diff --git a/src/dns.js b/src/dns.js
index 8ac13e0a7..e1f82f025 100644
--- a/src/dns.js
+++ b/src/dns.js
@@ -195,6 +195,30 @@ function makeWildcard(vhost) {
     return parts.join('.');
 }
 
+async function registerLocation(location, options, recordType, recordValue) {
+    const overwriteDns = options.overwriteDns || false;
+
+    // get the current record before updating it
+    const [getError, values] = await safe(getDnsRecords(location.subdomain, location.domain, recordType));
+    if (getError) {
+        const retryable = getError.reason !== BoxError.ACCESS_DENIED && getError.reason !== BoxError.NOT_FOUND;
+        debug(`registerLocation: Get error. retryable: ${retryable}. ${upsertError.message}`);
+        throw new BoxError(getError.reason, getError.message, { domain: location, retryable });
+    }
+
+    if (values.length === 1 && values[0] === recordValue) return; // up-to-date
+
+    // refuse to update any existing DNS record for custom domains that we did not create
+    if (values.length !== 0 && !overwriteDns) throw new BoxError(BoxError.ALREADY_EXISTS, `DNS ${recordType} record already exists`, { domain: location, retryable: false });
+
+    const [upsertError] = await safe(upsertDnsRecords(location.subdomain, location.domain, recordType, [ recordValue ]));
+    if (upsertError) {
+        const retryable = upsertError.reason === BoxError.BUSY || upsertError.reason === BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR;
+        debug(`registerLocation: Upsert error. retryable: ${retryable}. ${upsertError.message}`);
+        throw new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, upsertError.message, { domain: location, retryable });
+    }
+}
+
 async function registerLocations(locations, options, progressCallback) {
     assert(Array.isArray(locations));
     assert.strictEqual(typeof options, 'object');
@@ -202,61 +226,39 @@ async function registerLocations(locations, options, progressCallback) {
 
     debug(`registerLocations: Will register ${JSON.stringify(locations)} with options ${JSON.stringify(options)}`);
 
-    const overwriteDns = options.overwriteDns || false;
-
-    const ip = await sysinfo.getServerIPv4();
+    const ipv4 = await sysinfo.getServerIPv4();
 
     for (const location of locations) {
-        const error = await promiseRetry({ times: 200, interval: 5000, debug }, async function () { // returns error to abort the "retry"
-            progressCallback({ message: `Registering location: ${location.subdomain ? (location.subdomain + '.') : ''}${location.domain}` });
+        progressCallback({ message: `Registering location: ${location.subdomain ? (location.subdomain + '.') : ''}${location.domain}` });
 
-            // get the current record before updating it
-            const [error, values] = await safe(getDnsRecords(location.subdomain, location.domain, 'A'));
-            if (error && error.reason === BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR) throw new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, error.message, { domain: location }); // try again
-            // give up for other errors
-            if (error && error.reason === BoxError.ACCESS_DENIED) return new BoxError(BoxError.ACCESS_DENIED, error.message, { domain: location });
-            if (error && error.reason === BoxError.NOT_FOUND) return new BoxError(BoxError.NOT_FOUND, error.message, { domain: location });
-            if (error) return new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, error.message, location);
-
-            if (values.length !== 0 && values[0] === ip) return null; // up-to-date
-
-            // refuse to update any existing DNS record for custom domains that we did not create
-            if (values.length !== 0 && !overwriteDns) return new BoxError(BoxError.ALREADY_EXISTS, 'DNS Record already exists', { domain: location });
-
-            const [upsertError] = await safe(upsertDnsRecords(location.subdomain, location.domain, 'A', [ ip ]));
-            if (upsertError && (upsertError.reason === BoxError.BUSY || upsertError.reason === BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR)) {
-                progressCallback({ message: `registerSubdomains: Upsert error. Will retry. ${upsertError.message}` });
-                throw new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, upsertError.message, { domain: location }); // try again
-            }
-
-            return upsertError ? new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, upsertError.message, location) : null;
+        await promiseRetry({ times: 200, interval: 5000, debug, retry: (error) => error.retryable }, async function () {
+            await registerLocation(location, options, 'A', ipv4);
         });
-
-        if (error) throw error;
     }
 }
 
+async function unregisterLocation(location, recordType, recordValue) {
+    const [error] = await safe(removeDnsRecords(location.subdomain, location.domain, recordType, [ recordValue ]));
+    if (!error || error.reason === BoxError.NOT_FOUND) return;
+
+    const retryable = error.reason === BoxError.BUSY || error.reason === BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR;
+    debug(`unregisterLocation: Error unregistering location ${recordType}. retryable: ${retryable}. ${error.message}`);
+
+    throw new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, error.message, { domain: location, retryable });
+}
+
 async function unregisterLocations(locations, progressCallback) {
     assert(Array.isArray(locations));
     assert.strictEqual(typeof progressCallback, 'function');
 
-    const ip = await sysinfo.getServerIPv4();
+    const ipv4 = await sysinfo.getServerIPv4();
 
     for (const location of locations) {
-        const error = await promiseRetry({ times: 30, interval: 5000, debug }, async function () { // returns error to abort the "retry"
-            progressCallback({ message: `Unregistering location: ${location.subdomain ? (location.subdomain + '.') : ''}${location.domain}` });
+        progressCallback({ message: `Unregistering location: ${location.subdomain ? (location.subdomain + '.') : ''}${location.domain}` });
 
-            const [error] = await safe(removeDnsRecords(location.subdomain, location.domain, 'A', [ ip ]));
-            if (error && error.reason === BoxError.NOT_FOUND) return;
-            if (error && (error.reason === BoxError.BUSY || error.reason === BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR)) {
-                progressCallback({ message: `Error unregistering location. Will retry. ${error.message}`});
-                throw new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, error.message, { domain: location }); // try again
-            }
-
-            return error ? new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, error.message, { domain: location }) : null; // give up for other errors
+        await promiseRetry({ times: 30, interval: 5000, debug, retry: (error) => error.retryable }, async function () {
+            await unregisterLocation(location, 'A', ipv4);
         });
-
-        if (error) throw error;
     }
 }