diff --git a/src/apptask.js b/src/apptask.js
index 29cb22fbc..f61787954 100644
--- a/src/apptask.js
+++ b/src/apptask.js
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ var addons = require('./addons.js'),
     superagent = require('superagent'),
     sysinfo = require('./sysinfo.js'),
     util = require('util'),
-    waitForDns = require('./waitfordns.js'),
     _ = require('underscore');
 
 var COLLECTD_CONFIG_EJS = fs.readFileSync(__dirname + '/collectd.config.ejs', { encoding: 'utf8' }),
@@ -297,25 +296,10 @@ function waitForDnsPropagation(app, callback) {
         return callback(null);
     }
 
-    async.retry({ interval: 5000, times: 120 }, function checkStatus(retryCallback) {
-        subdomains.status(app.dnsRecordId, function (error, result) {
-            if (error) return retryCallback(new Error('Failed to get dns record status : ' + error.message));
-
-            debugApp(app, 'waitForDnsPropagation: dnsRecordId:%s status:%s', app.dnsRecordId, result);
-
-            if (result !== 'done') return retryCallback(new Error(util.format('app:%s not ready yet: %s', app.id, result)));
-
-            retryCallback(null);
-        });
-    }, function (error) {
+    sysinfo.getIp(function (error, ip) {
         if (error) return callback(error);
 
-        // finally validate with waitForDns
-        sysinfo.getIp(function (error, ip) {
-            if (error) return callback(error);
-
-            waitForDns(config.appFqdn(app.location), ip, 'A', { interval: 5000, times: 30 }, callback);
-        });
+        subdomains.waitForDns(config.appFqdn(app.location), ip, 'A', { interval: 5000, times: 120 }, callback);
     });
 }
 
@@ -324,7 +308,7 @@ function waitForAltDomainDnsPropagation(app, callback) {
 
     // try for 10 minutes before giving up. this allows the user to "reconfigure" the app in the case where
     // an app has an external domain and cloudron is migrated to custom domain.
-    waitForDns(app.altDomain, config.appFqdn(app.location), 'CNAME', { interval: 10000, times: 60 }, callback);
+    subdomains.waitForDns(app.altDomain, config.appFqdn(app.location), 'CNAME', { interval: 10000, times: 60 }, callback);
 }
 
 // updates the app object and the database
diff --git a/src/certificates.js b/src/certificates.js
index 7052add51..6a3aa880f 100644
--- a/src/certificates.js
+++ b/src/certificates.js
@@ -31,10 +31,10 @@ var acme = require('./cert/acme.js'),
     paths = require('./paths.js'),
     safe = require('safetydance'),
     settings = require('./settings.js'),
+    subdomains = require('./subdomains.js'),
     sysinfo = require('./sysinfo.js'),
     user = require('./user.js'),
     util = require('util'),
-    waitForDns = require('./waitfordns.js'),
     x509 = require('x509');
 
 function CertificatesError(reason, errorOrMessage) {
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ function installAdminCertificate(callback) {
         sysinfo.getIp(function (error, ip) {
             if (error) return callback(error);
 
-            waitForDns(config.adminFqdn(), ip, 'A', { interval: 30000, times: 50000 }, function (error) {
+            subdomains.waitForDns(config.adminFqdn(), ip, 'A', { interval: 30000, times: 50000 }, function (error) {
                 if (error) return callback(error);
 
                 ensureCertificate({ location: constants.ADMIN_LOCATION }, function (error, certFilePath, keyFilePath) {
diff --git a/src/dns/caas.js b/src/dns/caas.js
index a0693f653..c51a2ef2d 100644
--- a/src/dns/caas.js
+++ b/src/dns/caas.js
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     upsert: upsert,
     get: get,
     del: del,
-    getChangeStatus: getChangeStatus
+    getChangeStatus: getChangeStatus,
+    waitForDns: require('./waitfordns.js')
 };
 
 var assert = require('assert'),
diff --git a/src/dns/digitalocean.js b/src/dns/digitalocean.js
index 784dbbede..bed6a73f7 100644
--- a/src/dns/digitalocean.js
+++ b/src/dns/digitalocean.js
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     upsert: upsert,
     get: get,
     del: del,
-    getChangeStatus: getChangeStatus
+    getChangeStatus: getChangeStatus,
+    waitForDns: require('./waitfordns.js')
 };
 
 var assert = require('assert'),
diff --git a/src/dns/interface.js b/src/dns/interface.js
index 227d35b9f..404b9082e 100644
--- a/src/dns/interface.js
+++ b/src/dns/interface.js
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     upsert: upsert,
     get: get,
     del: del,
-    getChangeStatus: getChangeStatus
+    getChangeStatus: getChangeStatus,
+    waitForDns: require('./waitfordns.js')
 };
 
 var assert = require('assert'),
diff --git a/src/dns/noop.js b/src/dns/noop.js
index df594a166..1a654bba3 100644
--- a/src/dns/noop.js
+++ b/src/dns/noop.js
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     upsert: upsert,
     get: get,
     del: del,
-    getChangeStatus: getChangeStatus
+    getChangeStatus: getChangeStatus,
+    waitForDns: require('./waitfordns.js')
 };
 
 var assert = require('assert'),
diff --git a/src/dns/route53.js b/src/dns/route53.js
index 53198e3ee..41194be42 100644
--- a/src/dns/route53.js
+++ b/src/dns/route53.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     get: get,
     del: del,
     getChangeStatus: getChangeStatus,
+    waitForDns: require('./waitfordns.js'),
 
     // not part of "dns" interface
     getHostedZone: getHostedZone
diff --git a/src/waitfordns.js b/src/dns/waitfordns.js
similarity index 92%
rename from src/waitfordns.js
rename to src/dns/waitfordns.js
index e0eb31aaa..3fc06e647 100644
--- a/src/waitfordns.js
+++ b/src/dns/waitfordns.js
@@ -4,8 +4,9 @@ exports = module.exports = waitForDns;
 
 var assert = require('assert'),
     async = require('async'),
-    debug = require('debug')('box:src/waitfordns'),
+    debug = require('debug')('box:dns/waitfordns'),
     dns = require('native-dns'),
+    SubdomainError = require('../subdomains.js').SubdomainError,
     tld = require('tldjs');
 
 // the first arg to callback is not an error argument; this is required for async.every
@@ -80,12 +81,12 @@ function waitForDns(domain, value, type, options, callback) {
         debug('waitForDNS: %s attempt %s.', domain, attempt++);
 
         dns.resolveNs(zoneName, function (error, nameservers) {
-            if (error || !nameservers) return retryCallback(error || new Error('Unable to get nameservers'));
+            if (error || !nameservers) return retryCallback(error || new SubdomainError(SubdomainError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, 'Unable to get nameservers'));
 
             async.every(nameservers, isChangeSynced.bind(null, domain, value, type), function (synced) {
                 debug('waitForIp: %s %s ns: %j', domain, synced ? 'done' : 'not done', nameservers);
 
-                retryCallback(synced ? null : new Error('ETRYAGAIN'));
+                retryCallback(synced ? null : new SubdomainError(SubdomainError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, 'ETRYAGAIN'));
             });
         });
     }, function retryDone(error) {
diff --git a/src/subdomains.js b/src/subdomains.js
index 376be5b10..bdd028a24 100644
--- a/src/subdomains.js
+++ b/src/subdomains.js
@@ -5,18 +5,15 @@ module.exports = exports = {
     status: status,
     upsert: upsert,
     get: get,
+    waitForDns: waitForDns,
 
     SubdomainError: SubdomainError
 };
 
 var assert = require('assert'),
-    caas = require('./dns/caas.js'),
     config = require('./config.js'),
-    digitalocean = require('./dns/digitalocean.js'),
-    route53 = require('./dns/route53.js'),
     settings = require('./settings.js'),
-    util = require('util'),
-    noopDns = require('./dns/noop.js');
+    util = require('util');
 
 function SubdomainError(reason, errorOrMessage) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof reason, 'string');
@@ -51,10 +48,10 @@ function api(provider) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof provider, 'string');
 
     switch (provider) {
-        case 'caas': return caas;
-        case 'route53': return route53;
-        case 'digitalocean': return digitalocean;
-        case 'noop': return noopDns;
+        case 'caas': return require('./dns/caas.js');
+        case 'route53': return require('./dns/route53.js');
+        case 'digitalocean': return require('./dns/digitalocean.js');
+        case 'noop': return require('./dns/noop.js');
         default: return null;
     }
 }
@@ -109,6 +106,20 @@ function remove(subdomain, type, values, callback) {
     });
 }
 
+function waitForDns(domain, value, type, options, callback) {
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof domain, 'string');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof value, 'string');
+    assert(type === 'A' || type === 'CNAME');
+    assert(options && typeof options === 'object'); // { interval: 5000, times: 50000 }
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
+
+    settings.getDnsConfig(function (error, dnsConfig) {
+        if (error) return callback(new SubdomainError(SubdomainError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
+
+        api(dnsConfig.provider).waitForDns(domain, value, type, options, callback);
+    });
+}
+
 function status(changeId, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof changeId, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');