diff --git a/lib/galaxy/jobs/runners/drmaa.py b/lib/galaxy/jobs/runners/drmaa.py
index abf1c58571a..e64832e7e93 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/jobs/runners/drmaa.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/jobs/runners/drmaa.py
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ log = logging.getLogger( __name__ )
 
 __all__ = [ 'DRMAAJobRunner' ]
 
+RETRY_EXCEPTIONS_LOWER = frozenset(['invalidjobexception', 'internalexception'])
+
 
 class DRMAAJobRunner( AsynchronousJobRunner ):
     """
@@ -34,12 +36,11 @@ class DRMAAJobRunner( AsynchronousJobRunner ):
         """Start the job runner"""
         global drmaa
 
-        runner_param_specs = dict(
-            drmaa_library_path=dict( map=str, default=os.environ.get( 'DRMAA_LIBRARY_PATH', None ) ),
-            invalidjobexception_state=dict( map=str, valid=lambda x: x in ( model.Job.states.OK, model.Job.states.ERROR ), default=model.Job.states.OK ),
-            invalidjobexception_retries=dict( map=int, valid=lambda x: int >= 0, default=0 ),
-            internalexception_state=dict( map=str, valid=lambda x: x in ( model.Job.states.OK, model.Job.states.ERROR ), default=model.Job.states.OK ),
-            internalexception_retries=dict( map=int, valid=lambda x: int >= 0, default=0 ) )
+        runner_param_specs = {
+            'drmaa_library_path': dict( map=str, default=os.environ.get( 'DRMAA_LIBRARY_PATH', None ) ) }
+        for retry_exception in RETRY_EXCEPTIONS_LOWER:
+            runner_param_specs[retry_exception + '_state'] = dict( map=str, valid=lambda x: x in ( model.Job.states.OK, model.Job.states.ERROR ), default=model.Job.states.OK )
+            runner_param_specs[retry_exception + '_retries'] = dict( map=int, valid=lambda x: int >= 0, default=0 )
 
         if 'runner_param_specs' not in kwargs:
             kwargs[ 'runner_param_specs' ] = dict()
@@ -246,12 +247,15 @@ class DRMAAJobRunner( AsynchronousJobRunner ):
             try:
                 assert external_job_id not in ( None, 'None' ), '(%s/%s) Invalid job id' % ( galaxy_id_tag, external_job_id )
                 state = self.ds.job_status( external_job_id )
+                # Reset exception retries
+                for retry_exception in RETRY_EXCEPTIONS_LOWER:
+                    setattr( ajs, retry_exception + '_retries', 0)
             except ( drmaa.InternalException, drmaa.InvalidJobException ) as e:
                 ecn = type(e).__name__
                 retry_param = ecn.lower() + '_retries'
                 state_param = ecn.lower() + '_state'
                 retries = getattr( ajs, retry_param, 0 )
-                log.warning("(%s/%s) unable to check job status because of %s exception for %d tries: %s", galaxy_id_tag, external_job_id, ecn, retries + 1, e)
+                log.warning("(%s/%s) unable to check job status because of %s exception for %d consecutive tries: %s", galaxy_id_tag, external_job_id, ecn, retries + 1, e)
                 if self.runner_params[ retry_param ] > 0:
                     if retries < self.runner_params[ retry_param ]:
                         # will retry check on next iteration