diff --git a/crates/federate/src/util.rs b/crates/federate/src/util.rs
index feb8a88f3..e75ff265a 100644
--- a/crates/federate/src/util.rs
+++ b/crates/federate/src/util.rs
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn get_latest_activity_id(pool: &mut DbPool<'_>) -> Result<Acti
 
 /// the domain name is needed for logging, pass it to the stats printer so it doesn't need to look
 /// up the domain itself
+#[derive(Debug)]
 pub(crate) struct FederationQueueStateWithDomain {
   pub domain: String,
   pub state: FederationQueueState,
diff --git a/crates/federate/src/worker.rs b/crates/federate/src/worker.rs
index f3621fc8d..f8ca4687d 100644
--- a/crates/federate/src/worker.rs
+++ b/crates/federate/src/worker.rs
@@ -467,6 +467,7 @@ mod test {
   use lemmy_utils::error::LemmyResult;
   use serde_json::{json, Value};
   use serial_test::serial;
+  use std::sync::{Arc, RwLock};
   use test_context::{test_context, AsyncTestContext};
   use tokio::{
     spawn,
@@ -485,6 +486,7 @@ mod test {
     cleaned_up: bool,
     wait_stop_server: ServerHandle,
     is_concurrent: bool,
+    respond_with_error: Arc<RwLock<bool>>,
   }
 
   impl Data {
@@ -507,7 +509,8 @@ mod test {
       let (inbox_sender, inbox_receiver) = unbounded_channel();
 
       // listen for received activities in background
-      let wait_stop_server = listen_activities(inbox_sender)?;
+      let respond_with_error = Arc::new(RwLock::new(false));
+      let wait_stop_server = listen_activities(inbox_sender, respond_with_error.clone())?;
 
       let concurrent_sends_per_instance = std::env::var("LEMMY_TEST_FEDERATION_CONCURRENT_SENDS")
         .ok()
@@ -537,6 +540,7 @@ mod test {
         wait_stop_server,
         cleaned_up: false,
         is_concurrent: concurrent_sends_per_instance > 1,
+        respond_with_error,
       })
     }
 
@@ -674,22 +678,73 @@ mod test {
 
     assert!(instance.updated.is_some());
 
-    data.cleanup().await?;
+    Ok(())
+  }
+
+  #[test_context(Data)]
+  #[tokio::test]
+  #[serial]
+  async fn test_errors(data: &mut Data) -> LemmyResult<()> {
+    let form = InstanceForm::new(data.instance.domain.clone());
+    Instance::update(&mut data.context.pool(), data.instance.id, form).await?;
+
+    // check initial state
+    let rcv = data.stats_receiver.recv().await.unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(0, rcv.state.fail_count);
+    assert_eq!(data.instance.id, rcv.state.instance_id);
+
+    // set receiver to return error for all inbox requests
+    *data.respond_with_error.write().unwrap() = true;
+
+    // send a few activities
+    send_activity(data.person.ap_id.clone(), &data.context, false).await?;
+    send_activity(data.person.ap_id.clone(), &data.context, false).await?;
+    send_activity(data.person.ap_id.clone(), &data.context, false).await?;
+    send_activity(data.person.ap_id.clone(), &data.context, false).await?;
+
+    // it immediately performs first retry giving us 2 failures
+    let rcv = data.stats_receiver.recv().await.unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(2, rcv.state.fail_count);
+
+    // another automatic retry after short sleep
+    sleep(Duration::try_from_secs_f64(1.25)?).await;
+    let rcv = data.stats_receiver.recv().await.unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(3, rcv.state.fail_count);
+
+    // now make sends successfu
+    *data.respond_with_error.write().unwrap() = false;
+
+    // give it time for retry and to deliver activities
+    sleep(Duration::from_secs(5)).await;
+
+    // fail count goes back to 0
+    let rcv = data.stats_receiver.recv().await.unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(0, rcv.state.fail_count);
 
     Ok(())
   }
 
-  fn listen_activities(inbox_sender: UnboundedSender<String>) -> LemmyResult<ServerHandle> {
+  fn listen_activities(
+    inbox_sender: UnboundedSender<String>,
+    respond_with_error: Arc<RwLock<bool>>,
+  ) -> LemmyResult<ServerHandle> {
     let run = HttpServer::new(move || {
       App::new()
         .app_data(actix_web::web::Data::new(inbox_sender.clone()))
+        .app_data(actix_web::web::Data::new(respond_with_error.clone()))
         .route(
           "/inbox",
           web::post().to(
-            |inbox_sender: actix_web::web::Data<UnboundedSender<String>>, body: String| async move {
+            move |inbox_sender: actix_web::web::Data<UnboundedSender<String>>,
+                  respond_with_error: actix_web::web::Data<Arc<RwLock<bool>>>,
+                  body: String| async move {
               tracing::debug!("received activity: {:?}", body);
               inbox_sender.send(body.clone()).unwrap();
-              HttpResponse::new(actix_web::http::StatusCode::OK)
+              if *respond_with_error.read().unwrap() {
+                HttpResponse::new(actix_web::http::StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR)
+              } else {
+                HttpResponse::new(actix_web::http::StatusCode::OK)
+              }
             },
           ),
         )
@@ -713,18 +768,18 @@ mod test {
     wait: bool,
   ) -> LemmyResult<SentActivity> {
     // create outgoing activity
+    let id = format!(
+      "http://ds9.lemmy.ml/activities/like/{}",
+      uuid::Uuid::new_v4()
+    );
     let data = json!({
       "actor": "http://ds9.lemmy.ml/u/lemmy_alpha",
       "object": "http://ds9.lemmy.ml/comment/1",
       "type": "Like",
-      "id": format!("http://ds9.lemmy.ml/activities/like/{}", uuid::Uuid::new_v4()),
+      "id": id,
     });
     let form = SentActivityForm {
-      ap_id: Url::parse(&format!(
-        "http://local.com/activity/{}",
-        uuid::Uuid::new_v4()
-      ))?
-      .into(),
+      ap_id: Url::parse(&id)?.into(),
       data,
       sensitive: false,
       send_inboxes: vec![Some(Url::parse("http://localhost:8085/inbox")?.into())],