diff --git a/examples/Cargo.toml b/examples/Cargo.toml
index 8a82cd001..f08cacca8 100644
--- a/examples/Cargo.toml
+++ b/examples/Cargo.toml
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ snafu = { version = "0.6.8", features = ["futures"] }
 either = "1.6.0"
 # Some configuration tweaking require reqwest atm
 reqwest = { version = "0.10.7", default-features = false, features = ["json", "gzip", "stream"] }
+backoff = "0.2.1"
 
 [[example]]
 name = "configmapgen_controller"
diff --git a/examples/configmapgen_controller.rs b/examples/configmapgen_controller.rs
index 9fe5b5429..ba7ec2dbd 100644
--- a/examples/configmapgen_controller.rs
+++ b/examples/configmapgen_controller.rs
@@ -97,13 +97,6 @@ async fn reconcile(generator: ConfigMapGenerator, ctx: Context<Data>) -> Result<
     })
 }
 
-/// The controller triggers this on reconcile errors
-fn error_policy(_error: &Error, _ctx: Context<Data>) -> ReconcilerAction {
-    ReconcilerAction {
-        requeue_after: Some(Duration::from_secs(1)),
-    }
-}
-
 // Data we want access to in error/reconcile calls
 struct Data {
     client: Client,
@@ -120,7 +113,11 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
 
     Controller::new(cmgs, ListParams::default())
         .owns(cms, ListParams::default())
-        .run(reconcile, error_policy, Context::new(Data { client }))
+        .run(
+            reconcile,
+            || backoff::backoff::Constant::new(Duration::from_secs(1)),
+            Context::new(Data { client }),
+        )
         .for_each(|res| async move {
             match res {
                 Ok(o) => info!("reconciled {:?}", o),
diff --git a/kube-runtime/Cargo.toml b/kube-runtime/Cargo.toml
index 6175ede3e..aff75f97b 100644
--- a/kube-runtime/Cargo.toml
+++ b/kube-runtime/Cargo.toml
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ pin-project = "0.4.23"
 tokio = { version = "0.2.21", features = ["time"] }
 snafu = { version = "0.6.8", features = ["futures"] }
 dashmap = "3.11.10"
+backoff = "0.2.1"
 
 [features]
 default = ["native-tls"]
diff --git a/kube-runtime/src/controller.rs b/kube-runtime/src/controller.rs
index aeec69724..82e84d166 100644
--- a/kube-runtime/src/controller.rs
+++ b/kube-runtime/src/controller.rs
@@ -2,12 +2,13 @@ use crate::{
     reflector::{
         reflector,
         store::{Store, Writer},
-        ErasedResource, ObjectRef,
+        ObjectRef, RuntimeResource,
     },
     scheduler::{self, scheduler, ScheduleRequest},
     utils::{try_flatten_applied, try_flatten_touched, trystream_try_via},
     watcher::{self, watcher},
 };
+use backoff::backoff::Backoff;
 use derivative::Derivative;
 use futures::{
     channel, future,
@@ -17,17 +18,23 @@ use futures::{
 use kube::api::{Api, ListParams, Meta};
 use serde::de::DeserializeOwned;
 use snafu::{futures::TryStreamExt as SnafuTryStreamExt, Backtrace, OptionExt, ResultExt, Snafu};
-use std::{sync::Arc, time::Duration};
+use std::{collections::HashMap, fmt::Debug, marker::PhantomData, sync::Arc, time::Duration};
 use stream::BoxStream;
 use tokio::time::Instant;
 
-#[derive(Snafu, Debug)]
-pub enum Error<ReconcilerErr: std::error::Error + 'static, QueueErr: std::error::Error + 'static> {
+#[derive(Snafu, Derivative)]
+#[derivative(Debug(bound = ""))]
+pub enum Error<
+    K: RuntimeResource,
+    ReconcilerErr: std::error::Error + 'static,
+    QueueErr: std::error::Error + 'static,
+> {
     ObjectNotFound {
-        obj_ref: ObjectRef<ErasedResource>,
+        obj_ref: ObjectRef<K>,
         backtrace: Backtrace,
     },
     ReconcilerFailed {
+        obj_ref: ObjectRef<K>,
         source: ReconcilerErr,
         backtrace: Backtrace,
     },
@@ -92,6 +99,75 @@ where
     })
 }
 
