diff --git a/src/pool.ml b/src/pool.ml
index 2dc1eb07..4f2eef66 100644
--- a/src/pool.ml
+++ b/src/pool.ml
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ let run (self : t) (f : task) : unit =
 
   try
     (* try each queue with a round-robin initial offset *)
-    for _retry = 1 to 3 do
+    for _retry = 1 to 10 do
       for i = 0 to n_qs - 1 do
         let q_idx = (i + offset) mod Array.length self.qs in
         let q = self.qs.(q_idx) in
@@ -69,13 +69,11 @@ let worker_thread_ ~on_exn (active : bool A.t) (qs : task Bb_queue.t array)
 
       let task =
         try
-          for _retry = 1 to 3 do
-            for i = 0 to num_qs - 1 do
-              let q = qs.((offset + i) mod num_qs) in
-              match Bb_queue.try_pop ~force_lock:false q with
-              | Some f -> raise_notrace (Got_task f)
-              | None -> ()
-            done
+          for i = 0 to num_qs - 1 do
+            let q = qs.((offset + i) mod num_qs) in
+            match Bb_queue.try_pop ~force_lock:false q with
+            | Some f -> raise_notrace (Got_task f)
+            | None -> ()
           done;
           pop_blocking ()
         with Got_task f -> f