diff --git a/flow/activities/flowable.go b/flow/activities/flowable.go
index fd042db0b..48c10cc69 100644
--- a/flow/activities/flowable.go
+++ b/flow/activities/flowable.go
@@ -424,58 +424,6 @@ func (a *FlowableActivity) syncPg(
 		connectors.CDCSyncPgConnector.SyncPg)
 }
 
-func (a *FlowableActivity) startNormalize(
-	ctx context.Context,
-	config *protos.FlowConnectionConfigs,
-	batchID int64,
-) error {
-	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, shared.FlowNameKey, config.FlowJobName)
-	logger := activity.GetLogger(ctx)
-
-	dstConn, err := connectors.GetByNameAs[connectors.CDCNormalizeConnector](
-		ctx,
-		config.Env,
-		a.CatalogPool,
-		config.DestinationName,
-	)
-	if errors.Is(err, errors.ErrUnsupported) {
-		return monitoring.UpdateEndTimeForCDCBatch(ctx, a.CatalogPool, config.FlowJobName, batchID)
-	} else if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get normalize connector: %w", err)
-	}
-	defer connectors.CloseConnector(ctx, dstConn)
-
-	tableNameSchemaMapping, err := a.getTableNameSchemaMapping(ctx, config.FlowJobName)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get table name schema mapping: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	logger.Info("Normalizing batch",
-		slog.Int64("SyncBatchID", batchID))
-	res, err := dstConn.NormalizeRecords(ctx, &model.NormalizeRecordsRequest{
-		FlowJobName:            config.FlowJobName,
-		Env:                    config.Env,
-		TableNameSchemaMapping: tableNameSchemaMapping,
-		TableMappings:          config.TableMappings,
-		SoftDeleteColName:      config.SoftDeleteColName,
-		SyncedAtColName:        config.SyncedAtColName,
-		SyncBatchID:            batchID,
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		a.Alerter.LogFlowError(ctx, config.FlowJobName, err)
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to normalized records: %w", err)
-	}
-	if _, dstPg := dstConn.(*connpostgres.PostgresConnector); dstPg {
-		if err := monitoring.UpdateEndTimeForCDCBatch(ctx, a.CatalogPool, config.FlowJobName, batchID); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to update end time for cdc batch: %w", err)
-		}
-	}
-
-	logger.Info("normalized batches", slog.Int64("StartBatchID", res.StartBatchID), slog.Int64("EndBatchID", res.EndBatchID))
-
-	return nil
-}
-
 // SetupQRepMetadataTables sets up the metadata tables for QReplication.
 func (a *FlowableActivity) SetupQRepMetadataTables(ctx context.Context, config *protos.QRepConfig) error {
 	conn, err := connectors.GetByNameAs[connectors.QRepSyncConnector](ctx, config.Env, a.CatalogPool, config.DestinationName)
diff --git a/flow/activities/flowable_core.go b/flow/activities/flowable_core.go
index c2ce678c5..1261a7e29 100644
--- a/flow/activities/flowable_core.go
+++ b/flow/activities/flowable_core.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package activities
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"log/slog"
 	"sync/atomic"
@@ -624,6 +625,58 @@ func (a *FlowableActivity) maintainReplConn(
 	}
 }
 
+func (a *FlowableActivity) startNormalize(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	config *protos.FlowConnectionConfigs,
+	batchID int64,
+) error {
+	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, shared.FlowNameKey, config.FlowJobName)
+	logger := activity.GetLogger(ctx)
+
+	dstConn, err := connectors.GetByNameAs[connectors.CDCNormalizeConnector](
+		ctx,
+		config.Env,
+		a.CatalogPool,
+		config.DestinationName,
+	)
+	if errors.Is(err, errors.ErrUnsupported) {
+		return monitoring.UpdateEndTimeForCDCBatch(ctx, a.CatalogPool, config.FlowJobName, batchID)
+	} else if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get normalize connector: %w", err)
+	}
+	defer connectors.CloseConnector(ctx, dstConn)
+
+	tableNameSchemaMapping, err := a.getTableNameSchemaMapping(ctx, config.FlowJobName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get table name schema mapping: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	logger.Info("Normalizing batch",
+		slog.Int64("SyncBatchID", batchID))
+	res, err := dstConn.NormalizeRecords(ctx, &model.NormalizeRecordsRequest{
+		FlowJobName:            config.FlowJobName,
+		Env:                    config.Env,
+		TableNameSchemaMapping: tableNameSchemaMapping,
+		TableMappings:          config.TableMappings,
+		SoftDeleteColName:      config.SoftDeleteColName,
+		SyncedAtColName:        config.SyncedAtColName,
+		SyncBatchID:            batchID,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		a.Alerter.LogFlowError(ctx, config.FlowJobName, err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to normalized records: %w", err)
+	}
+	if _, dstPg := dstConn.(*connpostgres.PostgresConnector); dstPg {
+		if err := monitoring.UpdateEndTimeForCDCBatch(ctx, a.CatalogPool, config.FlowJobName, batchID); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to update end time for cdc batch: %w", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	logger.Info("normalized batches", slog.Int64("StartBatchID", res.StartBatchID), slog.Int64("EndBatchID", res.EndBatchID))
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // Suitable to be run as goroutine
 func (a *FlowableActivity) normalizeLoop(
 	ctx context.Context,
@@ -641,6 +694,7 @@ func (a *FlowableActivity) normalizeLoop(
 		select {
 		case req := <-normalizeRequests:
 			normalizeWaiting.Store(false)
+			retryInterval := time.Minute
 		retryLoop:
 			for {
 				normalizingBatchID.Store(req.BatchID)
@@ -657,7 +711,8 @@ func (a *FlowableActivity) normalizeLoop(
 							logger.Info("[normalize-loop] context closed before retry")
 							return
 						default:
-							time.Sleep(30 * time.Second)
+							time.Sleep(retryInterval)
+							retryInterval = min(retryInterval*2, 5*time.Minute)
 							continue retryLoop
 						}
 					}