diff --git a/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_fetch.c b/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_fetch.c
index 6df7d546d61..172d8fc687a 100644
--- a/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_fetch.c
+++ b/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_fetch.c
@@ -896,9 +896,7 @@ vbf_stp_condfetch(struct worker *wrk, struct busyobj *bo)
  *
  * replaces a stale object unless
  * - abandoning the bereq or
- * - leaving vcl_backend_error with return (deliver) and beresp.ttl == 0s or
- * - there is a waitinglist on this object because in this case the default ttl
- *   would be 1s, so we might be looking at the same case as the previous
+ * - leaving vcl_backend_error with return (deliver)
  *
  * We do want the stale replacement to avoid an object pileup with short ttl and
  * long grace/keep, yet there could exist cases where a cache object is
@@ -954,23 +952,9 @@ vbf_stp_error(struct worker *wrk, struct busyobj *bo)
 
 	stale = bo->stale_oc;
 	oc->t_origin = now;
-	if (!VTAILQ_EMPTY(&oc->objhead->waitinglist)) {
-		/*
-		 * If there is a waitinglist, it means that there is no
-		 * grace-able object, so cache the error return for a
-		 * short time, so the waiting list can drain, rather than
-		 * each objcore on the waiting list sequentially attempt
-		 * to fetch from the backend.
-		 */
-		oc->ttl = 1;
-		oc->grace = 5;
-		oc->keep = 5;
-		stale = NULL;
-	} else {
-		oc->ttl = 0;
-		oc->grace = 0;
-		oc->keep = 0;
-	}
+	oc->ttl = 0;
+	oc->grace = 0;
+	oc->keep = 0;
 
 	synth_body = VSB_new_auto();
 	AN(synth_body);
diff --git a/bin/varnishtest/tests/c00131.vtc b/bin/varnishtest/tests/c00131.vtc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c9ce19bd588
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/varnishtest/tests/c00131.vtc
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+varnishtest "waiting list rush from vcl_backend_error"
+
+barrier b1 sock 2
+barrier b2 sock 2
+
+server s1 {
+	rxreq
+	send garbage
+} -start
+
+varnish v1 -cliok "param.set debug +syncvsl,+waitinglist"
+varnish v1 -vcl+backend {
+	import vtc;
+	sub vcl_backend_fetch {
+		vtc.barrier_sync("${b1_sock}");
+		vtc.barrier_sync("${b2_sock}");
+	}
+	sub vcl_backend_error {
+		set beresp.http.error-vxid = bereq.xid;
+	}
+} -start
+
+client c1 {
+	txreq
+	rxresp
+	expect resp.http.error-vxid == 1002
+} -start
+
+barrier b1 sync
+
+logexpect l1 -v v1 -q Debug -g raw {
+	loop 4 {
+		expect * * Debug "on waiting list"
+	}
+} -start
+
+client c2 {
+	txreq
+	rxresp
+	expect resp.http.error-vxid == 1002
+} -start
+
+client c3 {
+	txreq
+	rxresp
+	expect resp.http.error-vxid == 1002
+} -start
+
+client c4 {
+	txreq
+	rxresp
+	expect resp.http.error-vxid == 1002
+} -start
+
+client c5 {
+	txreq
+	rxresp
+	expect resp.http.error-vxid == 1002
+} -start
+
+logexpect l1 -wait
+
+barrier b2 sync
+
+client c1 -wait
+client c2 -wait
+client c3 -wait
+client c4 -wait
+client c5 -wait
+
+varnish v1 -expect n_expired == 1
diff --git a/doc/sphinx/reference/vcl_step.rst b/doc/sphinx/reference/vcl_step.rst
index ee07f616923..86fad6312a2 100644
--- a/doc/sphinx/reference/vcl_step.rst
+++ b/doc/sphinx/reference/vcl_step.rst
@@ -378,19 +378,14 @@ This subroutine is called if we fail the backend fetch or if
 
 Returning with :ref:`abandon` does not leave a cache object.
 
-If returning with ``deliver`` and a ``beresp.ttl > 0s``, a synthetic
-cache object is generated in VCL, whose body may be constructed using
-the ``synthetic()`` function.
-
-When there is a waiting list on the object, the default ``ttl`` will
-be positive (currently one second), set before entering
-``vcl_backend_error``. This is to avoid request serialization and
-hammering on a potentially failing backend.
-
-Since these synthetic objects are cached in these special
-circumstances, be cautious with putting private information there. If
-you really must, then you need to explicitly set ``beresp.ttl`` to
-zero in ``vcl_backend_error``.
+If returning with ``deliver`` and ``beresp.uncacheable == false``, a
+synthetic cache object is generated in VCL, whose body may be constructed
+using the ``synthetic()`` function.
+
+Since these synthetic objects are cached in these special circumstances,
+be cautious with putting private information there. If you really must,
+then you need to explicitly set ``beresp.uncacheable`` to ``true`` in
+``vcl_backend_error``.
 
 The `vcl_backend_error` subroutine may terminate with calling ``return()``
 with one of the following keywords: