diff --git a/packages/errors/__snapshot-html__/CLOUD_CANNOT_PROCEED_IN_SERIAL.html b/packages/errors/__snapshot-html__/CLOUD_CANNOT_PROCEED_IN_SERIAL.html
index a2843bf81720..bf2d0c01d935 100644
--- a/packages/errors/__snapshot-html__/CLOUD_CANNOT_PROCEED_IN_SERIAL.html
+++ b/packages/errors/__snapshot-html__/CLOUD_CANNOT_PROCEED_IN_SERIAL.html
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@
 <span style="color:#e05561"><span style="color:#e6e6e6">
 <span style="color:#e05561"><span style="color:#de73ff">StatusCodeError: 500 - &quot;Internal Server Error&quot;<span style="color:#e05561"><span style="color:#e6e6e6">
 <span style="color:#e05561"><span style="color:#e6e6e6">
+<span style="color:#e05561">Because you passed the <span style="color:#de73ff">--record<span style="color:#e05561"> flag, this run cannot proceed because it requires a valid response from our servers.<span style="color:#e6e6e6">
+<span style="color:#e05561"><span style="color:#e6e6e6">
 <span style="color:#e05561">The --group flag you passed was: <span style="color:#e5e510">foo<span style="color:#e05561"><span style="color:#e6e6e6">
-<span style="color:#e05561">The --ciBuildId flag you passed was: <span style="color:#e5e510">invalid<span style="color:#e05561"><span style="color:#e6e6e6"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
+<span style="color:#e05561">The --ciBuildId flag you passed was: <span style="color:#e5e510">invalid<span style="color:#e05561"><span style="color:#e6e6e6"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
 </pre></body></html>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/errors/src/errors.ts b/packages/errors/src/errors.ts
index 589353504a4e..e05d46f90179 100644
--- a/packages/errors/src/errors.ts
+++ b/packages/errors/src/errors.ts
@@ -188,6 +188,8 @@ export const AllCypressErrors = {
 
         ${fmt.highlightSecondary(arg1.response)}
 
+        Because you passed the ${fmt.flag(`--record`)} flag, this run cannot proceed because it requires a valid response from our servers.
+
         ${fmt.listFlags(arg1.flags, {
       group: '--group',
       ciBuildId: '--ciBuildId',
diff --git a/packages/server/lib/cloud/api/index.ts b/packages/server/lib/cloud/api/index.ts
index 9f999bbd9f46..96cc7e45bfef 100644
--- a/packages/server/lib/cloud/api/index.ts
+++ b/packages/server/lib/cloud/api/index.ts
@@ -458,22 +458,20 @@ export default {
       'platform',
     ])
 
-    return retryWithBackoff((attemptIndex) => {
-      return rp.post({
-        body,
-        url: recordRoutes.instances(runId),
-        json: true,
-        encrypt: preflightResult.encrypt,
-        timeout: timeout ?? SIXTY_SECONDS,
-        headers: {
-          'x-route-version': '5',
-          'x-cypress-run-id': runId,
-          'x-cypress-request-attempt': attemptIndex,
-        },
-      })
-      .catch(RequestErrors.StatusCodeError, formatResponseBody)
-      .catch(tagError)
+    return rp.post({
+      body,
+      url: recordRoutes.instances(runId),
+      json: true,
+      encrypt: preflightResult.encrypt,
+      timeout: timeout ?? SIXTY_SECONDS,
+      headers: {
+        'x-route-version': '5',
+        'x-cypress-run-id': runId,
+        'x-cypress-request-attempt': 0,
+      },
     })
+    .catch(RequestErrors.StatusCodeError, formatResponseBody)
+    .catch(tagError)
   },
 
   postInstanceTests (options) {