diff --git a/lib/cucumber/filters/retry.rb b/lib/cucumber/filters/retry.rb
index 128fd44a8c..bf26b3f69a 100644
--- a/lib/cucumber/filters/retry.rb
+++ b/lib/cucumber/filters/retry.rb
@@ -7,13 +7,23 @@ module Cucumber
   module Filters
     class Retry < Core::Filter.new(:configuration)
 
-      def test_case(test_case)
-        super 
-
+      def test_case(test_case) 
         configuration.on_event(:after_test_case) do |event|
-          test_case.describe_to(receiver) if event.result.failed?
+          next unless event.test_case == test_case
+          next unless event.result.failed?
+          next if test_case_counts[test_case] >= configuration.retry_attempts
+
+          test_case_counts[test_case] += 1
+          event.test_case.describe_to(receiver)
         end
+
+        super 
+      end
+
+      def test_case_counts
+        @test_case_counts ||= Hash.new { |h,k| h[k] = 0 }
       end
+        
     end
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/spec/cucumber/filters/retry_spec.rb b/spec/cucumber/filters/retry_spec.rb
index d001ef7583..526ba57d0f 100644
--- a/spec/cucumber/filters/retry_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/cucumber/filters/retry_spec.rb
@@ -43,9 +43,10 @@
 
   context "failing test case" do 
     it "describes the test case the specified number of times" do 
-      expect(test_case).to receive(:describe_to).with(receiver).exactly(3).times
+      expect(receiver).to receive(:test_case) { |test_case|
+        configuration.notify(fail)
+      }.exactly(3).times
       filter.test_case(test_case)
-      configuration.notify(fail)
     end
   end
 
@@ -53,21 +54,22 @@
 
     context "a little flaky" do 
       it "describes the test case twice" do 
-        expect(test_case).to receive(:describe_to).with(receiver).exactly(2).times
+        results = [fail, pass]
+        expect(receiver).to receive(:test_case) { |test_case|
+          configuration.notify(results.shift)
+        }.exactly(2).times
         filter.test_case(test_case)
-        configuration.notify(fail)
-        configuration.notify(pass)
       end
     end
 
     context "really flaky" do 
       it "describes the test case 3 times" do
-        expect(test_case).to receive(:describe_to).with(receiver).exactly(3).times
+        results = [fail, fail, pass]
+        expect(receiver).to receive(:test_case) { |test_case|
+          configuration.notify(results.shift)
+        }.exactly(3).times
         filter.test_case(test_case)
-        configuration.notify(fail)
-        configuration.notify(fail)
-        configuration.notify(pass)
       end
     end
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end