diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/Core.java b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/Core.java
index 71e12ebb92..f203cd9e96 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/Core.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/Core.java
@@ -3311,6 +3311,7 @@ class Core {
         private Semaphore semaphore = new Semaphore(0);
         private boolean running = true;
         private boolean recoverable = true;
+        private boolean maxConnections = false;
         private Long lastActivity = null;
 
         State(ConnectionHelper.NetworkState networkState) {
@@ -3373,8 +3374,17 @@ class Core {
             yield();
         }
 
+        void setMaxConnections() {
+            maxConnections = true;
+        }
+
+        boolean getMaxConnections() {
+            return maxConnections;
+        }
+
         void reset() {
             recoverable = true;
+            maxConnections = false;
             lastActivity = null;
         }
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/ServiceSynchronize.java b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/ServiceSynchronize.java
index 6ca97d0eef..ad9c335f97 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/ServiceSynchronize.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/ServiceSynchronize.java
@@ -819,7 +819,10 @@ public class ServiceSynchronize extends ServiceBase implements SharedPreferences
 
                                 EntityLog.log(ServiceSynchronize.this, account.name + " alert: " + message);
 
-                                if (!isMaxConnections(message) || state.getBackoff() > CONNECT_BACKOFF_MAX) {
+                                boolean max = isMaxConnections(message);
+                                if (max)
+                                    state.setMaxConnections();
+                                if (!max || state.getBackoff() > CONNECT_BACKOFF_MAX) {
                                     NotificationManager nm = (NotificationManager) getSystemService(Context.NOTIFICATION_SERVICE);
                                     nm.notify("alert:" + account.id, 1,
                                             getNotificationAlert(account.name, message).build());
@@ -849,7 +852,10 @@ public class ServiceSynchronize extends ServiceBase implements SharedPreferences
                             boolean ioError = false;
                             Throwable c = ex;
                             while (c != null) {
-                                if (c instanceof IOException || isMaxConnections(c.getMessage())) {
+                                boolean max = isMaxConnections(c.getMessage());
+                                if (max)
+                                    state.setMaxConnections();
+                                if (c instanceof IOException || max) {
                                     ioError = true;
                                     break;
                                 }
@@ -1456,8 +1462,7 @@ public class ServiceSynchronize extends ServiceBase implements SharedPreferences
                         // Short back-off period, keep device awake
                         EntityLog.log(this, account.name + " backoff=" + backoff);
                         try {
-                            state.acquire(backoff *
-                                    ("imap.gmail.com".equalsIgnoreCase(account.host) ? 2000L : 1000L));
+                            state.acquire(backoff * 1000L * (state.getMaxConnections() ? 2 : 1));
                         } catch (InterruptedException ex) {
                             Log.w(account.name + " backoff " + ex.toString());
                         }