diff --git a/iroh-relay/src/dns.rs b/iroh-relay/src/dns.rs
index d70559385d..3228aed1fd 100644
--- a/iroh-relay/src/dns.rs
+++ b/iroh-relay/src/dns.rs
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ pub const N0_DNS_NODE_ORIGIN_PROD: &str = "dns.iroh.link";
 /// The n0 testing DNS node origin, for testing.
 pub const N0_DNS_NODE_ORIGIN_STAGING: &str = "staging-dns.iroh.link";
 
+/// Percent of total delay to jitter. 20 means +/- 20% of delay.
+const MAX_JITTER_PERCENT: u64 = 20;
+
 /// Potential errors related to dns.
 #[common_fields({
     backtrace: Option<Backtrace>,
@@ -503,7 +506,7 @@ async fn stagger_call<
     // NOTE: we add the 0 delay here to have a uniform set of futures. This is more performant than
     // using alternatives that allow futures of different types.
     for delay in std::iter::once(&0u64).chain(delays_ms) {
-        let delay = Duration::from_millis(*delay);
+        let delay = add_jitter(delay);
         let fut = f();
         let staggered_fut = async move {
             time::sleep(delay).await;
@@ -523,6 +526,19 @@ async fn stagger_call<
     Err(StaggeredError::new(errors))
 }
 
+fn add_jitter(delay: &u64) -> Duration {
+    // If delay is 0, return 0 immediately.
+    if *delay == 0 {
+        return Duration::ZERO;
+    }
+
+    // Calculate jitter as a random value in the range of +/- MAX_JITTER_PERCENT of the delay.
+    let max_jitter = delay.saturating_mul(MAX_JITTER_PERCENT * 2) / 100;
+    let jitter = rand::random::<u64>() % max_jitter;
+
+    Duration::from_millis(delay.saturating_sub(max_jitter / 2).saturating_add(jitter))
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 pub(crate) mod tests {
     use std::sync::atomic::AtomicUsize;
@@ -548,4 +564,30 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
         let result = stagger_call(f, &delays).await.unwrap();
         assert_eq!(result, 5)
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[traced_test]
+    fn jitter_test_zero() {
+        let jittered_delay = add_jitter(&0);
+        assert_eq!(jittered_delay, Duration::from_secs(0));
+    }
+
+    //Sanity checks that I did the math right
+    #[test]
+    #[traced_test]
+    fn jitter_test_nonzero_lower_bound() {
+        let delay: u64 = 300;
+        for _ in 0..100 {
+            assert!(add_jitter(&delay) >= Duration::from_millis(delay * 8 / 10));
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[traced_test]
+    fn jitter_test_nonzero_upper_bound() {
+        let delay: u64 = 300;
+        for _ in 0..100 {
+            assert!(add_jitter(&delay) < Duration::from_millis(delay * 12 / 10));
+        }
+    }
 }