diff --git a/cromwell-drs-localizer/src/main/scala/drs/localizer/downloaders/GcsUriDownloader.scala b/cromwell-drs-localizer/src/main/scala/drs/localizer/downloaders/GcsUriDownloader.scala
index 5f2c49a9284..b1783b3ad2d 100644
--- a/cromwell-drs-localizer/src/main/scala/drs/localizer/downloaders/GcsUriDownloader.scala
+++ b/cromwell-drs-localizer/src/main/scala/drs/localizer/downloaders/GcsUriDownloader.scala
@@ -57,36 +57,30 @@ case class GcsUriDownloader(gcsUrl: String,
                           downloadAttempt: Int = 0
   ): IO[DownloadResult] = {
 
+    // Necessary function to handle the throwable when trying to recover a failed download
+    def handleDownloadFailure(t: Throwable): IO[DownloadResult] =
+      downloadWithRetries(downloadRetries, backoff, downloadAttempt + 1)
+
+    logger.info(s"Attempting download attempt $downloadAttempt of $downloadRetries for a GCS url")
+
     if (downloadAttempt < downloadRetries) {
       backoff foreach { b => Thread.sleep(b.backoffMillis) }
-      logger.warn(s"Attempting download retry $downloadAttempt of $downloadRetries for a GCS url")
-      downloadWithRetries(downloadRetries,
-                          backoff map {
-                            _.next
-                          },
-                          downloadAttempt + 1
+      runDownloadCommand.redeemWith(
+        recover = handleDownloadFailure,
+        bind = {
+          case s: DownloadSuccess.type =>
+            IO.pure(s)
+          case _: RecognizedRetryableDownloadFailure =>
+            downloadWithRetries(downloadRetries, backoff, downloadAttempt + 1)
+          case _: UnrecognizedRetryableDownloadFailure =>
+            downloadWithRetries(downloadRetries, backoff, downloadAttempt + 1)
+          case _ =>
+            downloadWithRetries(downloadRetries, backoff, downloadAttempt + 1)
+        }
       )
     } else {
       IO.raiseError(new RuntimeException(s"Exhausted $downloadRetries resolution retries to download GCS file"))
     }
-
-    // Necessary function to handle the throwable when trying to recover a failed download
-    def handleDownloadFailure(t: Throwable): IO[DownloadResult] =
-      downloadWithRetries(downloadRetries, backoff, downloadAttempt + 1)
-
-    runDownloadCommand.redeemWith(
-      recover = handleDownloadFailure,
-      bind = {
-        case s: DownloadSuccess.type =>
-          IO.pure(s)
-        case _: RecognizedRetryableDownloadFailure =>
-          downloadWithRetries(downloadRetries, backoff, downloadAttempt + 1)
-        case _: UnrecognizedRetryableDownloadFailure =>
-          downloadWithRetries(downloadRetries, backoff, downloadAttempt + 1)
-        case _ =>
-          downloadWithRetries(downloadRetries, backoff, downloadAttempt + 1)
-      }
-    )
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/cromwell-drs-localizer/src/test/scala/drs/localizer/downloaders/GcsUriDownloaderSpec.scala b/cromwell-drs-localizer/src/test/scala/drs/localizer/downloaders/GcsUriDownloaderSpec.scala
index 07eb5ede181..4bd2ad0e787 100644
--- a/cromwell-drs-localizer/src/test/scala/drs/localizer/downloaders/GcsUriDownloaderSpec.scala
+++ b/cromwell-drs-localizer/src/test/scala/drs/localizer/downloaders/GcsUriDownloaderSpec.scala
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package drs.localizer.downloaders
 
 import common.assertion.CromwellTimeoutSpec
+import org.mockito.Mockito.{spy, times, verify}
 import org.scalatest.flatspec.AnyFlatSpec
 import org.scalatest.matchers.should.Matchers
 
@@ -96,4 +97,25 @@ class GcsUriDownloaderSpec extends AnyFlatSpec with CromwellTimeoutSpec with Mat
 
     downloader.generateDownloadScript(gcsUrl, Option(fakeSAJsonPath)) shouldBe expectedDownloadScript
   }
+
+  it should "fail to download GCS URL after 5 attempts" in {
+    val gcsUrl = "gs://foo/bar.bam"
+    val downloader = spy(new GcsUriDownloader(
+      gcsUrl = gcsUrl,
+      downloadLoc = fakeDownloadLocation,
+      requesterPaysProjectIdOption = Option(fakeRequesterPaysId),
+      serviceAccountJson = None
+    ))
+
+    val result = downloader.downloadWithRetries(5, None).attempt.unsafeRunSync()
+
+    result.isLeft shouldBe true
+    // attempts to download the 1st time and the 5th time, but doesn't attempt a 6th
+    verify(downloader, times(1)).downloadWithRetries(5, None, 1)
+    verify(downloader, times(1)).downloadWithRetries(5, None, 5)
+    verify(downloader, times(0)).downloadWithRetries(5, None, 6)
+    // attempts the actual download command 5 times
+    verify(downloader, times(5)).runDownloadCommand
+
+  }
 }