diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/programs/tasks/v1/tasks.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/programs/tasks/v1/tasks.py
index b01ce61dba..6f54b32ea0 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/programs/tasks/v1/tasks.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/programs/tasks/v1/tasks.py
@@ -174,11 +174,32 @@ def award_program_certificates(self, username):
             try:
                 award_program_certificate(credentials_client, username, program_uuid)
                 LOGGER.info('Awarded certificate for program %s to user %s', program_uuid, username)
-            except exceptions.HttpClientError:
+            except exceptions.HttpNotFoundError:
                 LOGGER.exception(
-                    'Certificate for program %s not configured, unable to award certificate to %s',
-                    program_uuid, username
+                    """Certificate for program {uuid} could not be found. Unable to award certificate to user
+                    {username}. The program might not be configured.""".format(uuid=program_uuid, username=username)
                 )
+            except exceptions.HttpClientError as exc:
+                # Grab the status code from the client error, because our API
+                # client handles all 4XX errors the same way. In the future,
+                # we may want to fork slumber, add 429 handling, and use that
+                # in edx_rest_api_client.
+                # A status code looks like:
+                #   "Client Error 429: http://example-endpoint/"
+                status_code = int(str(exc).split(':')[0][-3:])
+                if status_code == 429:
+                    rate_limit_countdown = 60
+                    LOGGER.info(
+                        """Rate limited. Retrying task to award certificates to user {username} in {countdown}
+                        seconds""".format(username=username, countdown=rate_limit_countdown)
+                    )
+                    # Retry after 60 seconds, when we should be in a new throttling window
+                    raise self.retry(exc=exc, countdown=rate_limit_countdown, max_retries=MAX_RETRIES)
+                else:
+                    LOGGER.exception(
+                        """Unable to award certificate to user {username} for program {uuid}. The program might not be
+                        configured.""".format(username=username, uuid=program_uuid)
+                    )
             except Exception:  # pylint: disable=broad-except
                 # keep trying to award other certs, but retry the whole task to fix any missing entries
                 LOGGER.warning('Failed to award certificate for program {uuid} to user {username}.'.format(
diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/programs/tasks/v1/tests/test_tasks.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/programs/tasks/v1/tests/test_tasks.py
index 44075b86fc..5b595374ca 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/programs/tasks/v1/tests/test_tasks.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/programs/tasks/v1/tests/test_tasks.py
@@ -292,6 +292,42 @@ class AwardProgramCertificatesTestCase(CatalogIntegrationMixin, CredentialsApiCo
         self.assertEqual(mock_get_certified_programs.call_count, 2)
         self.assertEqual(mock_award_program_certificate.call_count, 1)
 
+    def test_retry_on_credentials_api_429_error(
+        self,
+        mock_get_completed_programs,
+        mock_get_certified_programs,  # pylint: disable=unused-argument
+        mock_award_program_certificate,
+    ):
+        """
+        Verify that a 429 error causes the task to fail and then retry.
+        """
+        mock_get_completed_programs.return_value = [1, 2]
+        mock_award_program_certificate.side_effect = self._make_side_effect(
+            [exceptions.HttpClientError('Client Error 429: http://example-endpoint/'), None]
+        )
+
+        tasks.award_program_certificates.delay(self.student.username).get()
+
+        self.assertEqual(mock_award_program_certificate.call_count, 3)
+
+    def test_no_retry_oncredentials_api_404_error(
+        self,
+        mock_get_completed_programs,
+        mock_get_certified_programs,  # pylint: disable=unused-argument
+        mock_award_program_certificate,
+    ):
+        """
+        Verify that a 404 error causes the task to fail but there is no retry.
+        """
+        mock_get_completed_programs.return_value = [1, 2]
+        mock_award_program_certificate.side_effect = self._make_side_effect(
+            [exceptions.HttpNotFoundError(), None]
+        )
+
+        tasks.award_program_certificates.delay(self.student.username).get()
+
+        self.assertEqual(mock_award_program_certificate.call_count, 2)
+
     def test_no_retry_on_credentials_api_not_found_errors(
         self,
         mock_get_completed_programs,
@@ -301,7 +337,7 @@ class AwardProgramCertificatesTestCase(CatalogIntegrationMixin, CredentialsApiCo
         mock_get_completed_programs.return_value = [1, 2]
         mock_get_certified_programs.side_effect = [[], [2]]
         mock_award_program_certificate.side_effect = self._make_side_effect(
-            [exceptions.HttpClientError(), None]
+            [exceptions.HttpClientError('Client Error 418: http://example-endpoint/'), None]
         )
 
         tasks.award_program_certificates.delay(self.student.username).get()