diff --git a/actions/approve_csr_handler_test.go b/actions/approve_csr_handler_test.go
index a6c06c0..b8e4b52 100644
--- a/actions/approve_csr_handler_test.go
+++ b/actions/approve_csr_handler_test.go
@@ -131,8 +131,8 @@ func TestApproveCSRHandler(t *testing.T) {
 		h := &approveCSRHandler{
 			log:                    log,
 			clientset:              client,
-			csrFetchInterval:       100 * time.Millisecond,
-			initialCSRFetchTimeout: 1000 * time.Millisecond,
+			csrFetchInterval:       500 * time.Millisecond,
+			initialCSRFetchTimeout: 5000 * time.Millisecond,
 		}
 
 		ctx := context.Background()
diff --git a/actions/kubernetes_helpers.go b/actions/kubernetes_helpers.go
index e8dc2d7..e0f3403 100644
--- a/actions/kubernetes_helpers.go
+++ b/actions/kubernetes_helpers.go
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ func getNodeForPatching(ctx context.Context, log logrus.FieldLogger, clientset k
 	var node *v1.Node
 
 	boff := waitext.DefaultExponentialBackoff()
+	boff.Duration = 5 * time.Second
 
 	err := waitext.Retry(
 		ctx,
diff --git a/waitext/extensions.go b/waitext/extensions.go
index 861610c..b07f020 100644
--- a/waitext/extensions.go
+++ b/waitext/extensions.go
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	defaultInitialInterval     = 500 * time.Millisecond
+	defaultInitialInterval     = 1 * time.Second
 	defaultRandomizationFactor = 0.5
 	defaultMultiplier          = 1.5
 	defaultMaxInterval         = 60 * time.Second