diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/predicates/PredicateCallable.java b/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/predicates/PredicateCallable.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..37b7053fc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/predicates/PredicateCallable.java
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+package org.jclouds.predicates;
+
+import java.util.concurrent.Callable;
+
+public abstract class PredicateCallable<Result> implements PredicateWithResult<Void, Result>, Callable<Result> {
+
+   Result lastResult;
+   Exception lastFailure;
+   
+   @Override
+   public boolean apply(Void input) {
+      try {
+         lastResult = call();
+         onCompletion();
+         return isAcceptable(lastResult);
+      } catch (Exception e) {
+         lastFailure = e;
+         onFailure();
+         return false;
+      }
+   }
+
+   protected void onFailure() {
+   }
+
+   protected void onCompletion() {
+   }
+   
+   protected boolean isAcceptable(Result result) {
+      return result!=null;
+   }
+   
+   @Override
+   public Result getResult() {
+      return lastResult;
+   }
+
+   @Override
+   public Throwable getLastFailure() {
+      return lastFailure;
+   }
+
+}
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/predicates/PredicateWithResult.java b/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/predicates/PredicateWithResult.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dae1e5c98a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/predicates/PredicateWithResult.java
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+package org.jclouds.predicates;
+
+import com.google.common.base.Predicate;
+
+public interface PredicateWithResult<Input,Result> extends Predicate<Input> {
+   
+   Result getResult();
+   
+   Throwable getLastFailure();
+   
+}
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/predicates/RetryablePredicate.java b/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/predicates/RetryablePredicate.java
index cf203cf601..9b093bc747 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/predicates/RetryablePredicate.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/predicates/RetryablePredicate.java
@@ -34,6 +34,11 @@ import com.google.common.base.Predicate;
 /**
  * 
  * Retries a condition until it is met or a timeout occurs.
+ * maxWait parameter is required.
+ * Initial retry period and retry maxPeriod are optionally configurable,
+ * defaulting to 50ms and 1000ms respectively,
+ * with the retrier increasing the interval by a factor of 1.5 each time within these constraints.
+ * All values taken as millis unless TimeUnit specified.
  * 
  * @author Adrian Cole
  */
@@ -92,6 +97,7 @@ public class RetryablePredicate<T> implements Predicate<T> {
    }
 
    protected long nextMaxInterval(long attempt, Date end) {
+      // FIXME i think this should be pow(1.5, attempt) -- or alternatively newInterval = oldInterval*1.5
       long interval = (period * (long) Math.pow(attempt, 1.5));
       interval = interval > maxPeriod ? maxPeriod : interval;
       long max = end.getTime() - System.currentTimeMillis();
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/predicates/Retryables.java b/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/predicates/Retryables.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2de06a3725
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/predicates/Retryables.java
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+package org.jclouds.predicates;
+
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+
+import com.google.common.base.Predicate;
+
+public class Retryables {
+
+   public static <Input> boolean retry(Predicate<Input> predicate, Input input, long maxWaitMillis) {
+      return new RetryablePredicate<Input>(predicate, maxWaitMillis).apply(input);
+   }
+   
+   public static <Input> boolean retry(Predicate<Input> predicate, Input input, long maxWait, long period, TimeUnit unit) {
+      return new RetryablePredicate<Input>(predicate, maxWait, period, unit).apply(input);
+   }
+
+   public static <Input> void assertEventually(Predicate<Input> predicate, Input input, 
+         long maxWaitMillis, String failureMessage) {
+      if (!new RetryablePredicate<Input>(predicate, maxWaitMillis).apply(input))
+         throw new AssertionError(failureMessage);
+   }
+
+   public static <Input,Result> Result retryGettingResultOrFailing(PredicateWithResult<Input,Result> predicate,
+         Input input, long maxWaitMillis, String failureMessage) {
+      if (!new RetryablePredicate<Input>(predicate, maxWaitMillis).apply(input))
