diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/container/ContainerImpl.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/container/ContainerImpl.java
index c09c7f1ac2..5527ac4a12 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/container/ContainerImpl.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/container/ContainerImpl.java
@@ -1602,8 +1602,10 @@ public ContainerState transition(final ContainerImpl container,
         }
         container.addDiagnostics(exitEvent.getDiagnosticInfo() + "\n");
       }
-
       if (container.shouldRetry(container.exitCode)) {
+        // Updates to the retry context should  be protected from concurrent
+        // writes. It should only be called from this transition.
+        container.retryPolicy.updateRetryContext(container.windowRetryContext);
         container.storeRetryContext();
         doRelaunch(container,
             container.windowRetryContext.getRemainingRetries(),
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/container/SlidingWindowRetryPolicy.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/container/SlidingWindowRetryPolicy.java
index 0208879475..36a8b918c5 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/container/SlidingWindowRetryPolicy.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/container/SlidingWindowRetryPolicy.java
@@ -42,38 +42,58 @@ public SlidingWindowRetryPolicy(Clock clock)  {
 
   public boolean shouldRetry(RetryContext retryContext,
       int errorCode) {
-    ContainerRetryContext containerRC = retryContext
-        .containerRetryContext;
+    ContainerRetryContext containerRC = retryContext.containerRetryContext;
     Preconditions.checkNotNull(containerRC, "container retry context null");
     ContainerRetryPolicy retryPolicy = containerRC.getRetryPolicy();
     if (retryPolicy == ContainerRetryPolicy.RETRY_ON_ALL_ERRORS
         || (retryPolicy == ContainerRetryPolicy.RETRY_ON_SPECIFIC_ERROR_CODES
         && containerRC.getErrorCodes() != null
         && containerRC.getErrorCodes().contains(errorCode))) {
-      if (containerRC.getMaxRetries() == ContainerRetryContext.RETRY_FOREVER) {
-        return true;
-      }
-      int pendingRetries = calculatePendingRetries(retryContext);
-      updateRetryContext(retryContext, pendingRetries);
-      return pendingRetries > 0;
+      return containerRC.getMaxRetries() == ContainerRetryContext.RETRY_FOREVER
+          || calculateRemainingRetries(retryContext) > 0;
     }
     return false;
   }
 
   /**
-   * Calculates the pending number of retries.
-   * <p>
-   * When failuresValidityInterval is > 0, it also removes time entries from
-   * <code>restartTimes</code> which are outside the validity interval.
+   * Calculates the remaining number of retries.
    *
-   * @return the pending retries.
+   * @return the remaining retries.
    */
-  private int calculatePendingRetries(RetryContext retryContext) {
+  private int calculateRemainingRetries(RetryContext retryContext) {
     ContainerRetryContext containerRC =
         retryContext.containerRetryContext;
     if (containerRC.getFailuresValidityInterval() > 0) {
+      int validFailuresCount = 0;
+      long currentTime = clock.getTime();
+      for (int i = retryContext.restartTimes.size() - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+        long restartTime = retryContext.restartTimes.get(i);
+        if (currentTime - restartTime
+            <= containerRC.getFailuresValidityInterval()) {
+          validFailuresCount++;
+        } else {
+          break;
+        }
+      }
+      return containerRC.getMaxRetries() - validFailuresCount;
+    } else {
+      return retryContext.getRemainingRetries();
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Updates remaining retries and the restart time when
+   * required in the retryContext.
+   * <p>
+   * When failuresValidityInterval is > 0, it also removes time entries from
+   * <code>restartTimes</code> which are outside the validity interval.
+   */
+  protected void updateRetryContext(RetryContext retryContext) {
+    if (retryContext.containerRetryContext.getFailuresValidityInterval() > 0) {
+      ContainerRetryContext containerRC = retryContext.containerRetryContext;
       Iterator<Long> iterator = retryContext.getRestartTimes().iterator();
       long currentTime = clock.getTime();
+
       while (iterator.hasNext()) {
         long restartTime = iterator.next();
         if (currentTime - restartTime
@@ -83,23 +103,11 @@ private int calculatePendingRetries(RetryContext retryContext) {
           break;
         }
       }
-      return containerRC.getMaxRetries() -
-          retryContext.getRestartTimes().size();
+      retryContext.setRemainingRetries(containerRC.getMaxRetries() -
+          retryContext.restartTimes.size());
+      retryContext.getRestartTimes().add(currentTime);
     } else {
-      return retryContext.getRemainingRetries();
-    }
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Updates remaining retries and the restart time when
-   * required in the retryContext.
-   */
-  private void updateRetryContext(RetryContext retryContext,
-      int pendingRetries) {
-    retryContext.setRemainingRetries(pendingRetries - 1);
-    if (retryContext.containerRetryContext.getFailuresValidityInterval()
-        > 0) {
-      retryContext.getRestartTimes().add(clock.getTime());
+      retryContext.remainingRetries--;
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/container/TestSlidingWindowRetryPolicy.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/container/TestSlidingWindowRetryPolicy.java
index 04889a9ecf..bacf3bbf18 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/container/TestSlidingWindowRetryPolicy.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/container/TestSlidingWindowRetryPolicy.java
@@ -64,12 +64,18 @@ public void testFailuresValidityInterval() {
         new SlidingWindowRetryPolicy.RetryContext(retryContext);
     Assert.assertTrue("retry 1",
         retryPolicy.shouldRetry(windowRetryContext, 12));
+    retryPolicy.updateRetryContext(windowRetryContext);
+
     clock.setTime(20);
     Assert.assertTrue("retry 2",
         retryPolicy.shouldRetry(windowRetryContext, 12));
+    retryPolicy.updateRetryContext(windowRetryContext);
+
     clock.setTime(40);
     Assert.assertTrue("retry 3",
         retryPolicy.shouldRetry(windowRetryContext, 12));
+    retryPolicy.updateRetryContext(windowRetryContext);
+
     clock.setTime(45);
     Assert.assertFalse("retry failed",
         retryPolicy.shouldRetry(windowRetryContext, 12));