diff --git a/tools/cache/reflector.go b/tools/cache/reflector.go
index e995abe2..9c9a758f 100644
--- a/tools/cache/reflector.go
+++ b/tools/cache/reflector.go
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ type Reflector struct {
 
 	// backoff manages backoff of ListWatch
 	backoffManager wait.BackoffManager
+	// initConnBackoffManager manages backoff the initial connection with the Watch calll of ListAndWatch.
+	initConnBackoffManager wait.BackoffManager
 
 	resyncPeriod time.Duration
 	// ShouldResync is invoked periodically and whenever it returns `true` the Store's Resync operation is invoked
@@ -166,10 +168,11 @@ func NewNamedReflector(name string, lw ListerWatcher, expectedType interface{},
 		// We used to make the call every 1sec (1 QPS), the goal here is to achieve ~98% traffic reduction when
 		// API server is not healthy. With these parameters, backoff will stop at [30,60) sec interval which is
 		// 0.22 QPS. If we don't backoff for 2min, assume API server is healthy and we reset the backoff.
-		backoffManager:    wait.NewExponentialBackoffManager(800*time.Millisecond, 30*time.Second, 2*time.Minute, 2.0, 1.0, realClock),
-		resyncPeriod:      resyncPeriod,
-		clock:             realClock,
-		watchErrorHandler: WatchErrorHandler(DefaultWatchErrorHandler),
+		backoffManager:         wait.NewExponentialBackoffManager(800*time.Millisecond, 30*time.Second, 2*time.Minute, 2.0, 1.0, realClock),
+		initConnBackoffManager: wait.NewExponentialBackoffManager(800*time.Millisecond, 30*time.Second, 2*time.Minute, 2.0, 1.0, realClock),
+		resyncPeriod:           resyncPeriod,
+		clock:                  realClock,
+		watchErrorHandler:      WatchErrorHandler(DefaultWatchErrorHandler),
 	}
 	r.setExpectedType(expectedType)
 	return r
@@ -404,9 +407,9 @@ func (r *Reflector) ListAndWatch(stopCh <-chan struct{}) error {
 			// If this is "connection refused" error, it means that most likely apiserver is not responsive.
 			// It doesn't make sense to re-list all objects because most likely we will be able to restart
 			// watch where we ended.
-			// If that's the case wait and resend watch request.
+			// If that's the case begin exponentially backing off and resend watch request.
 			if utilnet.IsConnectionRefused(err) {
-				time.Sleep(time.Second)
+				<-r.initConnBackoffManager.Backoff().C()
 				continue
 			}
 			return err
diff --git a/tools/cache/reflector_test.go b/tools/cache/reflector_test.go
index 5394e668..9260d5a6 100644
--- a/tools/cache/reflector_test.go
+++ b/tools/cache/reflector_test.go
@@ -22,15 +22,17 @@ import (
 	"math/rand"
 	"reflect"
 	"strconv"
+	"syscall"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
-	"k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+	v1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/clock"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/watch"
 )
@@ -358,6 +360,82 @@ func TestReflectorListAndWatchWithErrors(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestReflectorListAndWatchInitConnBackoff(t *testing.T) {
+	maxBackoff := 50 * time.Millisecond
+	table := []struct {
+		numConnFails  int
+		expLowerBound time.Duration
+		expUpperBound time.Duration
+	}{
+		{5, 32 * time.Millisecond, 64 * time.Millisecond}, // case where maxBackoff is not hit, time should grow exponentially
+		{40, 35 * 2 * maxBackoff, 40 * 2 * maxBackoff},    // case where maxBoff is hit, backoff time should flatten
+
+	}
+	for _, test := range table {
+		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("%d connection failures takes at least %d ms", test.numConnFails, 1<<test.numConnFails),
+			func(t *testing.T) {
+				stopCh := make(chan struct{})
+				connFails := test.numConnFails
+				fakeClock := clock.NewFakeClock(time.Unix(0, 0))
+				bm := wait.NewExponentialBackoffManager(time.Millisecond, maxBackoff, 100*time.Millisecond, 2.0, 1.0, fakeClock)
+				done := make(chan struct{})
+				defer close(done)
+				go func() {
+					i := 0
+					for {
+						select {
+						case <-done:
+							return
+						default:
+						}
+						if fakeClock.HasWaiters() {
+							step := (1 << (i + 1)) * time.Millisecond
+							if step > maxBackoff*2 {
+								step = maxBackoff * 2
+							}
+							fakeClock.Step(step)
+							i++
+						}
+						time.Sleep(100 * time.Microsecond)
+					}
+				}()
+				lw := &testLW{
+					WatchFunc: func(options metav1.ListOptions) (watch.Interface, error) {
+						if connFails > 0 {
+							connFails--
+							return nil, syscall.ECONNREFUSED
+						}
+						close(stopCh)
+						return watch.NewFake(), nil
+					},
+					ListFunc: func(options metav1.ListOptions) (runtime.Object, error) {
+						return &v1.PodList{ListMeta: metav1.ListMeta{ResourceVersion: "1"}}, nil
+					},
+				}
+				r := &Reflector{
+					name:                   "test-reflector",
+					listerWatcher:          lw,
+					store:                  NewFIFO(MetaNamespaceKeyFunc),
+					initConnBackoffManager: bm,
+					clock:                  fakeClock,
+					watchErrorHandler:      WatchErrorHandler(DefaultWatchErrorHandler),
+				}
+				start := fakeClock.Now()
+				err := r.ListAndWatch(stopCh)
+				elapsed := fakeClock.Since(start)
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Errorf("unexpected error %v", err)
+				}
+				if elapsed < (test.expLowerBound) {
+					t.Errorf("expected lower bound of ListAndWatch: %v, got %v", test.expLowerBound, elapsed)
+				}
+				if elapsed > (test.expUpperBound) {
+					t.Errorf("expected upper bound of ListAndWatch: %v, got %v", test.expUpperBound, elapsed)
+				}
+			})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestReflectorResync(t *testing.T) {
 	iteration := 0
 	stopCh := make(chan struct{})