diff --git a/src/databricks/sql/auth/retry.py b/src/databricks/sql/auth/retry.py
index 9cb29fdce..cf18cdfda 100755
--- a/src/databricks/sql/auth/retry.py
+++ b/src/databricks/sql/auth/retry.py
@@ -297,7 +297,6 @@ def sleep_for_retry(self, response: BaseHTTPResponse) -> bool:
         else:
             proposed_wait = self.get_backoff_time()
 
-        proposed_wait = max(proposed_wait, self.delay_max)
         self.check_proposed_wait(proposed_wait)
         logger.debug(f"Retrying after {proposed_wait} seconds")
         time.sleep(proposed_wait)
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_retry.py b/tests/unit/test_retry.py
index 7abab509d..1821f3916 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_retry.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_retry.py
@@ -39,14 +39,32 @@ def test_sleep__no_retry_after(self, t_mock, retry_policy, error_history):
         retry_policy.history = [error_history, error_history]
         retry_policy.sleep(HTTPResponse(status=503))
 
-        expected_backoff_time = max(
-            self.calculate_backoff_time(
-                0, retry_policy.delay_min, retry_policy.delay_max
-            ),
-            retry_policy.delay_max,
+        expected_backoff_time = self.calculate_backoff_time(
+            0, retry_policy.delay_min, retry_policy.delay_max
         )
         t_mock.assert_called_with(expected_backoff_time)
 
+    @patch("time.sleep")
+    def test_sleep__short_retry_after_is_not_inflated(self, t_mock, retry_policy):
+        # A small server Retry-After must be honored as-is (delay_max is a
+        # ceiling, not a floor). delay_max defaults to 30 in these fixtures.
+        retry_policy._retry_start_time = time.time()
+        retry_policy.history = []
+        retry_policy.sleep(HTTPResponse(status=503, headers={"Retry-After": "2"}))
+
+        t_mock.assert_called_with(2)
+
+    @patch("time.sleep")
+    def test_sleep__large_retry_after_is_honored_as_is(self, t_mock, retry_policy):
+        # A server-returned Retry-After is the source of truth and must be
+        # honored as-is; delay_max does not cap it. delay_max defaults to 30 in
+        # these fixtures, so 120 would be clamped if the ceiling still applied.
+        retry_policy._retry_start_time = time.time()
+        retry_policy.history = []
+        retry_policy.sleep(HTTPResponse(status=503, headers={"Retry-After": "120"}))
+
+        t_mock.assert_called_with(120)
+
     @patch("time.sleep")
     def test_sleep__no_retry_after_header__multiple_retries(self, t_mock, retry_policy):
         num_attempts = retry_policy.stop_after_attempts_count
@@ -62,11 +80,8 @@ def test_sleep__no_retry_after_header__multiple_retries(self, t_mock, retry_poli
         expected_backoff_times = []
         for attempt in range(num_attempts):
             expected_backoff_times.append(
-                max(
-                    self.calculate_backoff_time(
-                        attempt, retry_policy.delay_min, retry_policy.delay_max
-                    ),
-                    retry_policy.delay_max,
+                self.calculate_backoff_time(
+                    attempt, retry_policy.delay_min, retry_policy.delay_max
                 )
             )