diff --git a/src/crdt.rs b/src/crdt.rs
index 9015fc85b..98180847a 100644
--- a/src/crdt.rs
+++ b/src/crdt.rs
@@ -590,33 +590,45 @@ impl Crdt {
     }
     fn run_window_request(
         window: &Window,
+        me: &ReplicatedData,
         from: &ReplicatedData,
         ix: u64,
         blob_recycler: &BlobRecycler,
     ) -> Option<SharedBlob> {
         let pos = (ix as usize) % window.read().unwrap().len();
         if let Some(blob) = &window.read().unwrap()[pos] {
-            let rblob = blob.read().unwrap();
-            let blob_ix = rblob.get_index().expect("run_window_request get_index");
+            let mut wblob = blob.write().unwrap();
+            let blob_ix = wblob.get_index().expect("run_window_request get_index");
             if blob_ix == ix {
+                let num_retransmits = wblob.meta.num_retransmits;
+                wblob.meta.num_retransmits += 1;
+                
+                if me.current_leader_id == me.id &&
+                   num_retransmits != 0 && 
+                   !num_retransmits.is_power_of_two()
+                {
+                    return None;
+                }
+
                 let out = blob_recycler.allocate();
+
                 // copy to avoid doing IO inside the lock
                 {
                     let mut outblob = out.write().unwrap();
-                    let sz = rblob.meta.size;
+                    let sz = wblob.meta.size;
                     outblob.meta.size = sz;
-                    outblob.data[..sz].copy_from_slice(&rblob.data[..sz]);
+                    outblob.data[..sz].copy_from_slice(&wblob.data[..sz]);
                     outblob.meta.set_addr(&from.repair_addr);
-                    //TODO, set the sender id to the requester so we dont retransmit
-                    //come up with a cleaner solution for this when sender signatures are checked
-                    outblob.set_id(from.id).expect("blob set_id");
+                    outblob.set_id(me.id).expect("blob set_id");
                 }
+
                 return Some(out);
             }
         } else {
             assert!(window.read().unwrap()[pos].is_none());
             info!("failed RequestWindowIndex {} {}", ix, from.repair_addr);
         }
+
         None
     }
 
@@ -683,7 +695,7 @@ impl Crdt {
                     me.repair_addr
                 );
                 assert_ne!(from.repair_addr, me.repair_addr);
-                Self::run_window_request(&window, &from, ix, blob_recycler)
+                Self::run_window_request(&window, &me, &from, ix, blob_recycler)
             }
             Err(_) => {
                 warn!("deserialize crdt packet failed");
@@ -807,6 +819,7 @@ mod tests {
     use packet::BlobRecycler;
     use result::Error;
     use signature::{KeyPair, KeyPairUtil};
+    use std;
     use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
     use std::sync::mpsc::channel;
     use std::sync::{Arc, RwLock};
@@ -1092,18 +1105,57 @@ mod tests {
             "127.0.0.1:1238".parse().unwrap(),
         );
         let recycler = BlobRecycler::default();
-        let rv = Crdt::run_window_request(&window, &me, 0, &recycler);
+        let rv = Crdt::run_window_request(&window, &me, &me, 0, &recycler);
         assert!(rv.is_none());
         let out = recycler.allocate();
         out.write().unwrap().meta.size = 200;
         window.write().unwrap()[0] = Some(out);
-        let rv = Crdt::run_window_request(&window, &me, 0, &recycler);
+        let rv = Crdt::run_window_request(&window, &me, &me, 0, &recycler);
         assert!(rv.is_some());
         let v = rv.unwrap();
         //test we copied the blob
         assert_eq!(v.read().unwrap().meta.size, 200);
         let len = window.read().unwrap().len() as u64;
-        let rv = Crdt::run_window_request(&window, &me, len, &recycler);
+        let rv = Crdt::run_window_request(&window, &me, &me, len, &recycler);
         assert!(rv.is_none());
     }
+
+    /// test window requests respond with the right blob, and do not overrun
+    #[test]
+    fn run_window_request_with_backoff() {
+        let window = default_window();
+        let mut me = ReplicatedData::new(
+            KeyPair::new().pubkey(),
+            "127.0.0.1:1234".parse().unwrap(),
+            "127.0.0.1:1235".parse().unwrap(),
+            "127.0.0.1:1236".parse().unwrap(),
+            "127.0.0.1:1237".parse().unwrap(),
+            "127.0.0.1:1238".parse().unwrap(),
+        );
+
+        me.current_leader_id = me.id;
+        let recycler = BlobRecycler::default();
+        let num_requests: u32 = 64;
+
+        let rv = Crdt::run_window_request(&window, &me, &me, 0, &recycler);
+        assert!(rv.is_none());
+        let out = recycler.allocate();
+        out.write().unwrap().meta.size = 200;
+        window.write().unwrap()[0] = Some(out);
+        let range: std::ops::Range<u32> = 0..num_requests;
+
+        for i in range {
+            let rv = Crdt::run_window_request(&window, &me, &me, 0, &recycler);
+
+            if i != 0 && !(i.is_power_of_two()) {
+                assert!(rv.is_none());
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            assert!(rv.is_some());
+            let v = rv.unwrap();
+            //test we copied the blob
+            assert_eq!(v.read().unwrap().meta.size, 200);
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/packet.rs b/src/packet.rs
index b98d6e0da..5dfde8c80 100644
--- a/src/packet.rs
+++ b/src/packet.rs
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ pub const NUM_BLOBS: usize = (NUM_PACKETS * PACKET_DATA_SIZE) / BLOB_SIZE;
 #[repr(C)]
 pub struct Meta {
     pub size: usize,
+    pub num_retransmits: u64,
     pub addr: [u16; 8],
     pub port: u16,
     pub v6: bool,