diff --git a/hail/src/main/scala/is/hail/io/fs/FS.scala b/hail/src/main/scala/is/hail/io/fs/FS.scala
index 0058c0b204e..a7f89cbd0af 100644
--- a/hail/src/main/scala/is/hail/io/fs/FS.scala
+++ b/hail/src/main/scala/is/hail/io/fs/FS.scala
@@ -192,9 +192,6 @@ abstract class FSSeekableInputStream extends InputStream with Seekable {
     } else {
       bb.clear()
       bb.limit(0)
-      if (bb.remaining() != 0) {
-        assert(false, bb.remaining().toString())
-      }
       physicalSeek(newPos)
     }
     pos = newPos
diff --git a/hail/src/main/scala/is/hail/io/fs/GoogleStorageFS.scala b/hail/src/main/scala/is/hail/io/fs/GoogleStorageFS.scala
index 45f08874086..6d712ff0bc4 100644
--- a/hail/src/main/scala/is/hail/io/fs/GoogleStorageFS.scala
+++ b/hail/src/main/scala/is/hail/io/fs/GoogleStorageFS.scala
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ import com.google.cloud.storage.Storage.{BlobGetOption, BlobListOption, BlobWrit
 import com.google.cloud.storage.{Blob, BlobId, BlobInfo, Storage, StorageException, StorageOptions}
 import com.google.cloud.{ReadChannel, WriteChannel}
 import is.hail.io.fs.FSUtil.dropTrailingSlash
-import is.hail.services.retryTransientErrors
-import is.hail.utils.fatal
+import is.hail.services.{retryTransientErrors, isTransientError}
+import is.hail.utils._
 import org.apache.log4j.Logger
 
 import java.io.{ByteArrayInputStream, FileNotFoundException, IOException}
@@ -137,39 +137,27 @@ class GoogleStorageFS(
   }
 
   private[this] def retryIfRequesterPays[T, U](
-    exc: Exception,
-    message: String,
-    code: Int,
+    exc: Throwable,
     makeRequest: Seq[U] => T,
     makeUserProjectOption: String => U,
     bucket: String
   ): T = {
-    if (message == null) {
-      throw exc
-    }
-
-    val probablyNeedsRequesterPays = message.equals("userProjectMissing") || (code == 400 && message.contains("requester pays"))
-    if (!probablyNeedsRequesterPays) {
+    if (isRequesterPaysException(exc)) {
+      makeRequest(requesterPaysOptions(bucket, makeUserProjectOption))
+    } else {
       throw exc
     }
-
-    makeRequest(requesterPaysOptions(bucket, makeUserProjectOption))
   }
 
-  def retryIfRequesterPays[T, U](
-    exc: Throwable,
-    makeRequest: Seq[U] => T,
-    makeUserProjectOption: String => U,
-    bucket: String
-  ): T = exc match {
+  def isRequesterPaysException(exc: Throwable): Boolean = exc match {
     case exc: IOException if exc.getCause() != null =>
-      retryIfRequesterPays(exc.getCause(), makeRequest, makeUserProjectOption, bucket)
+      isRequesterPaysException(exc.getCause())
     case exc: StorageException =>
-      retryIfRequesterPays(exc, exc.getMessage(), exc.getCode(), makeRequest, makeUserProjectOption, bucket)
+      exc.getMessage != null && (exc.getMessage.equals("userProjectMissing") || (exc.getCode == 400 && exc.getMessage.contains("requester pays")))
     case exc: GoogleJsonResponseException =>
-      retryIfRequesterPays(exc, exc.getMessage(), exc.getStatusCode(), makeRequest, makeUserProjectOption, bucket)
+      exc.getMessage != null && (exc.getMessage.equals("userProjectMissing") || (exc.getStatusCode == 400 && exc.getMessage.contains("requester pays")))
     case exc: Throwable =>
-      throw exc
+      false
   }
 
   private[this] def handleRequesterPays[T, U](
@@ -213,30 +201,28 @@ class GoogleStorageFS(
 
     val is: SeekableInputStream = new FSSeekableInputStream {
       private[this] var reader: ReadChannel = null
-
-      private[this] def retryingRead(): Int = {
-        retryTransientErrors(
-          { reader.read(bb) },
-          reset = Some({ () => reader.seek(getPosition) })
-        )
-      }
+      private[this] var options: Option[Seq[BlobSourceOption]] = None
 
       private[this] def readHandlingRequesterPays(bb: ByteBuffer): Int = {
-        if (reader != null) {
-          retryingRead()
-        } else {
-          handleRequesterPays(
-            { (options: Seq[BlobSourceOption]) =>
-              reader = retryTransientErrors {
-                storage.reader(url.bucket, url.path, options:_*)
-              }
+        while (true) {
+          try {
+            if (reader == null) {
+              val opts = options.getOrElse(FastSeq())
+              reader = storage.reader(url.bucket, url.path, opts:_*)
               reader.seek(getPosition)
-              retryingRead()
-            },
-            BlobSourceOption.userProject,
-            url.bucket
-          )
+            }
+            return reader.read(bb)
+          } catch {
+            case exc: Exception if isRequesterPaysException(exc) && options.isEmpty =>
+              reader = null
+              bb.clear()
+              options = Some(requesterPaysOptions(url.bucket, BlobSourceOption.userProject))
+            case exc: Exception if isTransientError(exc) =>
+              reader = null
+              bb.clear()
+          }
         }
+        throw new RuntimeException("unreachable")
       }
 
       override def close(): Unit = {