diff --git a/weed/cluster/lock_client.go b/weed/cluster/lock_client.go
index 57198c865..bb1052656 100644
--- a/weed/cluster/lock_client.go
+++ b/weed/cluster/lock_client.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func (lc *LockClient) StartLock(key string, owner string) (lock *LiveLock) {
 		lc:             lc,
 	}
 	go func() {
-		util.RetryForever("create lock:"+key, func() error {
+		util.RetryUntil("create lock:"+key, func() error {
 			errorMessage, err := lock.doLock(lock_manager.MaxDuration)
 			if err != nil {
 				glog.Infof("create lock %s: %s", key, err)
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ func (lc *LockClient) doNewLock(key string, lockDuration time.Duration, owner st
 		lockDuration = lc.maxLockDuration
 		needRenewal = true
 	}
-	util.RetryForever("create lock:"+key, func() error {
+	util.RetryUntil("create lock:"+key, func() error {
 		errorMessage, err := lock.doLock(lockDuration)
 		if err != nil {
 			time.Sleep(time.Second)
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ func (lc *LockClient) keepLock(lock *LiveLock) {
 		select {
 		case <-ticker:
 			// renew the lock if lock.expireAtNs is still greater than now
-			util.RetryForever("keep lock:"+lock.key, func() error {
+			util.RetryUntil("keep lock:"+lock.key, func() error {
 				lockDuration := time.Duration(lock.expireAtNs-time.Now().UnixNano()) * time.Nanosecond
 				if lockDuration > lc.maxLockDuration {
 					lockDuration = lc.maxLockDuration
diff --git a/weed/command/filer_remote_gateway.go b/weed/command/filer_remote_gateway.go
index f7b1f3146..61a5d26a2 100644
--- a/weed/command/filer_remote_gateway.go
+++ b/weed/command/filer_remote_gateway.go
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ func runFilerRemoteGateway(cmd *Command, args []string) bool {
 
 	// synchronize /buckets folder
 	fmt.Printf("synchronize buckets in %s ...\n", remoteGatewayOptions.bucketsDir)
-	util.RetryForever("filer.remote.sync buckets", func() error {
+	util.RetryUntil("filer.remote.sync buckets", func() error {
 		return remoteGatewayOptions.followBucketUpdatesAndUploadToRemote(filerSource)
 	}, func(err error) bool {
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/weed/command/filer_remote_sync.go b/weed/command/filer_remote_sync.go
index 261e024a6..2d6133367 100644
--- a/weed/command/filer_remote_sync.go
+++ b/weed/command/filer_remote_sync.go
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func runFilerRemoteSynchronize(cmd *Command, args []string) bool {
 
 	if dir != "" {
 		fmt.Printf("synchronize %s to remote storage...\n", dir)
-		util.RetryForever("filer.remote.sync "+dir, func() error {
+		util.RetryUntil("filer.remote.sync "+dir, func() error {
 			return followUpdatesAndUploadToRemote(&remoteSyncOptions, filerSource, dir)
 		}, func(err error) bool {
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/weed/mount/meta_cache/meta_cache_subscribe.go b/weed/mount/meta_cache/meta_cache_subscribe.go
index d5d8150bc..9500bd9db 100644
--- a/weed/mount/meta_cache/meta_cache_subscribe.go
+++ b/weed/mount/meta_cache/meta_cache_subscribe.go
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ func SubscribeMetaEvents(mc *MetaCache, selfSignature int32, client filer_pb.Fil
 		StopTsNs:               0,
 		EventErrorType:         pb.FatalOnError,
 	}
-	util.RetryForever("followMetaUpdates", func() error {
+	util.RetryUntil("followMetaUpdates", func() error {
 		clientEpoch++
 		return pb.WithFilerClientFollowMetadata(client, metadataFollowOption, processEventFn)
 	}, func(err error) bool {
diff --git a/weed/operation/upload_content.go b/weed/operation/upload_content.go
index 17e767472..108ec3df2 100644
--- a/weed/operation/upload_content.go
+++ b/weed/operation/upload_content.go
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ func UploadWithRetry(filerClient filer_pb.FilerClient, assignRequest *filer_pb.A
 		return uploadErr
 	}
 	if uploadOption.RetryForever {
-		util.RetryForever("uploadWithRetryForever", doUploadFunc, func(err error) (shouldContinue bool) {
+		util.RetryUntil("uploadWithRetryForever", doUploadFunc, func(err error) (shouldContinue bool) {
 			glog.V(0).Infof("upload content: %v", err)
 			return true
 		})
diff --git a/weed/pb/filer_pb_tail.go b/weed/pb/filer_pb_tail.go
index 674d55ad8..b54dad871 100644
--- a/weed/pb/filer_pb_tail.go
+++ b/weed/pb/filer_pb_tail.go
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func makeSubscribeMetadataFunc(option *MetadataFollowOption, processEventFn Proc
 				case FatalOnError:
 					glog.Fatalf("process %v: %v", resp, err)
 				case RetryForeverOnError:
-					util.RetryForever("followMetaUpdates", func() error {
+					util.RetryUntil("followMetaUpdates", func() error {
 						return processEventFn(resp)
 					}, func(err error) bool {
 						glog.Errorf("process %v: %v", resp, err)
diff --git a/weed/s3api/auth_credentials_subscribe.go b/weed/s3api/auth_credentials_subscribe.go
index 8006ff326..766408909 100644
--- a/weed/s3api/auth_credentials_subscribe.go
+++ b/weed/s3api/auth_credentials_subscribe.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func (s3a *S3ApiServer) subscribeMetaEvents(clientName string, lastTsNs int64, p
 		StopTsNs:               0,
 		EventErrorType:         pb.FatalOnError,
 	}
-	util.RetryForever("followIamChanges", func() error {
+	util.RetryUntil("followIamChanges", func() error {
 		clientEpoch++
 		return pb.WithFilerClientFollowMetadata(s3a, metadataFollowOption, processEventFn)
 	}, func(err error) bool {
diff --git a/weed/util/retry.go b/weed/util/retry.go
index 997fa5d13..cdc020b7a 100644
--- a/weed/util/retry.go
+++ b/weed/util/retry.go
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ func MultiRetry(name string, errList []string, job func() error) (err error) {
 	return err
 }
 
-func RetryForever(name string, job func() error, onErrFn func(err error) (shouldContinue bool)) {
+// RetryUntil retries until the job returns no error or onErrFn returns false
+func RetryUntil(name string, job func() error, onErrFn func(err error) (shouldContinue bool)) {
 	waitTime := time.Second
 	for {
 		err := job()
@@ -74,6 +75,8 @@ func RetryForever(name string, job func() error, onErrFn func(err error) (should
 				waitTime += waitTime / 2
 			}
 			continue
+		} else {
+			break
 		}
 	}
 }