diff --git a/api/client.go b/api/client.go
index f35225a946..f23e1009d3 100644
--- a/api/client.go
+++ b/api/client.go
@@ -260,9 +260,9 @@ func NewClient(c *Config) (*Client, error) {
 		// but in e.g. http_test actual redirect handling is necessary
 		c.HttpClient.CheckRedirect = func(req *http.Request, via []*http.Request) error {
 			// Returning this value causes the Go net library to not close the
-			// response body and nil out the error. Otherwise pester tries
+			// response body and to nil out the error. Otherwise pester tries
 			// three times on every redirect because it sees an error from this
-			// function being passed through.
+			// function (to prevent redirects) passing through to it.
 			return http.ErrUseLastResponse
 		}
 	}
@@ -298,6 +298,11 @@ func (c *Client) Address() string {
 	return c.addr.String()
 }
 
+// SetMaxRetries sets the number of retries that will be used in the case of certain errors
+func (c *Client) SetMaxRetries(retries int) {
+	c.config.MaxRetries = retries
+}
+
 // SetWrappingLookupFunc sets a lookup function that returns desired wrap TTLs
 // for a given operation and path
 func (c *Client) SetWrappingLookupFunc(lookupFunc WrappingLookupFunc) {