diff --git a/packages/server/lib/cloud/protocol.ts b/packages/server/lib/cloud/protocol.ts
index 79acbbedee92..65b57855625c 100644
--- a/packages/server/lib/cloud/protocol.ts
+++ b/packages/server/lib/cloud/protocol.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ const DELETE_DB = !process.env.CYPRESS_LOCAL_PROTOCOL_PATH
 
 // Timeout for upload
 const TWO_MINUTES = 120000
-const RETRY_DELAYS = [500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000, 16000, 32000]
+const RETRY_DELAYS = [500, 1000]
 const DB_SIZE_LIMIT = 5000000000
 
 const dbSizeLimit = () => {
@@ -323,7 +323,17 @@ export class ProtocolManager implements ProtocolManagerShape {
           }
         }
 
-        const errorMessage = await res.json().catch(() => res.statusText)
+        const errorMessage = await res.json().catch(() => {
+          const url = new URL(uploadUrl)
+
+          for (const [key, value] of url.searchParams) {
+            if (['x-amz-credential', 'x-amz-signature'].includes(key.toLowerCase())) {
+              url.searchParams.set(key, 'X'.repeat(value.length))
+            }
+          }
+
+          return `${res.status} ${res.statusText} (${url.href})`
+        })
 
         debug(`error response: %O`, errorMessage)
 
diff --git a/system-tests/__snapshots__/record_spec.js b/system-tests/__snapshots__/record_spec.js
index a0889db322cc..20897f5b579e 100644
--- a/system-tests/__snapshots__/record_spec.js
+++ b/system-tests/__snapshots__/record_spec.js
@@ -3401,7 +3401,13 @@ exports['e2e record capture-protocol enabled protocol runtime errors non-fatal e
 
 `
 
-exports['capture-protocol api errors upload 500 - retries 8 times and fails continues 1'] = `
+exports['capture-protocol api errors fetch script 500 continues 1'] = `
+We encountered an unexpected error communicating with our servers.
+
+StatusCodeError: 500 - "500 - Internal Server Error"
+
+We will retry 1 more time in X second(s)...
+
 
 ====================================================================================================
 
@@ -3457,14 +3463,13 @@ exports['capture-protocol api errors upload 500 - retries 8 times and fails cont
 
   - Video - Nothing to upload 
   - Screenshot - 1 kB /XXX/XXX/XXX/cypress/screenshots/record_pass.cy.js/yay it passes.png
-  - Test Replay 
+  - Test Replay - Failed Capturing - Error downloading capture code: 500 - "500 - Internal Server Error"
 
   Uploading Cloud Artifacts: . . . . .
 
   (Uploaded Cloud Artifacts)
 
-  - Screenshot - Done Uploading 1 kB in Xm, Ys ZZ.ZZms 1/2 /XXX/XXX/XXX/cypress/screenshots/record_pass.cy.js/yay it passes.png
-  - Test Replay - Failed Uploading after Xm, Ys ZZ.ZZms 2/2 - Internal Server Error
+  - Screenshot - Done Uploading 1 kB in Xm, Ys ZZ.ZZms 1/1 /XXX/XXX/XXX/cypress/screenshots/record_pass.cy.js/yay it passes.png
 
 ====================================================================================================
 
@@ -3485,7 +3490,7 @@ exports['capture-protocol api errors upload 500 - retries 8 times and fails cont
 
 `
 
-exports['capture-protocol api errors upload 500 - retries 7 times and succeeds on the last call continues 1'] = `
+exports['capture-protocol api errors error report 500 continues 1'] = `
 
 ====================================================================================================
 
@@ -3569,13 +3574,7 @@ exports['capture-protocol api errors upload 500 - retries 7 times and succeeds o
 
 `
 
-exports['capture-protocol api errors fetch script 500 continues 1'] = `
-We encountered an unexpected error communicating with our servers.
-
-StatusCodeError: 500 - "500 - Internal Server Error"
-
-We will retry 1 more time in X second(s)...
-
+exports['e2e record capture-protocol enabled passing retrieves the capture protocol, uploads the db, and updates the artifact upload report 1'] = `
 
 ====================================================================================================
 
@@ -3631,13 +3630,14 @@ We will retry 1 more time in X second(s)...
 
   - Video - Nothing to upload 
   - Screenshot - 1 kB /XXX/XXX/XXX/cypress/screenshots/record_pass.cy.js/yay it passes.png
-  - Test Replay - Failed Capturing - Error downloading capture code: 500 - "500 - Internal Server Error"
+  - Test Replay - 1 kB
 
   Uploading Cloud Artifacts: . . . . .
 
   (Uploaded Cloud Artifacts)
 
-  - Screenshot - Done Uploading 1 kB in Xm, Ys ZZ.ZZms 1/1 /XXX/XXX/XXX/cypress/screenshots/record_pass.cy.js/yay it passes.png
+  - Screenshot - Done Uploading 1 kB in Xm, Ys ZZ.ZZms 1/2 /XXX/XXX/XXX/cypress/screenshots/record_pass.cy.js/yay it passes.png
+  - Test Replay - Done Uploading 1 kB in Xm, Ys ZZ.ZZms 2/2
 
 ====================================================================================================
 
@@ -3658,7 +3658,7 @@ We will retry 1 more time in X second(s)...
 
 `
 
-exports['capture-protocol api errors error report 500 continues 1'] = `
+exports['capture-protocol api errors upload 500 - retries 3 times and fails continues 1'] = `
 
 ====================================================================================================
 
@@ -3714,14 +3714,14 @@ exports['capture-protocol api errors error report 500 continues 1'] = `
 
   - Video - Nothing to upload 
   - Screenshot - 1 kB /XXX/XXX/XXX/cypress/screenshots/record_pass.cy.js/yay it passes.png
-  - Test Replay - 1 kB
+  - Test Replay 
 
   Uploading Cloud Artifacts: . . . . .
 
   (Uploaded Cloud Artifacts)
 
   - Screenshot - Done Uploading 1 kB in Xm, Ys ZZ.ZZms 1/2 /XXX/XXX/XXX/cypress/screenshots/record_pass.cy.js/yay it passes.png
-  - Test Replay - Done Uploading 1 kB in Xm, Ys ZZ.ZZms 2/2
+  - Test Replay - Failed Uploading after Xm, Ys ZZ.ZZms 2/2 - 500 Internal Server Error (http://localhost:1234/capture-protocol/upload/?x-amz-credential=XXXXXXXX&x-amz-signature=XXXXXXXXXXXXX)
 
 ====================================================================================================
 
@@ -3742,7 +3742,7 @@ exports['capture-protocol api errors error report 500 continues 1'] = `
 
 `
 
-exports['e2e record capture-protocol enabled passing retrieves the capture protocol, uploads the db, and updates the artifact upload report 1'] = `
+exports['capture-protocol api errors upload 500 - retries 2 times and succeeds on the last call continues 1'] = `
 
 ====================================================================================================
 
diff --git a/system-tests/lib/serverStub.ts b/system-tests/lib/serverStub.ts
index f9d6c97c54a2..998656494a15 100644
--- a/system-tests/lib/serverStub.ts
+++ b/system-tests/lib/serverStub.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ postInstanceTestsResponse.actions = []
 export const postRunResponse = _.assign({}, postRunResponseWithWarnings, { warnings: [] })
 
 // mocked here rather than attempting to intercept and mock an s3 req
-export const CAPTURE_PROTOCOL_UPLOAD_URL = '/capture-protocol/upload/'
+export const CAPTURE_PROTOCOL_UPLOAD_URL = '/capture-protocol/upload/?x-amz-credential=1234abcd&x-amz-signature=1a2b3c-4d5e6f'
 
 let protocolStub: {
   value: string
diff --git a/system-tests/test/record_spec.js b/system-tests/test/record_spec.js
index 0183635141ac..3938e1f3e5af 100644
--- a/system-tests/test/record_spec.js
+++ b/system-tests/test/record_spec.js
@@ -2307,7 +2307,7 @@ describe('e2e record', () => {
             snapshot: true,
           }).then((ret) => {
             const urls = getRequestUrls()
-            const artifactReport = getRequests().find(({ url }) => url === `PUT /instances/${instanceId}/artifacts`)?.body
+            const artifactReport = getRequests().find(({ url }) => url.includes(`/instances/${instanceId}/artifacts`))?.body
 
             expect(urls).to.include.members([`PUT ${CAPTURE_PROTOCOL_UPLOAD_URL}`])
 
@@ -2541,7 +2541,7 @@ describe('capture-protocol api errors', () => {
     }))
   }
 
-  describe('upload 500 - retries 8 times and fails', () => {
+  describe('upload 500 - retries 3 times and fails', () => {
     stubbedServerWithErrorOn('putCaptureProtocolUpload')
     it('continues', function () {
       process.env.API_RETRY_INTERVALS = '1000'
@@ -2560,14 +2560,17 @@ describe('capture-protocol api errors', () => {
         const artifactReport = getRequests().find(({ url }) => url === `PUT /instances/${instanceId}/artifacts`)?.body
 
         expect(artifactReport?.protocol).to.exist()
-        expect(artifactReport?.protocol?.error).to.equal('Failed to upload after 8 attempts. Errors: Internal Server Error, Internal Server Error, Internal Server Error, Internal Server Error, Internal Server Error, Internal Server Error, Internal Server Error, Internal Server Error')
+        expect(artifactReport?.protocol?.error).to.equal(
+          'Failed to upload after 3 attempts. Errors: 500 Internal Server Error (http://localhost:1234/capture-protocol/upload/?x-amz-credential=XXXXXXXX&x-amz-signature=XXXXXXXXXXXXX), 500 Internal Server Error (http://localhost:1234/capture-protocol/upload/?x-amz-credential=XXXXXXXX&x-amz-signature=XXXXXXXXXXXXX), 500 Internal Server Error (http://localhost:1234/capture-protocol/upload/?x-amz-credential=XXXXXXXX&x-amz-signature=XXXXXXXXXXXXX)',
+        )
+
         expect(artifactReport?.protocol?.errorStack).to.exist().and.not.to.be.empty()
       })
     })
   })
 
-  describe('upload 500 - retries 7 times and succeeds on the last call', () => {
-    stubbedServerWithErrorOn('putCaptureProtocolUpload', 7)
+  describe('upload 500 - retries 2 times and succeeds on the last call', () => {
+    stubbedServerWithErrorOn('putCaptureProtocolUpload', 2)
 
     let archiveFile = ''