diff --git a/daemon/cachedump.c b/daemon/cachedump.c
index 5a420db6..2db2268c 100644
--- a/daemon/cachedump.c
+++ b/daemon/cachedump.c
@@ -802,8 +802,8 @@ print_dp_details(SSL* ssl, struct worker* worker, struct delegpt* dp)
 {
 	char buf[257];
 	struct delegpt_addr* a;
-	int lame, dlame, rlame, rtt, edns_vs, to, lost;
-	int entry_ttl, clean_rtt, backoff;
+	int lame, dlame, rlame, rtt, edns_vs, to;
+	int entry_ttl, clean_rtt;
 	uint8_t edns_lame_known;
 	for(a = dp->target_list; a; a = a->next_target) {
 		addr_to_str(&a->addr, a->addrlen, buf, sizeof(buf));
@@ -815,15 +815,14 @@ print_dp_details(SSL* ssl, struct worker* worker, struct delegpt* dp)
 		}
 		/* lookup in infra cache */
 		entry_ttl = infra_get_host_rto(worker->env.infra_cache,
-			&a->addr, a->addrlen, &clean_rtt, &rtt, &backoff,
+			&a->addr, a->addrlen, &clean_rtt, &rtt,
 			*worker->env.now);
 		if(entry_ttl == -1) {
 			if(!ssl_printf(ssl, "not in infra cache.\n"))
 				return;
 			continue; /* skip stuff not in infra cache */
 		} else if(entry_ttl == -2) {
-			if(!ssl_printf(ssl, "not in infra cache "
-				"(backoff %d).\n", backoff))
+			if(!ssl_printf(ssl, "not in infra cache.\n"))
 				return;
 			continue; /* skip stuff not in infra cache */
 		}
@@ -832,25 +831,21 @@ print_dp_details(SSL* ssl, struct worker* worker, struct delegpt* dp)
 		 * lameness won't be reported then */
 		if(!infra_get_lame_rtt(worker->env.infra_cache, 
 			&a->addr, a->addrlen, dp->name, dp->namelen,
-			LDNS_RR_TYPE_A, &lame, &dlame, &rlame, &rtt, &lost,
+			LDNS_RR_TYPE_A, &lame, &dlame, &rlame, &rtt,
 			*worker->env.now)) {
 			if(!ssl_printf(ssl, "not in infra cache.\n"))
 				return;
 			continue; /* skip stuff not in infra cache */
 		}
-		if(!ssl_printf(ssl, "%s%s%s%srtt %d msec, %d lost, ttl %d",
+		if(!ssl_printf(ssl, "%s%s%s%srtt %d msec, ttl %d",
 			lame?"LAME ":"", dlame?"NoDNSSEC ":"",
 			a->lame?"AddrWasParentSide ":"",
-			rlame?"NoAuthButRecursive ":"", rtt, lost, entry_ttl))
+			rlame?"NoAuthButRecursive ":"", rtt, entry_ttl))
 			return;
 		if(rtt != clean_rtt && clean_rtt != 376 /* unknown */) {
 			if(!ssl_printf(ssl, ", ping %d", clean_rtt))
 				return;
 		}
-		if(backoff != INFRA_BACKOFF_INITIAL) {
-			if(!ssl_printf(ssl, ", backoff %d", backoff))
-				return;
-		}
 		if(infra_host(worker->env.infra_cache, &a->addr, a->addrlen,
 			*worker->env.now, &edns_vs, &edns_lame_known, &to)) {
 			if(edns_vs == -1) {
diff --git a/daemon/remote.c b/daemon/remote.c
index 3e14bc70..66e89650 100644
--- a/daemon/remote.c
+++ b/daemon/remote.c
@@ -1567,21 +1567,15 @@ dump_infra_host(struct lruhash_entry* e, void* arg)
 	a->ipstr = ip_str;
 	/* skip expired stuff (only backed off) */
 	if(d->ttl < a->now) {
-		if(d->backoff != INFRA_BACKOFF_INITIAL) {
-			if(!ssl_printf(a->ssl, "%s expired, backoff is %d\n",
-				ip_str, (int)d->backoff))
-				return;
-		}
 		if(d->lameness)
 			lruhash_traverse(d->lameness, 0, &dump_infra_lame, arg);
 		return;
 	}
 	if(!ssl_printf(a->ssl, "%s ttl %d ping %d var %d rtt %d rto %d "
-		"backoff %d ednsknown %d edns %d\n",
+		"ednsknown %d edns %d\n",
 		ip_str, (int)(d->ttl - a->now),
 		d->rtt.srtt, d->rtt.rttvar, rtt_notimeout(&d->rtt), d->rtt.rto,
-		(int)d->backoff, (int)d->edns_lame_known, (int)d->edns_version
-		))
+		(int)d->edns_lame_known, (int)d->edns_version))
 		return;
 	if(d->lameness)
 		lruhash_traverse(d->lameness, 0, &dump_infra_lame, arg);
diff --git a/iterator/iter_utils.c b/iterator/iter_utils.c
index 7bb1c124..dc1b3fe9 100644
--- a/iterator/iter_utils.c
+++ b/iterator/iter_utils.c
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ iter_filter_unsuitable(struct iter_env* iter_env, struct module_env* env,
 	uint8_t* name, size_t namelen, uint16_t qtype, uint32_t now, 
 	struct delegpt_addr* a)
 {
-	int rtt, lame, reclame, dnsseclame, lost;
+	int rtt, lame, reclame, dnsseclame;
 	if(a->bogus)
 		return -1; /* address of server is bogus */
 	if(donotq_lookup(iter_env->donotq, &a->addr, a->addrlen)) {
@@ -197,9 +197,9 @@ iter_filter_unsuitable(struct iter_env* iter_env, struct module_env* env,
 	/* check lameness - need zone , class info */
 	if(infra_get_lame_rtt(env->infra_cache, &a->addr, a->addrlen, 
 		name, namelen, qtype, &lame, &dnsseclame, &reclame, 
-		&rtt, &lost, now)) {
+		&rtt, now)) {
 		log_addr(VERB_ALGO, "servselect", &a->addr, a->addrlen);
-		verbose(VERB_ALGO, "   rtt=%d lost=%d%s%s%s%s", rtt, lost,
+		verbose(VERB_ALGO, "   rtt=%d%s%s%s%s", rtt,
 			lame?" LAME":"",
 			dnsseclame?" DNSSEC_LAME":"",
 			reclame?" REC_LAME":"",
diff --git a/services/cache/infra.c b/services/cache/infra.c
index 6f28283c..5c21f755 100644
--- a/services/cache/infra.c
+++ b/services/cache/infra.c
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ infra_lookup_host(struct infra_cache* infra,
 	return data;
 }
 
