diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 8aeb5f3..b8041d7 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -18,8 +18,9 @@ ubuntu-dev-tools (0.137) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
 
   [ Andreas Moog ]
   * sponsor-patch: Check permission to unsubscribe sponsors-team (LP: #896884)
+  * requestsync: Give user option to retry in case of temporary error (LP: #850360)
 
- -- Andreas Moog <amoog@ubuntu.com>  Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:47:05 +0100
+ -- Andreas Moog <amoog@ubuntu.com>  Sun, 27 Nov 2011 22:13:22 +0100
 
 ubuntu-dev-tools (0.136) unstable; urgency=low
 
diff --git a/ubuntutools/requestsync/mail.py b/ubuntutools/requestsync/mail.py
index c6607d6..4708b7a 100644
--- a/ubuntutools/requestsync/mail.py
+++ b/ubuntutools/requestsync/mail.py
@@ -163,13 +163,20 @@ Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
     confirmation_prompt()
 
     # connect to the server
-    try:
-        Logger.info('Connecting to %s:%s ...', mailserver_host, mailserver_port)
-        s = smtplib.SMTP(mailserver_host, mailserver_port)
-    except socket.error, s:
-        Logger.error('Could not connect to %s:%s: %s (%i)',
-                     mailserver_host, mailserver_port, s[1], s[0])
-        return
+    while True:
+        try:
+            Logger.info('Connecting to %s:%s ...', mailserver_host, mailserver_port)
+            s = smtplib.SMTP(mailserver_host, mailserver_port)
+            break
+        except socket.error, s:
+            Logger.error('Could not connect to %s:%s: %s (%i)',
+                         mailserver_host, mailserver_port, s[1], s[0])
+            return
+        except smtplib.SMTPConnectError, s:
+            Logger.error('Could not connect to %s:%s: %s (%i)',
+                         mailserver_host, mailserver_port, s[1], s[0])
+            if s[0] == 421:
+                confirmation_prompt(message="This is a temporary error, press [Enter] to retry. Press [Ctrl-C] to abort now.")
 
     if mailserver_user and mailserver_pass:
         try: