diff --git a/src/ziggurat/messaging/producer.clj b/src/ziggurat/messaging/producer.clj
index 6785c8b4..4df9db8e 100644
--- a/src/ziggurat/messaging/producer.clj
+++ b/src/ziggurat/messaging/producer.clj
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
   [e message-payload]
   (log/error e "Network exception was encountered while publishing to RabbitMQ")
   (metrics/increment-count ["rabbitmq" "publish" "network"] "exception" {:topic-entity (name (:topic-entity message-payload))})
-  true)
+  :retry)
 
 (defn return-to-pool [^GenericObjectPool pool ^Channel ch]
   (.returnObject pool ch))
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
       (try
         (lb/publish ch exchange "" (nippy/freeze (dissoc message-payload :headers))
                     (properties-for-publish expiration (:headers message-payload)))
-        false
+        :success
         (catch AlreadyClosedException e
           (handle-network-exception e message-payload))
         (catch IOException e
@@ -90,12 +90,12 @@
         (catch Exception e
           (log/error e "Exception was encountered while publishing to RabbitMQ")
           (metrics/increment-count ["rabbitmq" "publish"] "exception" {:topic-entity (name (:topic-entity message-payload))})
-          false)
+          :retry-with-counter)
         (finally (return-to-pool cpool/channel-pool ch))))
     (catch Exception e
       (log/error e "Exception was encountered while borrowing a channel from the pool")
       (metrics/increment-count ["rabbitmq" "publish" "channel_borrow"] {:topic-entity (name (:topic-entity message-payload))})
-      false)))
+      :retry-with-counter)))
 
 (defn- publish-retry-config []
   (-> (ziggurat-config) :rabbit-mq-connection :publish-retry))
@@ -110,14 +110,16 @@
    (publish exchange message-payload expiration (:count (non-recoverable-exception-config))))
   ([exchange message-payload expiration counter]
    (when (is-pool-alive? cpool/channel-pool)
-     (if (publish-internal exchange message-payload expiration)
-       (do
-         (Thread/sleep (:sleep (publish-retry-config)))
-         (log/info "Retrying publishing the message to " exchange)
-         (recur exchange message-payload expiration counter))
-       (when (and (:enabled (non-recoverable-exception-config)) (pos? counter))
-         (Thread/sleep (:sleep (non-recoverable-exception-config)))
-         (recur exchange message-payload expiration (dec counter)))))))
+     (let [result (publish-internal exchange message-payload expiration)]
+       (cond
+         (= result :success) nil
+         (= result :retry) (do
+                             (Thread/sleep (:sleep (publish-retry-config)))
+                             (log/info "Retrying publishing the message to " exchange)
+                             (recur exchange message-payload expiration counter))
+         (= result :retry-with-counter) (when (and (:enabled (non-recoverable-exception-config)) (pos? counter))
+                                          (Thread/sleep (:sleep (non-recoverable-exception-config)))
+                                          (recur exchange message-payload expiration (dec counter))))))))
 
 (defn- retry-type []
   (-> (ziggurat-config) :retry :type))