-/** init the host elements (not lame elems, not backoff) */
+/** init the host elements (not lame elems) */
 static void
 host_entry_init(struct infra_cache* infra, struct lruhash_entry* e, 
 	uint32_t timenow)
@@ -213,7 +213,6 @@ host_entry_init(struct infra_cache* infra, struct lruhash_entry* e,
 	rtt_init(&data->rtt);
 	data->edns_version = 0;
 	data->edns_lame_known = 0;
-	data->num_timeouts = 0;
 }
 
 /** 
@@ -246,7 +245,6 @@ new_host_entry(struct infra_cache* infra, struct sockaddr_storage* addr,
 	key->addrlen = addrlen;
 	memcpy(&key->addr, addr, addrlen);
 	data->lameness = NULL;
-	data->backoff = INFRA_BACKOFF_INITIAL;
 	host_entry_init(infra, &key->entry, tm);
 	return &key->entry;
 }
@@ -497,30 +495,9 @@ infra_rtt_update(struct infra_cache* infra,
 	/* have an entry, update the rtt */
 	data = (struct infra_host_data*)e->data;
 	if(roundtrip == -1) {
-		int o = rtt_timeout(&data->rtt);
 		rtt_lost(&data->rtt, orig_rtt);
-		if(rtt_timeout(&data->rtt) >= USEFUL_SERVER_TOP_TIMEOUT
-			&& o < USEFUL_SERVER_TOP_TIMEOUT) {
-			/* backoff the blacklisted timeout */
-			log_addr(VERB_ALGO, "backoff for", addr, addrlen);
-			data->backoff *= 2;
-			if(data->backoff >= 24*3600)
-				data->backoff = 24*3600;
-			verbose(VERB_ALGO, "backoff to %d", data->backoff);
-			/* increase the infra item TTL */
-			data->ttl = timenow + data->backoff;
-		}
-
-		if(data->num_timeouts<255)
-			data->num_timeouts++; 
 	} else {
 		rtt_update(&data->rtt, roundtrip);
-		/* un-backoff the element */
-		if(data->backoff > (uint32_t)infra->host_ttl*2)
-			data->backoff = (uint32_t)infra->host_ttl*2;
-		else	data->backoff = INFRA_BACKOFF_INITIAL;
-
-		data->num_timeouts = 0;
 	}
 	if(data->rtt.rto > 0)
 		rto = data->rtt.rto;
@@ -533,7 +510,7 @@ infra_rtt_update(struct infra_cache* infra,
 