+/// A policy for when to retry reconciliation, after an error has occurred.
+pub trait ErrorPolicy {
+    type Err;
+    type K: RuntimeResource;
+    type Ctx;
+
+    /// Notifies that the state for an object should be removed, for example if it is reconciled successfully.
+    fn reset_object(&mut self, obj_ref: &ObjectRef<Self::K>, ctx: Context<Self::Ctx>);
+    /// Queries for when to next retry after an error.
+    fn on_error(
+        &mut self,
+        obj_ref: ObjectRef<Self::K>,
+        error: &Self::Err,
+        ctx: Context<Self::Ctx>,
+    ) -> ReconcilerAction;
+}
+
+/// Retries errors based on a `Backoff` policy.
+///
+/// A separate backoff tracker is used for each object, and it is
+/// reset whenever the object is reconciled successfully.
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct BackoffErrorPolicy<MkBackoff, B, K: RuntimeResource, Err, Ctx> {
+    make_backoff: MkBackoff,
+    backoffs: HashMap<ObjectRef<K>, B>,
+    _err: PhantomData<Err>,
+    _ctx: PhantomData<Ctx>,
+}
+
+impl<MkBackoff: FnMut() -> B, B: Backoff, K: RuntimeResource, Err, Ctx>
+    BackoffErrorPolicy<MkBackoff, B, K, Err, Ctx>
+{
+    fn new(make_backoff: MkBackoff) -> Self {
+        BackoffErrorPolicy {
+            make_backoff,
+            backoffs: HashMap::new(),
+            _err: PhantomData,
+            _ctx: PhantomData,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl<MkBackoff: FnMut() -> B, B: Backoff, K: RuntimeResource, Err, Ctx> ErrorPolicy
+    for BackoffErrorPolicy<MkBackoff, B, K, Err, Ctx>
+{
+    type Err = Err;
+    type K = K;
+    type Ctx = Ctx;
+
+    fn reset_object(&mut self, obj_ref: &ObjectRef<Self::K>, _ctx: Context<Self::Ctx>) {
+        self.backoffs.remove(obj_ref);
+    }
+
+    fn on_error(
+        &mut self,
+        obj_ref: ObjectRef<Self::K>,
+        _error: &Self::Err,
+        _ctx: Context<Self::Ctx>,
+    ) -> ReconcilerAction {
+        let obj_backoff = self
+            .backoffs
+            .entry(obj_ref)
+            .or_insert_with(&mut self.make_backoff);
+        ReconcilerAction {
+            requeue_after: obj_backoff.next_backoff(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /// A context data type that's passed through to the controllers callbacks
 ///
 /// Context<T> gets passed to both the `reconciler` and the `error_policy` callbacks.
@@ -133,11 +209,11 @@ impl<T> Context<T> {
 /// (such as triggering from arbitrary `Stream`s), at the cost of some more verbosity.
 pub fn applier<K, QueueStream, ReconcilerFut, T>(
     mut reconciler: impl FnMut(K, Context<T>) -> ReconcilerFut,
-    mut error_policy: impl FnMut(&ReconcilerFut::Error, Context<T>) -> ReconcilerAction,
+    mut error_policy: impl ErrorPolicy<K = K, Err = ReconcilerFut::Error, Ctx = T>,
     context: Context<T>,
     store: Store<K>,
     queue: QueueStream,
-) -> impl Stream<Item = Result<(ObjectRef<K>, ReconcilerAction), Error<ReconcilerFut::Error, QueueStream::Error>>>
+) -> impl Stream<Item = Result<(ObjectRef<K>, ReconcilerAction), Error<K, ReconcilerFut::Error, QueueStream::Error>>>
 where
     K: Clone + Meta + 'static,
     ReconcilerFut: TryFuture<Ok = ReconcilerAction>,
@@ -175,22 +251,51 @@ where
     })
     // then reconcile every object
     .and_then(move |(obj_ref, obj)| {
-        reconciler(obj, context.clone()) // TODO: add a context argument to the reconcile
+        reconciler(obj, context.clone())
             .into_future() // TryFuture -> impl Future
-            .map(|result| (obj_ref, result)) // turn into pair and ok wrap
-            .map(Ok) // (this lets us deal with errors from reconciler below)
+            .map(|result| match result {
+                Ok(action) => Ok((obj_ref, action)),
+                Err(err) => Err(err).context(ReconcilerFailed { obj_ref }),
+            })
     })
     // finally, for each completed reconcile call:
-    .and_then(move |(obj_ref, reconciler_result)| {
-        let ReconcilerAction { requeue_after } = match &reconciler_result {
-            Ok(action) => action.clone(),                       // do what user told us
-            Err(err) => error_policy(err, err_context.clone()), // reconciler fn call failed
+    .then(move |reconciler_result| {
+        let (obj_ref, action, error) = match reconciler_result {
+            // tell the error policy about the success (to reset backoff timers, for example)
+            Ok((obj_ref, action)) => {
+                error_policy.reset_object(&obj_ref, err_context.clone());
+                (obj_ref.clone(), action, None)
+            }
+            // reconciler fn call failed
+            Err(Error::ReconcilerFailed {
+                obj_ref,
+                source,
+                backtrace,
+            }) => (
+                obj_ref.clone(),
+                error_policy.on_error(obj_ref.clone(), &source, err_context.clone()),
+                Some(Error::ReconcilerFailed {
+                    obj_ref,
+                    source,
+                    backtrace,
+                }),
+            ),
+            // object was deleted, fake a "success" to the error policy, so that it can clean up any bookkeeping and avoid leaking memory
+            Err(Error::ObjectNotFound { obj_ref, backtrace }) => {
+                error_policy.reset_object(&obj_ref, err_context.clone());
+                (
+                    obj_ref.clone(),
+                    ReconcilerAction { requeue_after: None },
+                    Some(Error::ObjectNotFound { obj_ref, backtrace }),
+                )
+            }
+            // Upstream or internal error, propagate
+            Err(_) => return future::Either::Left(future::ready(reconciler_result)),
         };
-        // we should always requeue at some point in case of network errors ^
         let mut scheduler_tx = scheduler_tx.clone();
-        async move {
+        future::Either::Right(async move {
             // Transmit the requeue request to the scheduler (picked up again at top)
-            if let Some(delay) = requeue_after {
+            if let Some(delay) = action.requeue_after {
                 scheduler_tx
                     .send(ScheduleRequest {
                         message: obj_ref.clone(),
@@ -199,11 +304,11 @@ where
                     .await
                     .expect("Message could not be sent to scheduler_rx");
             }
-            // NB: no else clause ^ because we don't allow not requeuing atm.
-            reconciler_result
-                .map(|action| (obj_ref, action))
-                .context(ReconcilerFailed)
-        }
+            match error {
+                None => Ok((obj_ref, action)),
+                Some(err) => Err(err),
+            }
+        })
     })
 }
 
