diff --git a/plugins/module_utils/ec2.py b/plugins/module_utils/ec2.py
index 4947e36b47f..ea2e21f383b 100644
--- a/plugins/module_utils/ec2.py
+++ b/plugins/module_utils/ec2.py
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@
 from ansible.module_utils.common.dict_transformations import camel_dict_to_snake_dict  # pylint: disable=unused-import
 from ansible.module_utils.common.dict_transformations import snake_dict_to_camel_dict  # pylint: disable=unused-import
 
-from .cloud import CloudRetry
 # Used to live here, moved into ansible_collections.amazon.aws.plugins.module_utils.tagging
 from .tagging import ansible_dict_to_boto3_tag_list
 from .tagging import boto3_tag_list_to_ansible_dict
@@ -59,6 +58,9 @@
 from .policy import compare_policies  # pylint: disable=unused-import
 from .policy import sort_json_policy_dict  # pylint: disable=unused-import
 
+# Used to live here, moved into # ansible_collections.amazon.aws.plugins.module_utils.retries
+from .retries import AWSRetry  # pylint: disable=unused-import
+
 BOTO_IMP_ERR = None
 try:
     import boto
@@ -82,46 +84,6 @@ class AnsibleAWSError(Exception):
     pass
 
 
-def _botocore_exception_maybe():
-    """
-    Allow for boto3 not being installed when using these utils by wrapping
-    botocore.exceptions instead of assigning from it directly.
-    """
-    if HAS_BOTO3:
-        return botocore.exceptions.ClientError
-    return type(None)
-
-
-class AWSRetry(CloudRetry):
-    base_class = _botocore_exception_maybe()
-
-    @staticmethod
-    def status_code_from_exception(error):
-        return error.response['Error']['Code']
-
-    @staticmethod
-    def found(response_code, catch_extra_error_codes=None):
-        # This list of failures is based on this API Reference
-        # http://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/APIReference/errors-overview.html
-        #
-        # TooManyRequestsException comes from inside botocore when it
-        # does retrys, unfortunately however it does not try long
-        # enough to allow some services such as API Gateway to
-        # complete configuration.  At the moment of writing there is a
-        # botocore/boto3 bug open to fix this.
-        #
-        # https://github.com/boto/boto3/issues/876 (and linked PRs etc)
-        retry_on = [
-            'RequestLimitExceeded', 'Unavailable', 'ServiceUnavailable',
-            'InternalFailure', 'InternalError', 'TooManyRequestsException',
-            'Throttling'
-        ]
-        if catch_extra_error_codes:
-            retry_on.extend(catch_extra_error_codes)
-
-        return response_code in retry_on
-
-
 def boto3_conn(module, conn_type=None, resource=None, region=None, endpoint=None, **params):
     try:
         return _boto3_conn(conn_type=conn_type, resource=resource, region=region, endpoint=endpoint, **params)
diff --git a/plugins/module_utils/retries.py b/plugins/module_utils/retries.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1bd214b6bf9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/module_utils/retries.py
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+# This code is part of Ansible, but is an independent component.
+# This particular file snippet, and this file snippet only, is BSD licensed.
+# Modules you write using this snippet, which is embedded dynamically by Ansible
+# still belong to the author of the module, and may assign their own license
+# to the complete work.
+#
+# Copyright (c), Michael DeHaan <michael.dehaan@gmail.com>, 2012-2013
+# All rights reserved.
+#
+# Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification,
+# are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
+#
+#    * Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+#      notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+#    * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
+#      this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation
+#      and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+#
+# THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND
+# ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED
+# WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED.
+# IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT,
+# INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
+# PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS
+# INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT
+# LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE
+# USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+
+from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function)
+__metaclass__ = type
+
+try:
+    from botocore.exceptions import ClientError
+    HAS_BOTO3 = True
+except ImportError:
+    HAS_BOTO3 = False
+
+from .cloud import CloudRetry
+
+
+def _botocore_exception_maybe():
+    """
+    Allow for boto3 not being installed when using these utils by wrapping
+    botocore.exceptions instead of assigning from it directly.
+    """
+    if HAS_BOTO3:
+        return ClientError
+    return type(None)
+
+
+class AWSRetry(CloudRetry):
+    base_class = _botocore_exception_maybe()
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def status_code_from_exception(error):
+        return error.response['Error']['Code']
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def found(response_code, catch_extra_error_codes=None):
+        # This list of failures is based on this API Reference
+        # http://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/APIReference/errors-overview.html
+        #
+        # TooManyRequestsException comes from inside botocore when it
+        # does retrys, unfortunately however it does not try long
+        # enough to allow some services such as API Gateway to
+        # complete configuration.  At the moment of writing there is a
+        # botocore/boto3 bug open to fix this.
+        #
+        # https://github.com/boto/boto3/issues/876 (and linked PRs etc)
+        retry_on = [
+            'RequestLimitExceeded', 'Unavailable', 'ServiceUnavailable',
+            'InternalFailure', 'InternalError', 'TooManyRequestsException',
+            'Throttling'
+        ]
+        if catch_extra_error_codes:
+            retry_on.extend(catch_extra_error_codes)
+
+        return response_code in retry_on
diff --git a/tests/unit/module_utils/ec2/test_aws.py b/tests/unit/module_utils/test_retries.py
similarity index 97%
rename from tests/unit/module_utils/ec2/test_aws.py
rename to tests/unit/module_utils/test_retries.py
index 91170b9e693..2655bcd0692 100644
--- a/tests/unit/module_utils/ec2/test_aws.py
+++ b/tests/unit/module_utils/test_retries.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 import pytest
 
 from ansible_collections.amazon.aws.tests.unit.compat import unittest
-from ansible_collections.amazon.aws.plugins.module_utils.ec2 import AWSRetry
+from ansible_collections.amazon.aws.plugins.module_utils.retries import AWSRetry
 
 if not HAS_BOTO3:
     pytestmark = pytest.mark.skip("test_aws.py requires the python modules 'boto3' and 'botocore'")