diff --git a/httpclient5/src/main/java/org/apache/hc/client5/http/HttpRequestRetryStrategy.java b/httpclient5/src/main/java/org/apache/hc/client5/http/HttpRequestRetryStrategy.java
index 56012eec2..3fcd9912c 100644
--- a/httpclient5/src/main/java/org/apache/hc/client5/http/HttpRequestRetryStrategy.java
+++ b/httpclient5/src/main/java/org/apache/hc/client5/http/HttpRequestRetryStrategy.java
@@ -75,6 +75,22 @@ public interface HttpRequestRetryStrategy {
      */
     boolean retryRequest(HttpResponse response, int execCount, HttpContext context);
 
+
+    /**
+     * Determines the retry interval between subsequent retries.
+     *
+     * @param request the request failed due to an I/O exception
+     * @param exception the exception that occurred
+     * @param execCount the number of times this method has been
+     *                  unsuccessfully executed
+     * @param context the context for the request execution
+     *
+     * @return the retry interval between subsequent retries
+     */
+    default TimeValue getRetryInterval(HttpRequest request, IOException exception, int execCount, HttpContext context) {
+        return TimeValue.ZERO_MILLISECONDS;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Determines the retry interval between subsequent retries.
      *
diff --git a/httpclient5/src/main/java/org/apache/hc/client5/http/impl/async/AsyncHttpRequestRetryExec.java b/httpclient5/src/main/java/org/apache/hc/client5/http/impl/async/AsyncHttpRequestRetryExec.java
index 3101ade5e..a38bfd42f 100644
--- a/httpclient5/src/main/java/org/apache/hc/client5/http/impl/async/AsyncHttpRequestRetryExec.java
+++ b/httpclient5/src/main/java/org/apache/hc/client5/http/impl/async/AsyncHttpRequestRetryExec.java
@@ -159,7 +159,8 @@ public final class AsyncHttpRequestRetryExec implements AsyncExecChainHandler {
                             entityProducer.releaseResources();
                         }
                         state.retrying = true;
-                        scope.execCount.incrementAndGet();
+                        final int execCount = scope.execCount.incrementAndGet();
+                        state.delay = retryStrategy.getRetryInterval(request, (IOException) cause, execCount - 1, clientContext);
                         scope.scheduler.scheduleExecution(request, entityProducer, scope, asyncExecCallback, state.delay);
                         return;
                     }
diff --git a/httpclient5/src/main/java/org/apache/hc/client5/http/impl/classic/HttpRequestRetryExec.java b/httpclient5/src/main/java/org/apache/hc/client5/http/impl/classic/HttpRequestRetryExec.java
index 71e222135..75e75d19f 100644
--- a/httpclient5/src/main/java/org/apache/hc/client5/http/impl/classic/HttpRequestRetryExec.java
+++ b/httpclient5/src/main/java/org/apache/hc/client5/http/impl/classic/HttpRequestRetryExec.java
@@ -113,6 +113,18 @@ public class HttpRequestRetryExec implements ExecChainHandler {
                         LOG.info("Recoverable I/O exception ({}) caught when processing request to {}",
                                 ex.getClass().getName(), route);
                     }
+                    final TimeValue nextInterval = retryStrategy.getRetryInterval(request, ex, execCount, context);
+                    if (TimeValue.isPositive(nextInterval)) {
+                        try {
+                            if (LOG.isDebugEnabled()) {
+                                LOG.debug("{} wait for {}", exchangeId, nextInterval);
+                            }
+                            nextInterval.sleep();
+                        } catch (final InterruptedException e) {
+                            Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
+                            throw new InterruptedIOException();
+                        }
+                    }
                     currentRequest = ClassicRequestBuilder.copy(scope.originalRequest).build();
                     continue;
                 } else {
diff --git a/httpclient5/src/test/java/org/apache/hc/client5/http/impl/classic/TestHttpRequestRetryExec.java b/httpclient5/src/test/java/org/apache/hc/client5/http/impl/classic/TestHttpRequestRetryExec.java
index 34482bf38..b885ae7ba 100644
--- a/httpclient5/src/test/java/org/apache/hc/client5/http/impl/classic/TestHttpRequestRetryExec.java
+++ b/httpclient5/src/test/java/org/apache/hc/client5/http/impl/classic/TestHttpRequestRetryExec.java
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ public class TestHttpRequestRetryExec {
     private ExecChain chain;
     @Mock
     private ExecRuntime endpoint;
+    @Mock
+    private TimeValue nextInterval;
 
     private HttpRequestRetryExec retryExec;
     private HttpHost target;
@@ -103,6 +105,39 @@ public class TestHttpRequestRetryExec {
         Mockito.verify(response, Mockito.times(1)).close();
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testRetrySleepOnIOException() throws Exception {
+        final HttpRoute route = new HttpRoute(target);
+        final HttpGet request = new HttpGet("/test");
+        final HttpClientContext context = HttpClientContext.create();
+
+        final ClassicHttpResponse response = Mockito.mock(ClassicHttpResponse.class);
+
+        Mockito.when(chain.proceed(
+                Mockito.same(request),
+                Mockito.any())).thenThrow(new IOException("Ka-boom"));
+        Mockito.when(retryStrategy.retryRequest(
+                Mockito.any(),
+                Mockito.any(),
+                Mockito.anyInt(),
+                Mockito.any())).thenReturn(Boolean.TRUE, Boolean.FALSE);
+        Mockito.when(retryStrategy.getRetryInterval(
+                Mockito.any(),
+                Mockito.any(),
+                Mockito.anyInt(),
+                Mockito.any())).thenReturn(nextInterval);
+        Mockito.when(nextInterval.getDuration()).thenReturn(100L);
+        Mockito.when(nextInterval.compareTo(Mockito.any())).thenReturn(-1);
+
+        final ExecChain.Scope scope = new ExecChain.Scope("test", route, request, endpoint, context);
+        retryExec.execute(request, scope, chain);
+
+        Mockito.verify(chain, Mockito.times(2)).proceed(
+                Mockito.any(),
+                Mockito.same(scope));
+        Mockito.verify(nextInterval, Mockito.times(1)).sleep();
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testRetryIntervalGreaterResponseTimeout() throws Exception {
         final HttpRoute route = new HttpRoute(target);