgs[s3err], bucket.c_str(), key.c_str());
+            if (skipRetryableErrors)
+            {
+                return -1;
+            }
             sleep(5);
         }
     } while (s3err && s3err != MS3_ERR_NOT_FOUND && retryable_error(s3err));
@@ -398,6 +410,10 @@ int S3Storage::copyObject(const string &_sourceKey, const string &_destKey)
             else
                 logger->log(LOG_ERR, "S3Storage::copyObject(): failed to copy, got '%s'.  bucket = %s, srckey = %s, "
                     " destkey = %s.  Retrying...", s3err_msgs[s3err], bucket.c_str(), sourceKey.c_str(), destKey.c_str());
+            if (skipRetryableErrors)
+            {
+                return -1;
+            }
             sleep(5);
         }
     } while (s3err && retryable_error(s3err));
@@ -447,6 +463,10 @@ int S3Storage::exists(const string &_key, bool *out)
             else
                 logger->log(LOG_ERR, "S3Storage::exists(): failed to HEAD, got '%s'.  bucket = %s, key = %s.  Retrying...",
                     s3err_msgs[s3err], bucket.c_str(), key.c_str());
+            if (skipRetryableErrors)
+            {
+                return -1;
+            }
             sleep(5);
         }
     } while (s3err && s3err != MS3_ERR_NOT_FOUND && retryable_error(s3err));
diff --git a/storage-manager/src/S3Storage.h b/storage-manager/src/S3Storage.h
index 3b9b4ae2a..ba20a6b7c 100644
--- a/storage-manager/src/S3Storage.h
+++ b/storage-manager/src/S3Storage.h
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ namespace storagemanager
 class S3Storage : public CloudStorage
 {
     public:
-        S3Storage();
+        S3Storage(bool skipRetry = false);
+
         virtual ~S3Storage();
 
         int getObject(const std::string &sourceKey, const std::string &destFile, size_t *size = NULL);
@@ -46,6 +47,8 @@ class S3Storage : public CloudStorage
         ms3_st *getConnection();
         void returnConnection(ms3_st *);
     
+        bool skipRetryableErrors;
+
         std::string bucket;   // might store this as a char *, since it's only used that way
         std::string prefix;
         std::string region;
diff --git a/storage-manager/src/testS3Connection.cpp b/storage-manager/src/testS3Connection.cpp
index aa0071d1b..a20d8d828 100644
--- a/storage-manager/src/testS3Connection.cpp
+++ b/storage-manager/src/testS3Connection.cpp
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ int s3TestConnection()
     int ret = 0;
     try
     {
-        S3Storage* s3 = new S3Storage();
+        S3Storage* s3 = new S3Storage(true);
         cout << "S3 Storage Manager Configuration OK" << endl;
         delete s3;
     }