diff --git a/test/rp/rptest.go b/test/rp/rptest.go
index ed9b515b0d..21dc72d435 100644
--- a/test/rp/rptest.go
+++ b/test/rp/rptest.go
@@ -454,6 +454,8 @@ func (ct RPTest) Test(t *testing.T) {
 
 					// Ensure that the resource is deleted with retries
 					notFound := false
+					baseWaitTime := 15 * time.Second
+
 					for attempt := 1; attempt <= AWSDeletionRetryLimit; attempt++ {
 						t.Logf("validating deletion of AWS resource for %s (attempt %d/%d)", ct.Description, attempt, AWSDeletionRetryLimit)
 
@@ -467,8 +469,10 @@ func (ct RPTest) Test(t *testing.T) {
 							t.Logf("checking existence of resource %s failed with err: %s", resource.Name, err)
 							break
 						} else {
-							// Wait for 10 seconds
-							time.Sleep(10 * time.Second)
+							// Wait with exponential backoff
+							waitTime := baseWaitTime * time.Duration(attempt)
+							t.Logf("waiting for %s before next attempt", waitTime)
+							time.Sleep(waitTime)
 						}
 					}
 
diff --git a/test/validation/aws.go b/test/validation/aws.go
index 267a05d8ba..32bc3e71f0 100644
--- a/test/validation/aws.go
+++ b/test/validation/aws.go
@@ -61,14 +61,28 @@ type AWSResourceSet struct {
 
 // ValidateAWSResources checks that the expected AWS resources exist and have the expected properties.
 func ValidateAWSResources(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, expected *AWSResourceSet, client awsclient.AWSCloudControlClient) {
+	baseWaitTime := 15 * time.Second
+	retryLimit := 5
+
 	for _, resource := range expected.Resources {
 		resourceType, err := GetResourceTypeName(ctx, &resource)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 
-		resourceResponse, err := client.GetResource(ctx, &cloudcontrol.GetResourceInput{
-			Identifier: to.Ptr(resource.Identifier),
-			TypeName:   &resourceType,
-		})
+		var resourceResponse *cloudcontrol.GetResourceOutput
+		for attempt := 1; attempt <= retryLimit; attempt++ {
+			resourceResponse, err = client.GetResource(ctx, &cloudcontrol.GetResourceInput{
+				Identifier: to.Ptr(resource.Identifier),
+				TypeName:   &resourceType,
+			})
+			if err == nil {
+				break
+			}
+
+			t.Logf("attempt %d/%d: failed to get resource %s with error: %s", attempt, retryLimit, resource.Identifier, err)
+			waitTime := baseWaitTime * time.Duration(attempt)
+			t.Logf("waiting for %s before next attempt", waitTime)
+			time.Sleep(waitTime)
+		}
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 
 		if resource.Properties != nil {