diff --git a/reframe/frontend/executors/policies.py b/reframe/frontend/executors/policies.py
index 3c7ef313f1..03514734ed 100644
--- a/reframe/frontend/executors/policies.py
+++ b/reframe/frontend/executors/policies.py
@@ -46,28 +46,16 @@ class _PollController:
 
     def __init__(self):
         self._num_polls = 0
-        self._num_tasks = 0
         self._sleep_duration = None
         self._t_init = None
 
-    def running_tasks(self, num_tasks):
-        if self._sleep_duration is None:
-            self._sleep_duration = self.SLEEP_MIN
+    def reset_snooze_time(self):
+        self._sleep_duration = self.SLEEP_MIN
 
+    def snooze(self):
         if self._num_polls == 0:
             self._t_init = time.time()
-        else:
-            if self._num_tasks != num_tasks:
-                self._sleep_duration = self.SLEEP_MIN
-            else:
-                self._sleep_duration = min(
-                    self._sleep_duration*self.SLEEP_INC_RATE, self.SLEEP_MAX
-                )
-
-        self._num_tasks = num_tasks
-        return self
 
-    def snooze(self):
         t_elapsed = time.time() - self._t_init
         self._num_polls += 1
         poll_rate = self._num_polls / t_elapsed if t_elapsed else math.inf
@@ -76,6 +64,9 @@ def snooze(self):
             f'(current poll rate: {poll_rate} polls/s)'
         )
         time.sleep(self._sleep_duration)
+        self._sleep_duration = min(
+            self._sleep_duration*self.SLEEP_INC_RATE, self.SLEEP_MAX
+        )
 
 
 class SerialExecutionPolicy(ExecutionPolicy, TaskEventListener):
@@ -120,7 +111,6 @@ def runcase(self, case):
                     task.skip()
                     raise TaskExit from e
 
-            partname = task.testcase.partition.fullname
             task.setup(task.testcase.partition,
                        task.testcase.environ,
                        sched_flex_alloc_nodes=self.sched_flex_alloc_nodes,
@@ -136,13 +126,12 @@ def runcase(self, case):
             else:
                 sched = partition.scheduler
 
+            self._pollctl.reset_snooze_time()
             while True:
                 sched.poll(task.check.job)
                 if task.run_complete():
                     break
 
-                self._pollctl.running_tasks(1).snooze()
-
             task.run_wait()
             if not self.skip_sanity_check:
                 task.sanity()
@@ -321,6 +310,7 @@ def exit(self):
         if self._pipeline_statistics:
             self._init_pipeline_progress(len(self._current_tasks))
 
+        self._pollctl.reset_snooze_time()
         while self._current_tasks:
             try:
                 self._poll_tasks()
@@ -349,7 +339,7 @@ def exit(self):
                     )
 
                 if num_running:
-                    self._pollctl.running_tasks(num_running).snooze()
+                    self._pollctl.snooze()
             except ABORT_REASONS as e:
                 self._failall(e)
                 raise
@@ -565,10 +555,10 @@ def on_task_compile(self, task):
         pass
 
     def on_task_exit(self, task):
-        pass
+        self._pollctl.reset_snooze_time()
 
     def on_task_compile_exit(self, task):
-        pass
+        self._pollctl.reset_snooze_time()
 
     def on_task_skip(self, task):
         msg = str(task.exc_info[1])