diff --git a/src/metrics.ts b/src/metrics.ts
index e57f64d3..b093ac6e 100644
--- a/src/metrics.ts
+++ b/src/metrics.ts
@@ -225,9 +225,10 @@ export default class Metrics extends EventEmitter {
         httpOptions: this.httpOptions,
       });
       if (!res.ok) {
-        if (res.status === 404 || res.status === 403 || res.status == 401) {
+        if (res.status === 403 || res.status == 401) {
           this.configurationError(url, res.status);
         } else if (
+          res.status === 404 ||
           res.status === 429 ||
           res.status === 500 ||
           res.status === 502 ||
diff --git a/src/repository/index.ts b/src/repository/index.ts
index 588f796f..7c54b7af 100644
--- a/src/repository/index.ts
+++ b/src/repository/index.ts
@@ -270,15 +270,7 @@ Message: ${err.message}`,
   // and returns 0 as the next fetch interval (stop polling)
   private configurationError(url: string, statusCode: number): number {
     this.failures += 1;
-    if (statusCode === 404) {
-      this.emit(
-        UnleashEvents.Error,
-        new Error(
-          // eslint-disable-next-line max-len
-          `${url} responded NOT_FOUND (404) which means your API url most likely needs correction. Stopping refresh of toggles`,
-        ),
-      );
-    } else if (statusCode === 401 || statusCode === 403) {
+    if (statusCode === 401 || statusCode === 403) {
       this.emit(
         UnleashEvents.Error,
         new Error(
@@ -294,7 +286,7 @@ Message: ${err.message}`,
   // and return the new interval.
   private recoverableError(url: string, statusCode: number): number {
     let nextFetch = this.backoff();
-    if (statusCode === 429) {
+    if (statusCode === 404 || statusCode === 429) {
       this.emit(
         UnleashEvents.Warn,
         // eslint-disable-next-line max-len
@@ -312,9 +304,10 @@ Message: ${err.message}`,
   }
 
   private handleErrorCases(url: string, statusCode: number): number {
-    if (statusCode === 401 || statusCode === 403 || statusCode === 404) {
+    if (statusCode === 401 || statusCode === 403) {
       return this.configurationError(url, statusCode);
     } else if (
+      statusCode === 404 ||
       statusCode === 429 ||
       statusCode === 500 ||
       statusCode === 502 ||
diff --git a/src/test/metrics.test.ts b/src/test/metrics.test.ts
index aae40cbf..24dea0c1 100644
--- a/src/test/metrics.test.ts
+++ b/src/test/metrics.test.ts
@@ -252,29 +252,28 @@ test('registerInstance should warn when non 200 statusCode', async (t) => {
   metrics.start();
 });
 
-test('sendMetrics should stop/disable metrics if endpoint returns 404', (t) =>
-  new Promise((resolve) => {
-    const url = getUrl();
-    const metEP = nockMetrics(url, 404);
-    // @ts-expect-error
-    const metrics = new Metrics({
-      metricsInterval: 50,
-      url,
-    });
-
-    metrics.on('warn', () => {
-      metrics.stop();
-      t.true(metEP.isDone());
-      // @ts-expect-error
-      t.true(metrics.disabled);
-      resolve();
-    });
-    metrics.start();
-
-    metrics.count('x-y-z', true);
-
-    metrics.sendMetrics();
-  }));
+test('sendMetrics should backoff on 404', async (t) => {
+  const url = getUrl();
+  nockMetrics(url, 404).persist();
+  const metrics = new Metrics({
+    appName: '404-tester',
+    instanceId: '404-instance',
+    metricsInterval: 10,
+    strategies: [],
+    url,
+  });
+  metrics.count('x-y-z', true);
+  await metrics.sendMetrics();
+  // @ts-expect-error actually a private field, but we access it for tests
+  t.false(metrics.disabled);
+  t.is(metrics.getFailures(), 1);
+  t.is(metrics.getInterval(), 20);
+  await metrics.sendMetrics();
+  // @ts-expect-error actually a private field, but we access it for tests
+  t.false(metrics.disabled);
+  t.is(metrics.getFailures(), 2);
+  t.is(metrics.getInterval(), 30);
+});
 
 test('sendMetrics should emit warn on non 200 statusCode', (t) =>
   new Promise((resolve) => {