diff --git a/bbmri/vars b/bbmri/vars
index d1362fb..248fbee 100644
--- a/bbmri/vars
+++ b/bbmri/vars
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 # Makes only sense for German Biobanks
 : ${ENABLE_GBN:=false}
 
-FOCUS_RETRY_COUNT=32
+FOCUS_RETRY_COUNT=${FOCUS_RETRY_COUNT:-64}
 PRIVATEKEYFILENAME=/etc/bridgehead/pki/${SITE_ID}.priv.pem
 
 for module in $PROJECT/modules/*.sh
diff --git a/ccp/vars b/ccp/vars
index fa3f5a2..027a093 100644
--- a/ccp/vars
+++ b/ccp/vars
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ BROKER_ID=broker.ccp-it.dktk.dkfz.de
 BROKER_URL=https://${BROKER_ID}
 PROXY_ID=${SITE_ID}.${BROKER_ID}
 FOCUS_BEAM_SECRET_SHORT="$(cat /proc/sys/kernel/random/uuid | sed 's/[-]//g' | head -c 20)"
-FOCUS_RETRY_COUNT=32
+FOCUS_RETRY_COUNT=${FOCUS_RETRY_COUNT:-64}
 SUPPORT_EMAIL=support-ccp@dkfz-heidelberg.de
 PRIVATEKEYFILENAME=/etc/bridgehead/pki/${SITE_ID}.priv.pem