diff --git a/indexer.go b/indexer.go
index e1507cc..3ce122f 100644
--- a/indexer.go
+++ b/indexer.go
@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@ import (
 
 var batchSize = 500
 
-func ElasticRetries(initialBackoff time.Duration, count int) *httpx.RetryConfig {
+func ElasticRetries() *httpx.RetryConfig {
+	// retry settings
+	count := 5
+	initialBackoff := 1 * time.Second
 	backoffs := make([]time.Duration, count)
 	backoffs[0] = initialBackoff
 	for i := 1; i < count; i++ {
@@ -46,11 +49,6 @@ func ShouldRetry(request *http.Request, response *http.Response, withDelay time.
 	return false
 }
 
-// retry settings
-var retrycount = 5
-var initialBackoff = 1 * time.Second
-var retryConfig = ElasticRetries(initialBackoff, retrycount)
-
 // CreateNewIndex creates a new index for the passed in alias.
 //
 // Note that we do not create an index with the passed name, instead creating one
@@ -167,10 +165,7 @@ func CleanupIndexes(url string, alias string) error {
 func MakeJSONRequest(method string, url string, body string, jsonStruct interface{}) (*http.Response, error) {
 	req, _ := http.NewRequest(method, url, bytes.NewReader([]byte(body)))
 	req.Header.Add("Content-Type", "application/json")
-	retrycount := 5
-	initialBackoff := 2 * time.Second
-	retryConfig := ElasticRetries(initialBackoff, retrycount)
-	resp, err := httpx.Do(http.DefaultClient, req, retryConfig, nil)
+	resp, err := httpx.Do(http.DefaultClient, req, ElasticRetries(), nil)
 
 	l := log.WithField("url", url).WithField("method", method).WithField("request", body)
 	if err != nil {