diff --git a/lib/secure-streams/private-lib-secure-streams.h b/lib/secure-streams/private-lib-secure-streams.h
index f0dd85852..d88561f99 100644
--- a/lib/secure-streams/private-lib-secure-streams.h
+++ b/lib/secure-streams/private-lib-secure-streams.h
@@ -377,6 +377,9 @@ int
 lws_ss_exp_cb_metadata(void *priv, const char *name, char *out, size_t *pos,
 			size_t olen, size_t *exp_ofs);
 
+int
+_lws_ss_client_connect(lws_ss_handle_t *h, int is_retry);
+
 int
 lws_ss_sys_cpd(struct lws_context *cx);
 
diff --git a/lib/secure-streams/secure-streams-serialize.c b/lib/secure-streams/secure-streams-serialize.c
index ecf326ce1..db24f14a5 100644
--- a/lib/secure-streams/secure-streams-serialize.c
+++ b/lib/secure-streams/secure-streams-serialize.c
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ lws_ss_deserialize_parse(struct lws_ss_serialization_parser *par,
 					goto hangup;
 				par->ps = RPAR_TYPE;
 				if (*pss)
-					lws_ss_client_connect(*pss);
+					_lws_ss_client_connect(*pss, 0);
 				break;
 
 			case LWSSS_SER_TXPRE_STREAMTYPE:
diff --git a/lib/secure-streams/secure-streams.c b/lib/secure-streams/secure-streams.c
index 4ffd5a9a7..36880f7be 100644
--- a/lib/secure-streams/secure-streams.c
+++ b/lib/secure-streams/secure-streams.c
@@ -294,12 +294,8 @@ lws_ss_smd_tx_cb(lws_sorted_usec_list_t *sul)
 
 #endif
 
-/*
- * This is a local SS binding to a local SMD server
- */
-
 int
-lws_ss_client_connect(lws_ss_handle_t *h)
+_lws_ss_client_connect(lws_ss_handle_t *h, int is_retry)
 {
 	const char *prot, *_prot, *ipath, *_ipath, *ads, *_ads;
 	struct lws_client_connect_info i;
@@ -323,6 +319,9 @@ lws_ss_client_connect(lws_ss_handle_t *h)
 	if (h->h_sink)
 		return 0;
 
+	if (!is_retry)
+		h->retry = 0;
+
 #if defined(LWS_WITH_SYS_SMD)
 	if (h->policy == &pol_smd) {
 
@@ -473,6 +472,12 @@ lws_ss_client_connect(lws_ss_handle_t *h)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int
+lws_ss_client_connect(lws_ss_handle_t *h)
+{
+	return _lws_ss_client_connect(h, 0);
+}
+
 /*
  * Public API
  */
@@ -661,7 +666,7 @@ late_bail:
 				)
 #endif
 			    ))
-		if (lws_ss_client_connect(h))
+		if (_lws_ss_client_connect(h, 0))
 			lws_ss_backoff(h);
 
 	return 0;
@@ -760,7 +765,11 @@ lws_ss_request_tx(lws_ss_handle_t *h)
 	h->seqstate = SSSEQ_TRY_CONNECT;
 	lws_ss_event_helper(h, LWSSSCS_POLL);
 
-	if (lws_ss_client_connect(h))
+	/*
+	 * Retries operate via lws_ss_request_tx(), explicitly ask for a
+	 * reconnection to clear the retry limit
+	 */
+	if (_lws_ss_client_connect(h, 1))
 		lws_ss_backoff(h);
 }