diff --git a/client/cs_scheduler.C b/client/cs_scheduler.C
index 21d7eea8ce..e34691f1be 100644
--- a/client/cs_scheduler.C
+++ b/client/cs_scheduler.C
@@ -110,6 +110,8 @@ PROJECT* CLIENT_STATE::next_project(PROJECT* old) {
     pbest = 0;
     for (i=0; i<projects.size(); i++) {
         p = projects[i];
+	if (p->master_url_fetch_pending)
+	  continue;
         if (p->min_rpc_time > now ) continue;
         if (old && p->debt_order <= old->debt_order) continue;
         if (p->debt_order < best) {
diff --git a/client/scheduler_op.C b/client/scheduler_op.C
index dadcea3eb1..a24192095c 100644
--- a/client/scheduler_op.C
+++ b/client/scheduler_op.C
@@ -47,10 +47,17 @@ int SCHEDULER_OP::init_get_work() {
         if( (retval=init_op_project(ns)) ) {
             sprintf(err_msg, "init_get_work failed, error %d\n", retval);
             backoff(project, err_msg);
-            
-            return retval;
+	    return retval;
         }
     }
+    else
+      {
+	project = gstate.next_project_master_pending();
+	if (project) {
+	  init_master_fetch(project);
+	}
+      }
+
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -295,11 +302,13 @@ bool SCHEDULER_OP::poll() {
                     backoff(project,"");
                     if ((project->nrpc_failures % MASTER_FETCH_PERIOD) == 0) {
                         project->master_url_fetch_pending = true;
-                    }
+			project->min_rpc_time = 0;
+			project->nrpc_failures = 0;
+		    }
                     if (must_get_work) {
                         project = gstate.next_project(project);
                         if (project) {
-                            if( (retval=init_op_project(gstate.work_needed_secs())) ) {
+			  if( (retval=init_op_project(gstate.work_needed_secs())) ) {
                                 sprintf( err_msg,
                                     "scheduler init_op_project to %s failed, error %d\n",
                                     project->scheduler_urls[url_index].text, retval
@@ -309,7 +318,8 @@ bool SCHEDULER_OP::poll() {
                         } else {
                             scheduler_op_done = true;
                         }
-                    } else {
+                    } 
+		    else {
                         scheduler_op_done = true;
                     }
                 }
@@ -348,9 +358,9 @@ bool SCHEDULER_OP::poll() {
         if (scheduler_op_done) {
             project = gstate.next_project_master_pending();
             if (project) {
-                init_master_fetch(project);
+	      init_master_fetch(project);
             } else {
-                state = SCHEDULER_OP_STATE_IDLE;
+	        state = SCHEDULER_OP_STATE_IDLE;
                 if (log_flags.sched_op_debug) {
                     printf("Scheduler_op: return to idle state\n");
                 }
diff --git a/client/scheduler_op.h b/client/scheduler_op.h
index e0c767c374..b9421d6034 100644
--- a/client/scheduler_op.h
+++ b/client/scheduler_op.h
@@ -36,11 +36,11 @@
 
 // constants related to scheduler RPC policy
 
-#define MASTER_FETCH_PERIOD     10
+#define MASTER_FETCH_PERIOD     5
     // fetch and parse master URL if nrpc_failures is a multiple of this
-#define RETRY_BASE_PERIOD       100
+#define RETRY_BASE_PERIOD       1
     // after failure, back off 2^nrpc_failures times this times random
-#define RETRY_CAP               10
+#define RETRY_CAP               5
     // cap on nrpc_failures in the above formula
 
 #define SCHEDULER_OP_STATE_IDLE         0