diff --git a/src/github-handler/commit-and-push-handler.ts b/src/github-handler/commit-and-push-handler.ts
index 47714491..dff4af52 100644
--- a/src/github-handler/commit-and-push-handler.ts
+++ b/src/github-handler/commit-and-push-handler.ts
@@ -179,7 +179,8 @@ export async function commitAndPush(
     );
     await updateRef(octokit, originBranch, commitSha, force);
   } catch (err) {
-    logger.error('Error while creating a tree and updating the ref');
+    err.message = `Error while creating a tree and updating the ref: ${err.message}`;
+    logger.error(err);
     throw err;
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index fe89eb92..f393a353 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -134,6 +134,10 @@ async function createPullRequest(
     ...origin,
     branch: gitHubConfigs.branch,
   };
+
+  // The `retry` flag defaults to `5` to maintain compatibility
+  options.retry = options.retry === undefined ? 5 : options.retry;
+
   const refHeadSha: string = await retry(
     async () =>
       await handler.branch(
@@ -144,12 +148,14 @@ async function createPullRequest(
         gitHubConfigs.primary
       ),
     {
-      retries: 5,
+      retries: options.retry,
       factor: 2.8411, // https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Sum%5B3000*x%5Ek%2C+%7Bk%2C+0%2C+4%7D%5D+%3D+5+*+60+*+1000
       minTimeout: 3000,
       randomize: false,
-      onRetry: () => {
-        logger.info('Retrying at a later time...');
+      onRetry: (e, attempt) => {
+        e.message = `Error creating Pull Request: ${e.message}`;
+        logger.error(e);
+        logger.info(`Retry attempt #${attempt}...`);
       },
     }
   );
diff --git a/src/logger/index.ts b/src/logger.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from src/logger/index.ts
rename to src/logger.ts
diff --git a/src/types/index.ts b/src/types.ts
similarity index 98%
rename from src/types/index.ts
rename to src/types.ts
index f7300dd7..4096673d 100644
--- a/src/types/index.ts
+++ b/src/types.ts
@@ -95,6 +95,8 @@ export interface CreatePullRequestUserOptions {
   maintainersCanModify?: boolean;
   // The list of labels to apply to the newly created PR. Default is empty. (optional)
   labels?: string[];
+  // Number of times to retry if the request fails.  Defaults to 5.
+  retry?: number;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/test/main-make-pr.ts b/test/main-make-pr.ts
index 3e4055f1..30ceb8c6 100644
--- a/test/main-make-pr.ts
+++ b/test/main-make-pr.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
 
-import {assert, expect} from 'chai';
+import {expect} from 'chai';
+import * as assert from 'assert';
 import {describe, it, before, afterEach} from 'mocha';
 import {octokit, setup} from './util';
 import * as sinon from 'sinon';
@@ -20,13 +21,14 @@ import {Changes, FileData, CreatePullRequestUserOptions} from '../src/types';
 import {Octokit} from '@octokit/rest';
 import * as proxyquire from 'proxyquire';
 import * as retry from 'async-retry';
+import * as idx from '../src/index';
+import * as handler from '../src/github-handler/branch-handler';
+
 before(() => {
   setup();
 });
 
 /* eslint-disable  @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars */
-// tslint:disable:no-unused-expression
-// .true triggers ts-lint failure, but is valid chai
 describe('Make PR main function', () => {
   const upstreamOwner = 'owner';
   const upstreamRepo = 'Hello-World';
@@ -271,6 +273,25 @@ describe('Make PR main function', () => {
       expect(err.message).equals('Create branch helper failed');
     }
   });
+
+  it('should respect the retry flag', async () => {
+    const stub = sinon.stub(handler, 'branch').throws('boop');
+    // eslint-disable-next-line node/no-unsupported-features/node-builtins
+    await assert.rejects(
+      idx.createPullRequest(octokit, changes, {
+        title: 'hello',
+        message: 'hello',
+        description: 'hello',
+        fork: false,
+        upstreamOwner: 'googleapis',
+        upstreamRepo: 'nodejs-storage',
+        retry: 0,
+      }),
+      /boop/
+    );
+    assert.ok(stub.calledOnce);
+  });
+
   it('Passes up the error message with a throw when helper commit and push helper function fails', async () => {
     // setup
 
@@ -401,6 +422,5 @@ describe('Make PR main function', () => {
     await stubMakePr.createPullRequest(octokit, null, options);
     await stubMakePr.createPullRequest(octokit, undefined, options);
     await stubMakePr.createPullRequest(octokit, new Map(), options);
-    assert.isOk(true);
   });
 });