diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 678a602..6253a72 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ module github.com/sr/tsproxy
 go 1.20
 
 require (
-	github.com/cenkalti/backoff/v4 v4.1.3
 	github.com/google/go-cmp v0.5.9
 	github.com/oklog/run v1.1.0
 	github.com/prometheus/client_golang v1.14.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index f3a3835..97490a8 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -36,8 +36,6 @@ github.com/aws/smithy-go v1.13.5 h1:hgz0X/DX0dGqTYpGALqXJoRKRj5oQ7150i5FdTePzO8=
 github.com/aws/smithy-go v1.13.5/go.mod h1:Tg+OJXh4MB2R/uN61Ko2f6hTZwB/ZYGOtib8J3gBHzA=
 github.com/beorn7/perks v1.0.1 h1:VlbKKnNfV8bJzeqoa4cOKqO6bYr3WgKZxO8Z16+hsOM=
 github.com/beorn7/perks v1.0.1/go.mod h1:G2ZrVWU2WbWT9wwq4/hrbKbnv/1ERSJQ0ibhJ6rlkpw=
-github.com/cenkalti/backoff/v4 v4.1.3 h1:cFAlzYUlVYDysBEH2T5hyJZMh3+5+WCBvSnK6Q8UtC4=
-github.com/cenkalti/backoff/v4 v4.1.3/go.mod h1:scbssz8iZGpm3xbr14ovlUdkxfGXNInqkPWOWmG2CLw=
 github.com/cespare/xxhash/v2 v2.2.0 h1:DC2CZ1Ep5Y4k3ZQ899DldepgrayRUGE6BBZ/cd9Cj44=
 github.com/cespare/xxhash/v2 v2.2.0/go.mod h1:VGX0DQ3Q6kWi7AoAeZDth3/j3BFtOZR5XLFGgcrjCOs=
 github.com/cilium/ebpf v0.9.3 h1:5KtxXZU+scyERvkJMEm16TbScVvuuMrlhPly78ZMbSc=
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 282d09a..7abe954 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -138,10 +138,10 @@ func tsproxy(ctx context.Context) error {
 		state = &dir
 	}
 
-	logger := slog.New(slog.NewJSONHandler(os.Stderr))
+	logger := slog.New((slog.HandlerOptions{}).NewJSONHandler(os.Stderr))
 	slog.SetDefault(logger)
 
-	st, err := tsWaitStatusReady(ctx, &tailscale.LocalClient{})
+	st, err := tsWaitStatusReady(ctx, logger, &tailscale.LocalClient{})
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("tailscale: wait for node to be ready: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ func tsproxy(ctx context.Context) error {
 		}
 
 		g.Add(func() error {
-			st, err := tsWaitStatusReady(ctx, lc)
+			st, err := tsWaitStatusReady(ctx, log, lc)
 			if err != nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("tailscale: wait for node %s to be ready: %w", upstream.name, err)
 			}
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ func tsproxy(ctx context.Context) error {
 			}
 		})
 		g.Add(func() error {
-			_, err := tsWaitStatusReady(ctx, lc)
+			_, err := tsWaitStatusReady(ctx, log, lc)
 			if err != nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("tailscale: wait for node %s to be ready: %w", upstream.name, err)
 			}
diff --git a/tsproxy.go b/tsproxy.go
index 190d5ae..443b5bf 100644
--- a/tsproxy.go
+++ b/tsproxy.go
@@ -4,14 +4,12 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
-	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httputil"
 	"net/url"
 	"sort"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/cenkalti/backoff/v4"
 	"golang.org/x/exp/slog"
 	"tailscale.com/client/tailscale"
 	"tailscale.com/client/tailscale/apitype"
@@ -22,34 +20,26 @@ type tailscaleLocalClient interface {
 	WhoIs(context.Context, string) (*apitype.WhoIsResponse, error)
 }
 
-func tsWaitStatusReady(ctx context.Context, lc *tailscale.LocalClient) (*ipnstate.Status, error) {
-	var st *ipnstate.Status
-
-	err := backoff.Retry(func() error {
+func tsWaitStatusReady(ctx context.Context, logger *slog.Logger, lc *tailscale.LocalClient) (*ipnstate.Status, error) {
+	for {
 		if err := ctx.Err(); err != nil {
-			return err
+			return nil, err
 		}
 
 		loopCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, time.Second)
-		var err error
-		st, err = lc.Status(loopCtx)
+		st, err := lc.Status(loopCtx)
 		cancel()
 		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("get status: %w", err)
+			logger.Error("get tailscale status", err)
+			continue
 		}
 
-		if st.BackendState != "Running" {
-			return fmt.Errorf("backend not running: %s", st.BackendState)
-		}
-		if len(st.TailscaleIPs) != 2 {
-			return fmt.Errorf("IPs not yet assigned")
+		if st.BackendState == "Running" && len(st.TailscaleIPs) == 2 {
+			return st, nil
 		}
-		return nil
-	}, backoff.WithContext(backoff.NewExponentialBackOff(), ctx))
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		logger.Info("waiting for tailscale backend to be ready", slog.String("state", st.BackendState), slog.Int("IPs", len(st.TailscaleIPs)), slog.String("authURL", st.AuthURL))
+		time.Sleep(time.Second)
 	}
-	return st, nil
 }
 
 func newReverseProxy(logger *slog.Logger, lc tailscaleLocalClient, url *url.URL) http.HandlerFunc {