diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/azure/azure_backoff.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/azure/azure_backoff.go
index 97bf84fa868..812de4d9fae 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/azure/azure_backoff.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/azure/azure_backoff.go
@@ -17,9 +17,6 @@ limitations under the License.
 package azure
 
 import (
-	"net/http"
-	"regexp"
-	"strconv"
 	"time"
 
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
@@ -153,19 +150,12 @@ func processRetryResponse(resp autorest.Response, err error) (bool, error) {
 
 // shouldRetryAPIRequest determines if the response from an HTTP request suggests periodic retry behavior
 func shouldRetryAPIRequest(resp autorest.Response, err error) bool {
+	// non-nil error from HTTP request suggests we should retry
 	if err != nil {
 		return true
 	}
-	// HTTP 429 suggests we should retry
-	if resp.StatusCode == http.StatusTooManyRequests {
-		return true
-	}
-	// HTTP 5xx suggests we should retry
-	r, err := regexp.Compile(`^5\d\d$`)
-	if err != nil {
-		return false
-	}
-	if r.MatchString(strconv.Itoa(resp.StatusCode)) {
+	// HTTP 4xx or 5xx suggests we should retry
+	if 399 < resp.StatusCode && resp.StatusCode < 600 {
 		return true
 	}
 	return false
@@ -174,11 +164,7 @@ func shouldRetryAPIRequest(resp autorest.Response, err error) bool {
 // isSuccessHTTPResponse determines if the response from an HTTP request suggests success
 func isSuccessHTTPResponse(resp autorest.Response) bool {
 	// HTTP 2xx suggests a successful response
-	r, err := regexp.Compile(`^2\d\d$`)
-	if err != nil {
-		return false
-	}
-	if r.MatchString(strconv.Itoa(resp.StatusCode)) {
+	if 199 < resp.StatusCode && resp.StatusCode < 300 {
 		return true
 	}
 	return false
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/azure/azure_loadbalancer.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/azure/azure_loadbalancer.go
index a7cbeb742a5..2aba67d2f3a 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/azure/azure_loadbalancer.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/azure/azure_loadbalancer.go
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ func (az *Cloud) EnsureLoadBalancerDeleted(clusterName string, service *v1.Servi
 			if shouldRetryAPIRequest(resp, err) {
 				retryErr := az.CreateOrUpdateSGWithRetry(reconciledSg)
 				if retryErr != nil {
-					return retryErr
+					err = retryErr
 				}
 			}
 			if err != nil {
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ func (az *Cloud) cleanupLoadBalancer(clusterName string, service *v1.Service, is
 				if shouldRetryAPIRequest(resp, err) {
 					retryErr := az.CreateOrUpdateLBWithRetry(lb)
 					if retryErr != nil {
-						return retryErr
+						err = retryErr
 					}
 				}
 				if err != nil {
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ func (az *Cloud) cleanupLoadBalancer(clusterName string, service *v1.Service, is
 				if shouldRetryAPIRequest(resp, err) {
 					retryErr := az.DeleteLBWithRetry(lbName)
 					if retryErr != nil {
-						return retryErr
+						err = retryErr
 					}
 				}
 				if err != nil {
@@ -891,7 +891,7 @@ func (az *Cloud) ensureHostInPool(serviceName string, nodeName types.NodeName, b
 		if shouldRetryAPIRequest(resp, err) {
 			retryErr := az.CreateOrUpdateInterfaceWithRetry(nic)
 			if retryErr != nil {
-				return retryErr
+				err = retryErr
 			}
 		}
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/azure/azure_routes.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/azure/azure_routes.go
index ee8832d606c..37c42a9b600 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/azure/azure_routes.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/azure/azure_routes.go
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func (az *Cloud) CreateRoute(clusterName string, nameHint string, kubeRoute *clo
 		if shouldRetryAPIRequest(resp, err) {
 			retryErr := az.CreateOrUpdateRouteTableWithRetry(routeTable)
 			if retryErr != nil {
-				return retryErr
+				err = retryErr
 			}
 		}
 		if err != nil {
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ func (az *Cloud) CreateRoute(clusterName string, nameHint string, kubeRoute *clo
 	if shouldRetryAPIRequest(resp, err) {
 		retryErr := az.CreateOrUpdateRouteWithRetry(route)
 		if retryErr != nil {
-			return retryErr
+			err = retryErr
 		}
 	}
 	if err != nil {
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ func (az *Cloud) DeleteRoute(clusterName string, kubeRoute *cloudprovider.Route)
 	if shouldRetryAPIRequest(resp, err) {
 		retryErr := az.DeleteRouteWithRetry(routeName)
 		if retryErr != nil {
-			return retryErr
+			err = retryErr
 		}
 	}
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/azure/azure_storage.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/azure/azure_storage.go
index 5a7a6cb2130..445ff3db22f 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/azure/azure_storage.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/azure/azure_storage.go
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ func (az *Cloud) AttachDisk(diskName, diskURI string, nodeName types.NodeName, l
 	if shouldRetryAPIRequest(resp, err) {
 		retryErr := az.CreateOrUpdateVMWithRetry(vmName, newVM)
 		if retryErr != nil {
-			return retryErr
+			err = retryErr
 		}
 	}
 	if err != nil {
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ func (az *Cloud) DetachDiskByName(diskName, diskURI string, nodeName types.NodeN
 	if shouldRetryAPIRequest(resp, err) {
 		retryErr := az.CreateOrUpdateVMWithRetry(vmName, newVM)
 		if retryErr != nil {
-			return retryErr
+			err = retryErr
 		}
 	}
 	if err != nil {