diff --git a/gcloud-java-bigquery/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/bigquery/BigQueryImplTest.java b/gcloud-java-bigquery/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/bigquery/BigQueryImplTest.java
index 6a6a1c7cd6af..ed54e6a94111 100644
--- a/gcloud-java-bigquery/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/bigquery/BigQueryImplTest.java
+++ b/gcloud-java-bigquery/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/bigquery/BigQueryImplTest.java
@@ -262,6 +262,7 @@ public void setUp() {
     options = BigQueryOptions.builder()
         .projectId(PROJECT)
         .serviceRpcFactory(rpcFactoryMock)
+        .retryParams(RetryParams.noRetries())
         .build();
   }
 
diff --git a/gcloud-java-core/src/main/java/com/google/gcloud/ServiceOptions.java b/gcloud-java-core/src/main/java/com/google/gcloud/ServiceOptions.java
index 6ed1d50ba364..84bb07195806 100644
--- a/gcloud-java-core/src/main/java/com/google/gcloud/ServiceOptions.java
+++ b/gcloud-java-core/src/main/java/com/google/gcloud/ServiceOptions.java
@@ -264,7 +264,8 @@ public B authCredentials(AuthCredentials authCredentials) {
 
     /**
      * Sets configuration parameters for request retries. If no configuration is set
-     * {@link RetryParams#noRetries()} is used.
+     * {@link RetryParams#defaultInstance()} is used. To disable retries, supply
+     * {@link RetryParams#noRetries()} here.
      *
      * @return the builder
      */
@@ -325,7 +326,7 @@ protected ServiceOptions(Class<? extends ServiceFactory<ServiceT, OptionsT>> ser
     authCredentials =
         builder.authCredentials != null ? builder.authCredentials : defaultAuthCredentials();
     authCredentialsState = authCredentials != null ? authCredentials.capture() : null;
-    retryParams = builder.retryParams;
+    retryParams = firstNonNull(builder.retryParams, RetryParams.defaultInstance());
     serviceFactory = firstNonNull(builder.serviceFactory,
         getFromServiceLoader(serviceFactoryClass, defaultServiceFactory()));
     serviceFactoryClassName = serviceFactory.getClass().getName();
diff --git a/gcloud-java-datastore/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/datastore/DatastoreTest.java b/gcloud-java-datastore/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/datastore/DatastoreTest.java
index 029b161c1c38..0e9b993483b0 100644
--- a/gcloud-java-datastore/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/datastore/DatastoreTest.java
+++ b/gcloud-java-datastore/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/datastore/DatastoreTest.java
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ public void setUp() {
     options = DatastoreOptions.builder()
         .projectId(PROJECT_ID)
         .host("http://localhost:" + PORT)
+        .retryParams(RetryParams.noRetries())
         .build();
     datastore = options.service();
     StructuredQuery<Key> query = Query.keyQueryBuilder().build();
diff --git a/gcloud-java-examples/src/main/java/com/google/gcloud/examples/StorageExample.java b/gcloud-java-examples/src/main/java/com/google/gcloud/examples/StorageExample.java
index a6f65ec705e4..dc3dba6c72ab 100644
--- a/gcloud-java-examples/src/main/java/com/google/gcloud/examples/StorageExample.java
+++ b/gcloud-java-examples/src/main/java/com/google/gcloud/examples/StorageExample.java
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 
 import com.google.gcloud.AuthCredentials;
 import com.google.gcloud.AuthCredentials.ServiceAccountAuthCredentials;
-import com.google.gcloud.RetryParams;
 import com.google.gcloud.spi.StorageRpc.Tuple;
 import com.google.gcloud.storage.Blob;
 import com.google.gcloud.storage.BlobId;
@@ -549,8 +548,7 @@ public static void main(String... args) throws Exception {
       printUsage();
       return;
     }
-    StorageOptions.Builder optionsBuilder =
-        StorageOptions.builder().retryParams(RetryParams.defaultInstance());
+    StorageOptions.Builder optionsBuilder = StorageOptions.builder();
     StorageAction action;
     String actionName;
     if (args.length >= 2 && !ACTIONS.containsKey(args[0])) {
diff --git a/gcloud-java-resourcemanager/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/resourcemanager/ResourceManagerImplTest.java b/gcloud-java-resourcemanager/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/resourcemanager/ResourceManagerImplTest.java
index 1210e4ec81a7..fedd10eacdc6 100644
--- a/gcloud-java-resourcemanager/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/resourcemanager/ResourceManagerImplTest.java
+++ b/gcloud-java-resourcemanager/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/resourcemanager/ResourceManagerImplTest.java
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
 import com.google.gcloud.Page;
-import com.google.gcloud.RetryParams;
 import com.google.gcloud.resourcemanager.ProjectInfo.ResourceId;
 import com.google.gcloud.resourcemanager.ResourceManager.ProjectField;
 import com.google.gcloud.resourcemanager.ResourceManager.ProjectGetOption;
@@ -271,7 +270,6 @@ public void testRetryableException() {
     EasyMock.replay(rpcFactoryMock);
     ResourceManager resourceManagerMock = ResourceManagerOptions.builder()
         .serviceRpcFactory(rpcFactoryMock)
-        .retryParams(RetryParams.defaultInstance())
         .build()
         .service();
     EasyMock.expect(resourceManagerRpcMock.get(PARTIAL_PROJECT.projectId(), EMPTY_RPC_OPTIONS))
@@ -291,7 +289,6 @@ public void testNonRetryableException() {
     EasyMock.replay(rpcFactoryMock);
     ResourceManager resourceManagerMock = ResourceManagerOptions.builder()
         .serviceRpcFactory(rpcFactoryMock)
-        .retryParams(RetryParams.defaultInstance())
         .build()
         .service();
     EasyMock.expect(resourceManagerRpcMock.get(PARTIAL_PROJECT.projectId(), EMPTY_RPC_OPTIONS))
diff --git a/gcloud-java-storage/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/storage/BlobReadChannelImplTest.java b/gcloud-java-storage/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/storage/BlobReadChannelImplTest.java
index d943715580c9..7daf4a6fb468 100644
--- a/gcloud-java-storage/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/storage/BlobReadChannelImplTest.java
+++ b/gcloud-java-storage/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/storage/BlobReadChannelImplTest.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
 import com.google.gcloud.RestorableState;
+import com.google.gcloud.RetryParams;
 import com.google.gcloud.spi.StorageRpc;
 import com.google.gcloud.spi.StorageRpcFactory;
 
