diff --git a/src/NzbDrone.Core.Test/Download/DownloadClientStatusServiceFixture.cs b/src/NzbDrone.Core.Test/Download/DownloadClientStatusServiceFixture.cs
index 0ddae11a2..08aca1cdb 100644
--- a/src/NzbDrone.Core.Test/Download/DownloadClientStatusServiceFixture.cs
+++ b/src/NzbDrone.Core.Test/Download/DownloadClientStatusServiceFixture.cs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ namespace NzbDrone.Core.Test.Download
             _epoch = DateTime.UtcNow;
         }
 
-        private void WithStatus(DownloadClientStatus status)
+        private DownloadClientStatus WithStatus(DownloadClientStatus status)
         {
             Mocker.GetMock<IDownloadClientStatusRepository>()
                 .Setup(v => v.FindByProviderId(1))
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ namespace NzbDrone.Core.Test.Download
             Mocker.GetMock<IDownloadClientStatusRepository>()
                 .Setup(v => v.All())
                 .Returns(new[] { status });
+
+            return status;
         }
 
         private void VerifyUpdate()
@@ -77,6 +79,54 @@ namespace NzbDrone.Core.Test.Download
             status.Should().NotBeNull();
         }
 
+        [Test]
+        public void should_not_escalate_further_till_after_5_minutes_since_initial_failure()
+        {
+            var origStatus = WithStatus(new DownloadClientStatus
+            {
+                InitialFailure = _epoch - TimeSpan.FromMinutes(4),
+                MostRecentFailure = _epoch - TimeSpan.FromSeconds(4),
+                EscalationLevel = 3
+            });
+
+            Subject.RecordFailure(1);
+            Subject.RecordFailure(1);
+            Subject.RecordFailure(1);
+            Subject.RecordFailure(1);
+            Subject.RecordFailure(1);
+            Subject.RecordFailure(1);
+            Subject.RecordFailure(1);
+
+            var status = Subject.GetBlockedProviders().FirstOrDefault();
+            status.Should().BeNull();
+
+            origStatus.EscalationLevel.Should().Be(3);
+        }
+
+        [Test]
+        public void should_escalate_further_after_5_minutes_since_initial_failure()
+        {
+            WithStatus(new DownloadClientStatus
+            {
+                InitialFailure = _epoch - TimeSpan.FromMinutes(6),
+                MostRecentFailure = _epoch - TimeSpan.FromSeconds(120),
+                EscalationLevel = 3
+            });
+
+            Subject.RecordFailure(1);
+            Subject.RecordFailure(1);
+            Subject.RecordFailure(1);
+            Subject.RecordFailure(1);
+            Subject.RecordFailure(1);
+            Subject.RecordFailure(1);
+            Subject.RecordFailure(1);
+
+            var status = Subject.GetBlockedProviders().FirstOrDefault();
+            status.Should().NotBeNull();
+
+            status.EscalationLevel.Should().BeGreaterThan(3);
+        }
+
         [Test]
         public void should_not_escalate_beyond_3_hours()
         {
diff --git a/src/NzbDrone.Core/ThingiProvider/Status/ProviderStatusServiceBase.cs b/src/NzbDrone.Core/ThingiProvider/Status/ProviderStatusServiceBase.cs
index 8ea34d47e..7c5710e7b 100644
--- a/src/NzbDrone.Core/ThingiProvider/Status/ProviderStatusServiceBase.cs
+++ b/src/NzbDrone.Core/ThingiProvider/Status/ProviderStatusServiceBase.cs
@@ -93,14 +93,18 @@ namespace NzbDrone.Core.ThingiProvider.Status
                 var status = GetProviderStatus(providerId);
 
                 var now = DateTime.UtcNow;
+                status.MostRecentFailure = now;
 
                 if (status.EscalationLevel == 0)
                 {
                     status.InitialFailure = now;
+                    status.EscalationLevel = 1;
+                    escalate = false;
                 }
 
-                status.MostRecentFailure = now;
-                if (escalate)
+                var inGracePeriod = (status.InitialFailure.Value + MinimumTimeSinceInitialFailure) > now;
+
+                if (escalate && !inGracePeriod)
                 {
                     status.EscalationLevel = Math.Min(MaximumEscalationLevel, status.EscalationLevel + 1);
                 }
@@ -113,7 +117,7 @@ namespace NzbDrone.Core.ThingiProvider.Status
                     }
                 }
 
-                if (status.InitialFailure.Value + MinimumTimeSinceInitialFailure <= now || minimumBackOff != TimeSpan.Zero)
+                if (!inGracePeriod || minimumBackOff != TimeSpan.Zero)
                 {
                     status.DisabledTill = now + CalculateBackOffPeriod(status);
                 }