@@ -245,12 +350,6 @@ where
 ///         requeue_after: Some(Duration::from_secs(300)),
 ///     })
 /// }
-/// /// an error handler that will be called when the reconciler fails
-/// fn error_policy(_error: &Error, _ctx: Context<()>) -> ReconcilerAction {
-///     ReconcilerAction {
-///         requeue_after: Some(Duration::from_secs(60)),
-///     }
-/// }
 ///
 /// /// something to drive the controller
 /// #[tokio::main]
@@ -261,7 +360,7 @@ where
 ///     let cms = Api::<ConfigMap>::all(client.clone());
 ///     Controller::new(cmgs, ListParams::default())
 ///         .owns(cms, ListParams::default())
-///         .run(reconcile, error_policy, context)
+///         .run(reconcile, || backoff::backoff::Constant::new(Duration::from_secs(60)), context)
 ///         .for_each(|res| async move {
 ///             match res {
 ///                 Ok(o) => println!("reconciled {:?}", o),
@@ -346,18 +445,25 @@ where
     /// This creates a stream from all builder calls and starts an applier with
     /// a specified `reconciler` and `error_policy` callbacks. Each of these will be called
     /// with a configurable `Context`.
-    pub fn run<ReconcilerFut, T>(
+    pub fn run<ReconcilerFut, T, B>(
         self,
         reconciler: impl FnMut(K, Context<T>) -> ReconcilerFut,
-        error_policy: impl FnMut(&ReconcilerFut::Error, Context<T>) -> ReconcilerAction,
+        make_backoff: impl Fn() -> B,
         context: Context<T>,
-    ) -> impl Stream<Item = Result<(ObjectRef<K>, ReconcilerAction), Error<ReconcilerFut::Error, watcher::Error>>>
+    ) -> impl Stream<Item = Result<(ObjectRef<K>, ReconcilerAction), Error<K, ReconcilerFut::Error, watcher::Error>>>
     where
         K: Clone + Meta + 'static,
         ReconcilerFut: TryFuture<Ok = ReconcilerAction>,
         ReconcilerFut::Error: std::error::Error + 'static,
+        B: Backoff,
     {
-        applier(reconciler, error_policy, context, self.reader, self.selector)
+        applier(
+            reconciler,
+            BackoffErrorPolicy::new(make_backoff),
+            context,
+            self.reader,
+            self.selector,
+        )
     }
 }
 
@@ -367,6 +473,7 @@ mod tests {
     use crate::Controller;
     use k8s_openapi::api::core::v1::ConfigMap;
     use kube::Api;
+    use snafu::Snafu;
 
     fn assert_send<T: Send>(x: T) -> T {
         x
@@ -378,13 +485,16 @@ mod tests {
         )
     }
 
+    #[derive(Snafu, Debug)]
+    enum NoError {}
+
     // not #[test] because we don't want to actually run it, we just want to assert that it typechecks
     #[allow(dead_code, unused_must_use)]
     fn test_controller_should_be_send() {
         assert_send(
             Controller::new(mock_type::<Api<ConfigMap>>(), Default::default()).run(
-                |_, _| async { Ok(mock_type::<ReconcilerAction>()) },
-                |_: &std::io::Error, _| mock_type::<ReconcilerAction>(),
+                |_, _| async { Ok::<_, NoError>(mock_type::<ReconcilerAction>()) },
+                || backoff::backoff::Zero {},
                 Context::new(()),
             ),
         );