diff --git a/depends/Makefile b/depends/Makefile
index 823be933a7..67d4fae792 100644
--- a/depends/Makefile
+++ b/depends/Makefile
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ PATCHES_PATH = $(BASEDIR)/patches
 BASEDIR = $(CURDIR)
 HASH_LENGTH:=11
 DOWNLOAD_CONNECT_TIMEOUT:=30
+DOWNLOAD_RETRIES:=3
 HOST_ID_SALT ?= salt
 BUILD_ID_SALT ?= salt
 
diff --git a/depends/builders/darwin.mk b/depends/builders/darwin.mk
index e298d302ca..4721c1a354 100644
--- a/depends/builders/darwin.mk
+++ b/depends/builders/darwin.mk
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ build_darwin_OTOOL:=$(shell xcrun -f otool)
 build_darwin_NM:=$(shell xcrun -f nm)
 build_darwin_INSTALL_NAME_TOOL:=$(shell xcrun -f install_name_tool)
 build_darwin_SHA256SUM=shasum -a 256
-build_darwin_DOWNLOAD=curl --location --fail --connect-timeout $(DOWNLOAD_CONNECT_TIMEOUT) -o
+build_darwin_DOWNLOAD=curl --location --fail --connect-timeout $(DOWNLOAD_CONNECT_TIMEOUT) --retry $(DOWNLOAD_RETRIES) -o
 
 #darwin host on darwin builder. overrides darwin host preferences.
 darwin_CC=$(shell xcrun -f clang) -mmacosx-version-min=$(OSX_MIN_VERSION) -isysroot$(shell xcrun --show-sdk-path)
diff --git a/depends/builders/linux.mk b/depends/builders/linux.mk
index 9af0d066a0..b03f424010 100644
--- a/depends/builders/linux.mk
+++ b/depends/builders/linux.mk
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 build_linux_SHA256SUM = sha256sum
-build_linux_DOWNLOAD = curl --location --fail --connect-timeout $(DOWNLOAD_CONNECT_TIMEOUT) -o
+build_linux_DOWNLOAD = curl --location --fail --connect-timeout $(DOWNLOAD_CONNECT_TIMEOUT) --retry $(DOWNLOAD_RETRIES) -o
diff --git a/depends/funcs.mk b/depends/funcs.mk
index deca7806cc..87052bf6e0 100644
--- a/depends/funcs.mk
+++ b/depends/funcs.mk
@@ -37,8 +37,6 @@ endef
 define fetch_file
     ( test -f $$($(1)_source_dir)/$(4) || \
     ( $(call fetch_file_inner,$(1),$(2),$(3),$(4),$(5)) || \
-      (sleep 5 && $(call fetch_file_inner,$(1),$(2),$(3),$(4),$(5))) || \
-      (sleep 10 && $(call fetch_file_inner,$(1),$(2),$(3),$(4),$(5))) || \
       $(call fetch_file_inner,$(1),$(FALLBACK_DOWNLOAD_PATH),$(3),$(4),$(5))))
 endef