$avp(async_attemps) = 1; while($avp(async_attemps) < 4) { xlog("L_INFO", "------------- attemp $avp(async_attemps)\n"); $avp(async_attemps) = $avp(async_attemps) + 1; async_sleep("1"); xlog("L_INFO", "something\n"); } xlog("L_INFO", "*** out of the while\n"); produces: INFO: <script>: ------------- attemp 1 INFO: <script>: something INFO: <script>: *** out of the while So, can async_sleep() be called within a while() block? IMHO it seems that the internal while counter lives in the initial process handling the request so when the processing is taken by other process (after async_sleep) it knows nothing about the while. Thanks. -- Iñaki Baz Castillo &lt;ibc(a)aliax.net&gt;