diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 1a3b33cc7..992af69e8 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -50,7 +50,10 @@ python-novaclient
 python-octaviaclient
 python-swiftclient
 python-watcherclient
-tenacity
+# Due to https://github.com/jd/tenacity/pull/479 the strategy for mocking out tenacity
+# waits/times/etc no longer works.  Pin to 8.4.1 until it is solved.
+# Bug in tenacity tracking issue: https://github.com/jd/tenacity/issues/482
+tenacity<8.4.2
 paramiko
 
 # Documentation requirements
diff --git a/unit_tests/utilities/test_utilities.py b/unit_tests/utilities/test_utilities.py
index 6af6089b3..2f6dcf6e3 100644
--- a/unit_tests/utilities/test_utilities.py
+++ b/unit_tests/utilities/test_utilities.py
@@ -113,6 +113,28 @@ def func(self):
 
         mock_sleep.assert_not_called()
 
+    @mock.patch("time.sleep")
+    def test_object_wrap_multilevel_with_exception(self, mock_sleep):
+
+        class A:
+
+            def func(self):
+                raise SomeException()
+
+        class B:
+
+            def __init__(self):
+                self.a = A()
+
+        b = B()
+        # retry on a specific exception
+        wrapped_b = utilities.ObjectRetrierWraps(
+            b, num_retries=1, retry_exceptions=[SomeException])
+        with self.assertRaises(SomeException):
+            wrapped_b.a.func()
+
+        mock_sleep.assert_called_once_with(5)
+
     @mock.patch("time.sleep")
     def test_log_called(self, mock_sleep):
 
@@ -130,7 +152,7 @@ def func(self):
 
         # there should be two calls; one for the single retry and one for the
         # failure.
-        self.assertEqual(mock_log.call_count, 2)
+        self.assertEqual(mock_log.call_count, 6)
 
     @mock.patch("time.sleep")
     def test_back_off_maximum(self, mock_sleep):
diff --git a/unit_tests/utilities/test_zaza_utilities_openstack.py b/unit_tests/utilities/test_zaza_utilities_openstack.py
index 222aab2f8..e00f713b1 100644
--- a/unit_tests/utilities/test_zaza_utilities_openstack.py
+++ b/unit_tests/utilities/test_zaza_utilities_openstack.py
@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@ def setUp(self):
         self.neutronclient.list_agents.return_value = self.agents
         self.neutronclient.list_bgp_speaker_on_dragent.return_value = \
             self.bgp_speakers
+        self.patch("zaza.openstack.utilities.ObjectRetrierWraps",
+                   name="_object_retrier_wraps",
+                   new=lambda x, *_, **__: x)
 
     def test_create_port(self):
         self.patch_object(openstack_utils, "get_net_uuid")
diff --git a/zaza/openstack/utilities/__init__.py b/zaza/openstack/utilities/__init__.py
index 68b0ce8b1..7a8ca104f 100644
--- a/zaza/openstack/utilities/__init__.py
+++ b/zaza/openstack/utilities/__init__.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 """Collection of utilities to support zaza tests etc."""
 
 
+import logging
 import time
 
 from keystoneauth1.exceptions.connection import ConnectFailure
@@ -95,10 +96,19 @@ def __init__(self, obj, num_retries=3, initial_interval=5.0, backoff=1.0,
             If a list, then it will only retry if the exception is one of the
             ones in the list.
         :type retry_exceptions: List[Exception]
+        :param log: If False, disable logging; if None (the default) or True,
+            use logging.warn; otherwise use the passed param `log`.
+        :type param: None | Boolean | Callable
         """
         # Note we use semi-private variable names that shouldn't clash with any
         # on the actual object.
         self.__obj = obj
+        if log in (None, True):
+            _log = logging.warning
+        elif log is False:
+            _log = lambda *_, **__: None  # noqa
+        else:
+            _log = log
         self.__kwargs = {
             'num_retries': num_retries,
             'initial_interval': initial_interval,
@@ -106,32 +116,19 @@ def __init__(self, obj, num_retries=3, initial_interval=5.0, backoff=1.0,
             'max_interval': max_interval,
             'total_wait': total_wait,
             'retry_exceptions': retry_exceptions,
-            'log': log or (lambda x: None),
+            'log': _log,
         }
+        _log(f"ObjectRetrierWraps: wrapping {self.__obj}")
 
     def __getattr__(self, name):
         """Get attribute; delegates to wrapped object."""
-        # Note the above may generate an attribute error; we expect this and
-        # will fail with an attribute error.
-        __log = self.__kwargs['log']
-        __log(f"__getattr__(..) called with {name}")
-        attr = getattr(self.__obj, name)
-        if callable(attr) or hasattr(attr, "__getattr__"):
-            __log(f"__getattr__(..): wrapping {attr}")
+        obj = self.__obj
+        attr = getattr(obj, name)
+        if callable(attr):
             return ObjectRetrierWraps(attr, **self.__kwargs)
-        __log( f"__getattr__(): {name} is not callable or has __getattr__")
-        if isinstance(attr, property):
-            __log(f"__getattr__(): {name} is a property")
-        __log(f"__getattr__(): {name} on {self.__obj} is a {type(attr)}")
-        # return attr
-        __log(f"__getattr__(): wrapping {attr}")
+        if attr.__class__.__module__ == 'builtins':
+            return attr
         return ObjectRetrierWraps(attr, **self.__kwargs)
-        # TODO(ajkavanagh): Note detecting a property is a bit trickier.  we
-        # can do isinstance(attr, property), but then the act of accessing it
-        # is what calls it.  i.e. it would fail at the getattr(self.__obj,
-        # name) stage.  The solution is to check first, and if it's a property,
-        # then treat it like the retrier.  However, I think this is too
-        # complex for the first go, and to use manual retries in that instance.
 
     def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         """Call the object; delegates to the wrapped object."""
@@ -147,7 +144,7 @@ def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         wait_so_far = 0
         while True:
             try:
-                log(f"Running {self.__name__}({args}, {kwargs})")
+                log(f"Running {self}({args}, {kwargs})")
                 return obj(*args, **kwargs)
             except Exception as e:
                 # if retry_exceptions is not None, or the type of the exception
@@ -155,7 +152,7 @@ def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs):
                 # immediately.  This means that if retry_exceptions is None,
                 # then the method is always retried.
                 if isinstance(e, NEVER_RETRY_EXCEPTIONS):
-                    log("ObjectRetrierWraps: error {} is never caught"
+                    log("ObjectRetrierWraps: error {} is never caught; raising"
                         .format(str(e)))
                     raise
                 if (retry_exceptions is not None and
@@ -163,15 +160,16 @@ def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs):
                     raise
                 retry += 1
                 if retry > num_retries:
-                    log("{}: exceeded number of retries, so erroring out"
-                        .format(str(obj)))
+                    log("ObjectRetrierWraps: {}: exceeded number of retries, "
+                        "so erroring out" .format(str(obj)))
                     raise e
-                log("{}: call failed: retrying in {} seconds"
-                    .format(str(obj), wait))
+                log("ObjectRetrierWraps: {}: call failed: retrying in {} "
+                    "seconds" .format(str(obj), wait))
                 time.sleep(wait)
                 wait_so_far += wait
                 if wait_so_far >= total_wait:
                     raise e
+                print('wait: ', wait, '  backoff:', backoff)
                 wait = wait * backoff
                 if wait > max_interval:
                     wait = max_interval