diff --git a/src/everest/detached/__init__.py b/src/everest/detached/__init__.py
index caf8f5b2ace..580dc80a48c 100644
--- a/src/everest/detached/__init__.py
+++ b/src/everest/detached/__init__.py
@@ -64,13 +64,14 @@ async def start_server(config: EverestConfig, debug: bool = False) -> Driver:
     return driver
 
 
-def stop_server(server_context: tuple[str, str, tuple[str, str]], retries: int = 5):
+def stop_server(
+    server_context: tuple[str, str, tuple[str, str]], retries: int = 5
+) -> bool:
     """
     Stop server if found and it is running.
     """
     for retry in range(retries):
         try:
-            print("stopping server")
             url, cert, auth = server_context
             stop_endpoint = "/".join([url, STOP_ENDPOINT])
             response = requests.post(
@@ -90,21 +91,25 @@ def stop_server(server_context: tuple[str, str, tuple[str, str]], retries: int =
 def start_experiment(
     server_context: tuple[str, str, tuple[str, str]],
     config: EverestConfig,
+    retries: int = 5,
 ) -> None:
-    print("Starting experiment")
-    try:
-        url, cert, auth = server_context
-        start_endpoint = "/".join([url, START_EXPERIMENT_ENDPOINT])
-        response = requests.post(
-            start_endpoint,
-            verify=cert,
-            auth=auth,
-            proxies=PROXY,  # type: ignore
-            json=config.to_dict(),
-        )
-        response.raise_for_status()
-    except Exception as e:
-        raise ValueError("Failed to start experiment.") from e
+    for retry in range(retries):
+        try:
+            url, cert, auth = server_context
+            start_endpoint = "/".join([url, START_EXPERIMENT_ENDPOINT])
+            response = requests.post(
+                start_endpoint,
+                verify=cert,
+                auth=auth,
+                proxies=PROXY,  # type: ignore
+                json=config.to_dict(),
+            )
+            response.raise_for_status()
+            return
+        except:
+            logging.debug(traceback.format_exc())
+            time.sleep(retry)
+    raise ValueError("Failed to start experiment")
 
 
 def extract_errors_from_file(path: str):
@@ -113,6 +118,26 @@ def extract_errors_from_file(path: str):
     return re.findall(r"(Error \w+.*)", content)
 
 
+def wait_for_server_simple(
+    url: str, cert: str, auth: tuple[str, str], timeout: int
+) -> None:
+    """
+    Checks everest server has started _HTTP_REQUEST_RETRY times. Waits
+    progressively longer between each check.
+
+    Raise an exception when the timeout is reached.
+    """
+    sleep_time_increment = float(timeout) / (2**_HTTP_REQUEST_RETRY - 1)
+    for retry_count in range(_HTTP_REQUEST_RETRY):
+        try:
+            requests.get(url + "/", verify=cert, auth=auth, proxies=PROXY)  # type: ignore
+            return
+        except Exception:
+            sleep_time = sleep_time_increment * (2**retry_count)
+            time.sleep(sleep_time)
+    raise RuntimeError("Failed to get reply from server within configured timeout.")
+
+
 def wait_for_server(output_dir: str, timeout: int) -> None:
     """
     Checks everest server has started _HTTP_REQUEST_RETRY times. Waits
diff --git a/src/everest/detached/jobs/everserver.py b/src/everest/detached/jobs/everserver.py
index fbd5ad59783..865c0e4d2f6 100755
--- a/src/everest/detached/jobs/everserver.py
+++ b/src/everest/detached/jobs/everserver.py
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
     ServerStatus,
     get_opt_status,
     update_everserver_status,
+    wait_for_server_simple,
 )
 from everest.export import check_for_errors
 from everest.plugins.everest_plugin_manager import EverestPluginManager
@@ -184,8 +185,6 @@ def stop(
     ) -> Response:
         _log(request)
         _check_user(credentials)
-        print(f"STOP ENDPOINT {shared_data}")
-
         shared_data[STOP_ENDPOINT] = True
         return Response("Raise STOP flag succeeded. Everest initiates shutdown..", 200)
 
@@ -228,7 +227,6 @@ def get_experiment_status(
     ) -> Response:
         _log(request)
         _check_user(credentials)
-
         if shared_data[STOP_ENDPOINT]:
             return Response(f"{EverestExitCode.USER_ABORT}", 200)
         if runner is None:
@@ -397,20 +395,13 @@ def main():
         return
 
     try:
-        # add timeout
-        is_running = False
-        while not is_running:
-            try:
-                requests.get(url + "/", verify=cert, auth=auth, proxies=PROXY)  # type: ignore
-                is_running = True
-            except:
-                time.sleep(1)
+        wait_for_server_simple(url, cert, auth, 60)
 
         update_everserver_status(status_path, ServerStatus.running)
 
-        # add timeout
         is_done = False
         exit_code = None
+        # loop unil the optimization is done
         while not is_done:
             response = requests.get(
                 "/".join([url, EXPERIMENT_STATUS_ENDPOINT]),
@@ -426,8 +417,8 @@ def main():
             else:
                 time.sleep(1)
 
-        response: requests.Response = requests.get(
-            url + "/" + SHARED_DATA_ENDPOINT,
+        response = requests.get(
+            "/".join([url, SHARED_DATA_ENDPOINT]),
             verify=cert,
             auth=auth,
             proxies=PROXY,  # type: ignore
@@ -441,7 +432,7 @@ def main():
         if status != ServerStatus.completed:
             update_everserver_status(status_path, status, message)
             return
-    except Exception:
+    except:
         if shared_data[STOP_ENDPOINT]:
             update_everserver_status(
                 status_path,
@@ -476,7 +467,7 @@ def main():
             data_frame=export_with_progress(config, export_ecl),
             export_path=config.export_path,
         )
-    except Exception:
+    except:
         update_everserver_status(
             status_path,
             ServerStatus.failed,
diff --git a/tests/everest/test_everserver.py b/tests/everest/test_everserver.py
index 0f24bddc4eb..3a3b40dcb59 100644
--- a/tests/everest/test_everserver.py
+++ b/tests/everest/test_everserver.py
@@ -5,9 +5,8 @@
 from unittest.mock import patch
 
 import pytest
-from fastapi import Response
 from fastapi.encoders import jsonable_encoder
-from fastapi.responses import JSONResponse, PlainTextResponse
+from fastapi.responses import JSONResponse, PlainTextResponse, Response
 from seba_sqlite.snapshot import SebaSnapshot
 
 from ert.run_models.everest_run_model import EverestExitCode