diff --git a/heartbeat/monitors/wrappers/summarizer/plugstatestat.go b/heartbeat/monitors/wrappers/summarizer/plugstatestat.go
index 62a1c8ee5b85..9567a666ad6d 100644
--- a/heartbeat/monitors/wrappers/summarizer/plugstatestat.go
+++ b/heartbeat/monitors/wrappers/summarizer/plugstatestat.go
@@ -149,8 +149,15 @@ func (ssp *commonSSP) BeforeSummary(event *beat.Event) BeforeSummaryActions {
 	// determine if a retry is needed
 	lastStatus := ssp.stateTracker.GetCurrentStatus(ssp.sf)
 
-	// FinalAttempt is true if no retries will occur
-	retry := ssp.js.Status == monitorstate.StatusDown && ssp.js.Attempt < ssp.js.MaxAttempts
+	curCheckDown := ssp.js.Status == monitorstate.StatusDown
+	lastStateUp := ssp.stateTracker.GetCurrentStatus(ssp.sf) == monitorstate.StatusUp
+	hasAttemptsRemaining := ssp.js.Attempt < ssp.js.MaxAttempts
+
+	// retry if...
+	retry := curCheckDown && // the current check is down
+		lastStateUp && // we were previously up, if we were previously down we just check once
+		hasAttemptsRemaining // and we are configured to actually make multiple attempts
+	// if we aren't retrying this is the final attempt
 	ssp.js.FinalAttempt = !retry
 
 	ms := ssp.stateTracker.RecordStatus(ssp.sf, ssp.js.Status, ssp.js.FinalAttempt)
diff --git a/heartbeat/monitors/wrappers/summarizer/summarizer_test.go b/heartbeat/monitors/wrappers/summarizer/summarizer_test.go
index 64472eb1c9ad..63de2da71a81 100644
--- a/heartbeat/monitors/wrappers/summarizer/summarizer_test.go
+++ b/heartbeat/monitors/wrappers/summarizer/summarizer_test.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func TestSummarizer(t *testing.T) {
 			2,
 			"du",
 			"du",
-			"12",
+			"11",
 			2,
 			testURL,
 		},
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func TestSummarizer(t *testing.T) {
 			2,
 			"dddddddd",
 			"dddddddd",
-			"12121212",
+			"11111111",
 			8,
 			testURL,
 		},
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ func TestSummarizer(t *testing.T) {
 			2,
 			"udddduuu",
 			"uuddduuu",
-			"11212111",
+			"11211111",
 			8,
 			testURL,
 		},
diff --git a/heartbeat/monitors/wrappers/wrappers_test.go b/heartbeat/monitors/wrappers/wrappers_test.go
index ffdb161e62f0..ec3111b176e6 100644
--- a/heartbeat/monitors/wrappers/wrappers_test.go
+++ b/heartbeat/monitors/wrappers/wrappers_test.go
@@ -351,6 +351,10 @@ func TestMultiJobConts(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+// TestRetryMultiCont is of somewhat dubious utility at the moment,
+// it mostly tests that we __don't__ retry on an initial down.
+// retry logic is better and more completely tested in the summarizer
+// and scenario tests.
 func TestRetryMultiCont(t *testing.T) {
 	uniqScope := isdef.ScopedIsUnique()
 
@@ -466,12 +470,6 @@ func TestRetryMultiCont(t *testing.T) {
 					summarizertesthelper.SummaryValidator(expected.js.Up, expected.js.Down),
 					hbtestllext.MaybeHasDuration,
 				),
-				contJobValidator("http://foo.com", "1st"),
-				lookslike.Compose(
-					contJobValidator("http://foo.com", "2nd"),
-					summarizertesthelper.SummaryValidator(expected.js.Up, expected.js.Down),
-					hbtestllext.MaybeHasDuration,
-				),
 			},
 			nil,
 			nil,