diff --git a/drivers/jsch/src/main/java/org/jclouds/ssh/jsch/JschSshClient.java b/drivers/jsch/src/main/java/org/jclouds/ssh/jsch/JschSshClient.java
index f5b4cda3dc..cb02eea5d7 100644
--- a/drivers/jsch/src/main/java/org/jclouds/ssh/jsch/JschSshClient.java
+++ b/drivers/jsch/src/main/java/org/jclouds/ssh/jsch/JschSshClient.java
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkState;
 import static com.google.common.base.Predicates.instanceOf;
 import static com.google.common.base.Predicates.or;
 import static com.google.common.base.Throwables.getCausalChain;
-import static com.google.common.base.Throwables.getRootCause;
 import static com.google.common.collect.Iterables.any;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
@@ -53,7 +52,6 @@ import org.jclouds.util.Strings2;
 import com.google.common.annotations.VisibleForTesting;
 import com.google.common.base.Predicate;
 import com.google.common.base.Splitter;
-import com.google.common.collect.Iterables;
 import com.google.common.io.Closeables;
 import com.google.inject.Inject;
 import com.jcraft.jsch.ChannelExec;
@@ -244,7 +242,7 @@ public class JschSshClient implements SshClient {
 
    public void throwChannelNotOpenExceptionOrPropagate(String channel, JSchException e) throws JSchException {
       if (e.getMessage().indexOf("channel is not opened") != -1)
-         throw new ChannelNotOpenException(String.format("(%s) channel %s is not open", toString() , channel), e);
+         throw new ChannelNotOpenException(String.format("(%s) channel %s is not open", toString(), channel), e);
    }
 
    class GetConnection implements Connection<Payload> {
@@ -296,8 +294,9 @@ public class JschSshClient implements SshClient {
       @Override
       public Void create() throws Exception {
          sftp = acquire(sftpConnection);
+         InputStream is = checkNotNull(contents.getInput(), "inputstream for path %s", path);
          try {
-            sftp.put(checkNotNull(contents.getInput(), "inputstream for path %s", path), path);
+            sftp.put(is, path);
          } finally {
             Closeables.closeQuietly(contents);
             clear();
@@ -318,18 +317,27 @@ public class JschSshClient implements SshClient {
 
    @VisibleForTesting
    boolean shouldRetry(Exception from) {
-      final String rootMessage = getRootCause(from).getMessage();
-      if (rootMessage == null)
-         return false;
       return any(getCausalChain(from), retryPredicate)
-            || Iterables.any(Splitter.on(",").split(retryableMessages), new Predicate<String>() {
+            || any(Splitter.on(",").split(retryableMessages), causalChainHasMessageContaining(from));
+   }
+
+   @VisibleForTesting
+   Predicate<String> causalChainHasMessageContaining(final Exception from) {
+      return new Predicate<String>() {
+
+         @Override
+         public boolean apply(final String input) {
+            return any(getCausalChain(from), new Predicate<Throwable>() {
 
                @Override
-               public boolean apply(String input) {
-                  return rootMessage.indexOf(input) != -1;
+               public boolean apply(Throwable arg0) {
+                  return arg0.getMessage() != null && arg0.getMessage().indexOf(input) != -1;
                }
 
             });
+         }
+
+      };
    }
 
    private void backoffForAttempt(int retryAttempt, String message) {
diff --git a/drivers/jsch/src/test/java/org/jclouds/ssh/jsch/JschSshClientTest.java b/drivers/jsch/src/test/java/org/jclouds/ssh/jsch/JschSshClientTest.java
index dcd4a484fa..324bc96b2a 100644
--- a/drivers/jsch/src/test/java/org/jclouds/ssh/jsch/JschSshClientTest.java
+++ b/drivers/jsch/src/test/java/org/jclouds/ssh/jsch/JschSshClientTest.java
@@ -32,7 +32,9 @@ import org.testng.annotations.Test;
 import com.google.inject.Guice;
 import com.google.inject.Injector;
 import com.google.inject.Module;
+import com.jcraft.jsch.ChannelSftp;
 import com.jcraft.jsch.JSchException;
+import com.jcraft.jsch.SftpException;
 
 /**
  * 
@@ -64,6 +66,8 @@ public class JschSshClientTest {
 
       assert ssh.shouldRetry(new JSchException("io error", new IOException("socket closed")));
       assert ssh.shouldRetry(new JSchException("connect error", new ConnectException("problem")));
+      assert ssh.shouldRetry(new IOException("channel %s is not open", new NullPointerException()));
+      assert ssh.shouldRetry(new IOException("channel %s is not open", new NullPointerException(null)));
 
    }
 
@@ -72,4 +76,20 @@ public class JschSshClientTest {
       assert ssh.shouldRetry(new JSchException("Session.connect: invalid data"));
       assert ssh.shouldRetry(new JSchException("Session.connect: java.net.SocketException: Connection reset"));
    }
+
+   public void testDoNotRetryOnGeneralSftpError() {
+      // http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?thread_name=CAARMrHVhASeku48xoAgWEb-nEpUuYkMA03PoA5TvvFdk%3DjGKMA%40mail.gmail.com&forum_name=jsch-users
+      assert !ssh.shouldRetry(new SftpException(ChannelSftp.SSH_FX_FAILURE, new NullPointerException().toString()));
+   }
+   
+   public void testCausalChainHasMessageContaining() {
+      assert ssh.causalChainHasMessageContaining(
+            new JSchException("Session.connect: java.io.IOException: End of IO Stream Read")).apply(
+            " End of IO Stream Read");
+      assert ssh.causalChainHasMessageContaining(new JSchException("Session.connect: invalid data")).apply(
+            " invalid data");
+      assert ssh.causalChainHasMessageContaining(
+            new JSchException("Session.connect: java.net.SocketException: Connection reset")).apply("java.net.Socket");
+      assert !ssh.causalChainHasMessageContaining(new NullPointerException()).apply(" End of IO Stream Read");
+   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file