diff --git a/DOCUMENTATION.md b/DOCUMENTATION.md
index b6179375..0eaf0ed1 100644
--- a/DOCUMENTATION.md
+++ b/DOCUMENTATION.md
@@ -838,9 +838,9 @@ Default: `8`
 
 _(>= 3.7.0)_
 
-Base delay in case of error response (seconds)
+Base delay in case of error 5xx response (seconds)
 
-Default: `0.01`
+Default: `1`
 
 ##### max_content_length
 
diff --git a/config b/config
index d9596dff..c6fee311 100644
--- a/config
+++ b/config
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@
 # Max parallel connections
 #max_connections = 8
 
-# Base delay in case of error response (seconds)
-#delay_on_error = 0.01
+# Base delay in case of error 5xx response (seconds)
+#delay_on_error = 1
 
 # Max size of request body (bytes), default: 100 Mbyte
 # In case of using a reverse proxy in front of check also there related option
diff --git a/radicale/app/__init__.py b/radicale/app/__init__.py
index c1e3d8ff..689c2693 100644
--- a/radicale/app/__init__.py
+++ b/radicale/app/__init__.py
@@ -311,14 +311,18 @@ class Application(ApplicationPartDelete, ApplicationPartHead,
             else:
                 flags_text = ""
             # delay on error
-            if status >= 400:
+            delay: float = 0.0
+            if status == 401 and (not login or user):
+                # delay for required but missing authentication
+                if self._auth_delay > 0:
+                    delay = self._auth_delay * (0.5 + random.random())
+            if status >= 500 and status <= 599:
                 if self._delay_on_error > 0:
-                    random_delay = self._delay_on_error * (1 + random.random())
-                    if status >= 500:
-                        random_delay = 2 * random_delay
-                    if logger.isEnabledFor(logging.DEBUG):
-                        logger.debug("Response delay triggered by result code: %d -> %0.3f seconds", status, random_delay)
-                    time.sleep(random_delay)
+                    delay = self._delay_on_error
+            if delay > 0:
+                if logger.isEnabledFor(logging.DEBUG):
+                    logger.debug("Response delay triggered by result code: %d -> %0.3f seconds", status, delay)
+                time.sleep(delay)
             if answer is not None:
                 logger.info("%s response status for %r%s in %.3f seconds %s %s bytes%s: %s",
                             request_method, unsafe_path, depthinfo,
diff --git a/radicale/config.py b/radicale/config.py
index 0d50dc7b..9df81561 100644
--- a/radicale/config.py
+++ b/radicale/config.py
@@ -172,8 +172,8 @@ DEFAULT_CONFIG_SCHEMA: types.CONFIG_SCHEMA = OrderedDict([
             "help": "maximum size of request body in bytes (default: 100 Mbyte)",
             "type": positive_int}),
         ("delay_on_error", {
-            "value": "0.01",
-            "help": "base delay in case of error response (seconds)",
+            "value": "1",
+            "help": "base delay in case of error 5xx response (seconds)",
             "type": positive_float}),
         ("max_resource_size", {
             "value": "10000000",