 int infra_get_host_rto(struct infra_cache* infra,
         struct sockaddr_storage* addr, socklen_t addrlen,
-	int* rtt, int* rto, int* backoff, uint32_t timenow)
+	int* rtt, int* rto, uint32_t timenow)
 {
 	struct lruhash_entry* e = infra_lookup_host_nottl(infra, addr, 
 		addrlen, 0);
@@ -541,7 +518,6 @@ int infra_get_host_rto(struct infra_cache* infra,
 	int ttl = -2;
 	if(!e) return -1;
 	data = (struct infra_host_data*)e->data;
-	*backoff = (int)data->backoff;
 	if(data->ttl >= timenow) {
 		ttl = (int)(data->ttl - timenow);
 		*rtt = rtt_notimeout(&data->rtt);
@@ -585,8 +561,7 @@ int
 infra_get_lame_rtt(struct infra_cache* infra,
         struct sockaddr_storage* addr, socklen_t addrlen,
         uint8_t* name, size_t namelen, uint16_t qtype, 
-	int* lame, int* dnsseclame, int* reclame, int* rtt, int* lost,
-	uint32_t timenow)
+	int* lame, int* dnsseclame, int* reclame, int* rtt, uint32_t timenow)
 {
 	struct infra_host_data* host;
 	struct lruhash_entry* e = infra_lookup_host_nottl(infra, addr, 
@@ -596,7 +571,6 @@ infra_get_lame_rtt(struct infra_cache* infra,
 		return 0;
 	host = (struct infra_host_data*)e->data;
 	*rtt = rtt_unclamped(&host->rtt);
-	*lost = (int)host->num_timeouts;
 	/* check lameness first, if so, ttl on host does not matter anymore */
 	if(infra_lookup_lame(host, name, namelen, timenow, 
 		&dlm, &rlm, &alm, &olm)) {
diff --git a/services/cache/infra.h b/services/cache/infra.h
index 58ea7190..a5ce396f 100644
--- a/services/cache/infra.h
+++ b/services/cache/infra.h
@@ -64,8 +64,6 @@ struct infra_host_key {
 struct infra_host_data {
 	/** TTL value for this entry. absolute time. */
 	uint32_t ttl;
-	/** backoff time if blacklisted unresponsive. in seconds. */
-	uint32_t backoff;
 	/** round trip times for timeout calculation */
 	struct rtt_info rtt;
 	/** Names of the zones that are lame. NULL=no lame zones. */
@@ -76,8 +74,6 @@ struct infra_host_data {
 	 * EDNS lame is when EDNS queries or replies are dropped, 
 	 * and cause a timeout */
 	uint8_t edns_lame_known;
-	/** Number of consequtive timeouts; reset when reply arrives OK. */
-	uint8_t num_timeouts;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -281,16 +277,13 @@ int infra_edns_update(struct infra_cache* infra,
  * @param reclame: if function returns true, this is if it is recursion lame.
  * @param rtt: if function returns true, this returns avg rtt of the server.
  * 	The rtt value is unclamped and reflects recent timeouts.
- * @param lost: number of queries lost in a row.  Reset to 0 when an answer
- * 	gets back.  Gives a connectivity number.
  * @param timenow: what time it is now.
  * @return if found in cache, or false if not (or TTL bad).
  */
 int infra_get_lame_rtt(struct infra_cache* infra,
         struct sockaddr_storage* addr, socklen_t addrlen, 
 	uint8_t* name, size_t namelen, uint16_t qtype, 
-	int* lame, int* dnsseclame, int* reclame, int* rtt, int* lost,
-	uint32_t timenow);
+	int* lame, int* dnsseclame, int* reclame, int* rtt, uint32_t timenow);
 
 /**
  * Get additional (debug) info on timing.
@@ -299,14 +292,13 @@ int infra_get_lame_rtt(struct infra_cache* infra,
  * @param addrlen: length of addr.
  * @param rtt: the clean rtt time (of working replies).
  * @param rto: the rtt with timeouts applied. (rtt as returned by other funcs).
- * @param backoff: the backoff time for blacked entries.
  * @param timenow: what time it is now.
  * @return TTL the infra host element is valid for. If -1: not found in cache.
- * 	If -2: found in cache, but TTL was not valid, only backoff is filled.
+ * 	If -2: found in cache, but TTL was not valid.
  */
 int infra_get_host_rto(struct infra_cache* infra,
         struct sockaddr_storage* addr, socklen_t addrlen, 
-	int* rtt, int* rto, int* backoff, uint32_t timenow);
+	int* rtt, int* rto, uint32_t timenow);
 
 /**
  * Get memory used by the infra cache.