diff --git a/lib/kafkalib/writer.go b/lib/kafkalib/writer.go
index 0970e677..4d6673ea 100644
--- a/lib/kafkalib/writer.go
+++ b/lib/kafkalib/writer.go
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ func NewBatchWriter(ctx context.Context, cfg config.Kafka, statsD *mtr.Client) (
 }
 
 func (w *BatchWriter) reload(ctx context.Context) error {
+	slog.Info("Reloading kafka writer")
 	if err := w.writer.Close(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -88,6 +89,22 @@ func (w *BatchWriter) WriteMessages(ctx context.Context, msgs []kafka.Message) e
 		var kafkaErr error
 		chunk := iter.Next()
 		for attempts := 0; attempts < 10; attempts++ {
+			if attempts > 0 {
+				sleepMs := lib.JitterMs(baseJitterMs, maxJitterMs, attempts-1)
+				slog.Info("Failed to publish to kafka",
+					slog.Any("err", kafkaErr),
+					slog.Int("attempts", attempts-1),
+					slog.Int("sleepMs", sleepMs),
+				)
+				time.Sleep(time.Duration(sleepMs) * time.Millisecond)
+
+				if RetryableError(kafkaErr) {
+					if reloadErr := w.reload(ctx); reloadErr != nil {
+						slog.Warn("Failed to reload kafka writer", slog.Any("err", reloadErr))
+					}
+				}
+			}
+
 			kafkaErr = w.writer.WriteMessages(ctx, chunk...)
 			if kafkaErr == nil {
 				tags["what"] = "success"
@@ -99,20 +116,6 @@ func (w *BatchWriter) WriteMessages(ctx context.Context, msgs []kafka.Message) e
 				kafkaErr = nil
 				break
 			}
-
-			sleepMs := lib.JitterMs(baseJitterMs, maxJitterMs, attempts)
-			slog.Info("Failed to publish to kafka",
-				slog.Any("err", kafkaErr),
-				slog.Int("attempts", attempts),
-				slog.Int("sleepMs", sleepMs),
-			)
-			time.Sleep(time.Duration(sleepMs) * time.Millisecond)
-
-			if RetryableError(kafkaErr) {
-				if reloadErr := w.reload(ctx); reloadErr != nil {
-					slog.Warn("Failed to reload kafka writer", slog.Any("err", reloadErr))
-				}
-			}
 		}
 
 		if w.statsD != nil {