+         throw (AssertionError)new AssertionError(failureMessage).initCause(predicate.getLastFailure());
+      return predicate.getResult();
+   }
+   public static <Input,Result> Result retryGettingResultOrFailing(PredicateWithResult<Input,Result> predicate,
+         Input input, long maxWait, long period, TimeUnit unit, String failureMessage) {
+      if (!new RetryablePredicate<Input>(predicate, maxWait, period, unit).apply(input))
+         throw (AssertionError)new AssertionError(failureMessage).initCause(predicate.getLastFailure());
+      return predicate.getResult();
+   }
+
+}
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/jclouds/predicates/RetryablesTest.java b/core/src/test/java/org/jclouds/predicates/RetryablesTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c49931d39a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/jclouds/predicates/RetryablesTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+package org.jclouds.predicates;
+
+import static java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS;
+import static org.jclouds.predicates.Retryables.retry;
+import static org.jclouds.predicates.Retryables.retryGettingResultOrFailing;
+import static org.testng.Assert.*;
+
+import org.testng.annotations.Test;
+
+@Test
+public class RetryablesTest {
+
+   public static class FindX implements PredicateWithResult<String,Character> {
+      Character result;
+      Throwable lastFailure;
+      int attempts=0;
+      @Override
+      public boolean apply(String input) {
+         try {
+            result = input.charAt(attempts++);
+            return (result=='x');
+         } catch (Exception e) {
+            lastFailure = e;
+            return false;
+         }
+      }
+      public Character getResult() {
+         return result;
+      }
+      public Throwable getLastFailure() {
+         return lastFailure;
+      }
+   }
+
+   public void testPredicateWithResult() {
+      FindX findX = new FindX();
+      assertFalse(findX.apply("hexy"));
+      assertEquals((char)findX.getResult(), 'h');
+      assertFalse(findX.apply("hexy"));
+      assertTrue(findX.apply("hexy"));
+      assertEquals((char)findX.getResult(), 'x');
+      
+      assertFalse(findX.apply("hexy"));
+      assertNull(findX.getLastFailure());
+      //now we get error
+      assertFalse(findX.apply("hexy"));
+      assertNotNull(findX.getLastFailure());
+      assertEquals((char)findX.getResult(), 'y');
+   }
+
+   public void testRetry() {
+      FindX findX = new FindX();
+      assertTrue(retry(findX, "hexy", 1000, 1, MILLISECONDS));
+      assertEquals(findX.attempts, 3);
+      assertEquals((char)findX.getResult(), 'x');
+      assertNull(findX.getLastFailure());
+
+      //now we'll be getting errors
+      assertFalse(retry(findX, "hexy", 100, 1, MILLISECONDS));
+      assertEquals((char)findX.getResult(), 'y');
+      assertNotNull(findX.getLastFailure());
+   }
+
+   public void testRetryGetting() {
+      FindX findX = new FindX();
+      assertEquals((char)retryGettingResultOrFailing(findX, "hexy", 1000, "shouldn't happen"), 'x');
+
+      //now we'll be getting errors
+      boolean secondRetrySucceeds=false;
+      try {
+         retryGettingResultOrFailing(findX, "hexy", 100, "expected");
+         secondRetrySucceeds = true;
+      } catch (AssertionError e) {
+         assertTrue(e.toString().contains("expected"));
+      }
+      if (secondRetrySucceeds) fail("should have thrown");
+      assertNotNull(findX.getLastFailure());
+      assertFalse(findX.getLastFailure().toString().contains("expected"));
+   }
+
+   //using PredicateCallable we can repeat the above test, with the job expressed more simply
+   public static class FindXSimpler extends PredicateCallable<Character> {
+      String input = "hexy";
+      int attempts=0;
+      public Character call() {
+         return input.charAt(attempts++);
+      }
+      public boolean isAcceptable(Character result) {
+         return result=='x';
+      }
+   }
+
+   public void testSimplerPredicateCallableRetryGetting() {
+      FindXSimpler findX = new FindXSimpler();
+      assertEquals((char)retryGettingResultOrFailing(findX, null, 1000, "shouldn't happen"), 'x');
+
+      //now we'll be getting errors
+      boolean secondRetrySucceeds=false;
+      try {
+         retryGettingResultOrFailing(findX, null, 100, "expected");
+         secondRetrySucceeds = true;
+      } catch (AssertionError e) {
+         assertTrue(e.toString().contains("expected"));
+      }
+      if (secondRetrySucceeds) fail("should have thrown");
+      assertNotNull(findX.getLastFailure());
+      assertFalse(findX.getLastFailure().toString().contains("expected"));
+   }
+   
+}