@@ -65,6 +66,7 @@ public void setUp() {
     options = StorageOptions.builder()
         .projectId("projectId")
         .serviceRpcFactory(rpcFactoryMock)
+        .retryParams(RetryParams.noRetries())
         .build();
   }
 
diff --git a/gcloud-java-storage/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/storage/BlobWriteChannelImplTest.java b/gcloud-java-storage/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/storage/BlobWriteChannelImplTest.java
index 952be543a913..518ba8e14c65 100644
--- a/gcloud-java-storage/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/storage/BlobWriteChannelImplTest.java
+++ b/gcloud-java-storage/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/storage/BlobWriteChannelImplTest.java
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
 import com.google.gcloud.RestorableState;
+import com.google.gcloud.RetryParams;
 import com.google.gcloud.spi.StorageRpc;
 import com.google.gcloud.spi.StorageRpcFactory;
 
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@ public void setUp() {
     options = StorageOptions.builder()
         .projectId("projectid")
         .serviceRpcFactory(rpcFactoryMock)
+        .retryParams(RetryParams.noRetries())
         .build();
   }
 
diff --git a/gcloud-java-storage/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/storage/CopyWriterTest.java b/gcloud-java-storage/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/storage/CopyWriterTest.java
index f14ee934638f..1b1ffd987de6 100644
--- a/gcloud-java-storage/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/storage/CopyWriterTest.java
+++ b/gcloud-java-storage/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/storage/CopyWriterTest.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
 import com.google.gcloud.RestorableState;
+import com.google.gcloud.RetryParams;
 import com.google.gcloud.spi.StorageRpc;
 import com.google.gcloud.spi.StorageRpc.RewriteRequest;
 import com.google.gcloud.spi.StorageRpc.RewriteResponse;
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ public void setUp() {
     options = StorageOptions.builder()
         .projectId("projectid")
         .serviceRpcFactory(rpcFactoryMock)
+        .retryParams(RetryParams.noRetries())
         .build();
   }
 
diff --git a/gcloud-java-storage/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/storage/StorageImplTest.java b/gcloud-java-storage/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/storage/StorageImplTest.java
index 007ac4b2a15a..3aaec047714f 100644
--- a/gcloud-java-storage/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/storage/StorageImplTest.java
+++ b/gcloud-java-storage/src/test/java/com/google/gcloud/storage/StorageImplTest.java
@@ -261,6 +261,7 @@ public void setUp() {
         .projectId("projectId")
         .clock(TIME_SOURCE)
         .serviceRpcFactory(rpcFactoryMock)
+        .retryParams(RetryParams.noRetries())
         .build();
   }