diff --git a/swh/indexer/cli.py b/swh/indexer/cli.py
--- a/swh/indexer/cli.py
+++ b/swh/indexer/cli.py
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@
 
     origins = list_origins_by_producer(idx_storage, mappings, tool_ids)
 
-    kwargs = {"policy_update": "update-dups"}
+    kwargs = {"policy_update": "update-dups", "retries_left": 1}
     schedule_origin_batches(scheduler, task_type, origins, origin_batch_size, kwargs)
 
 
diff --git a/swh/indexer/journal_client.py b/swh/indexer/journal_client.py
--- a/swh/indexer/journal_client.py
+++ b/swh/indexer/journal_client.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright (C) 2018  The Software Heritage developers
+# Copyright (C) 2018-2020  The Software Heritage developers
 # See the AUTHORS file at the top-level directory of this distribution
 # License: GNU General Public License version 3, or any later version
 # See top-level LICENSE file for more information
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
                     "oneshot",
                     visit_urls,
                     policy_update="update-dups",
+                    retries_left=1,
                 )
             )
 
diff --git a/swh/indexer/tests/test_journal_client.py b/swh/indexer/tests/test_journal_client.py
--- a/swh/indexer/tests/test_journal_client.py
+++ b/swh/indexer/tests/test_journal_client.py
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
                         },
                         "policy": "oneshot",
                         "type": "task-name",
+                        "retries_left": 1,
                     },
                 ],
             ),
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@
                         },
                         "policy": "oneshot",
                         "type": "task-name",
+                        "retries_left": 1,
                     },
                 ],
             ),
@@ -103,6 +105,7 @@
                         },
                         "policy": "oneshot",
                         "type": "task-name",
+                        "retries_left": 1,
                     },
                 ],
             ),
@@ -140,6 +143,7 @@
                         },
                         "policy": "oneshot",
                         "type": "task-name",
+                        "retries_left": 1,
                     },
                     {
                         "arguments": {
@@ -148,6 +152,7 @@
                         },
                         "policy": "oneshot",
                         "type": "task-name",
+                        "retries_left": 1,
                     },
                 ],
             ),