The terminology is well defined [0], so in this case, retrying is not ignoring the RFC. It's a difficult one though, because as you rightfully state, covering

The terminology is well defined [0], so in this case, retrying is not ignoring the RFC. It's a difficult one though, because as you rightfully state, covering up for Google is not the best course of action for the system as a whole, yet it's likely a good course of action for those users who didn't get their emails. [0]: 4. SHOULD NOT This phrase, or the phrase "NOT RECOMMENDED" mean that there may exist valid reasons in particular circumstances when the particular behavior is acceptable or even useful, but the full implications should be understood and the case carefully weighed before implementing any behavior described with this label. [1]: https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2119 https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2119