diff --git a/esbuild/utils.js b/esbuild/utils.js
index 301797d35e..82490adb36 100644
--- a/esbuild/utils.js
+++ b/esbuild/utils.js
@@ -111,12 +111,12 @@ function log(...args) {
 }
 
 function get_redis_subscriber(kind) {
-	// get redis subscriber that aborts after 50 connection attempts
+	// get redis subscriber that aborts after 10 connection attempts
 	let { get_redis_subscriber: get_redis } = require("../node_utils");
 	return get_redis(kind, {
 		retry_strategy: function(options) {
-			// abort after 50 connection attempts
-			if (options.attempt > 50) {
+			// abort after 10 connection attempts
+			if (options.attempt > 10) {
 				return undefined;
 			}
 			return Math.min(options.attempt * 100, 2000);
diff --git a/node_utils.js b/node_utils.js
index c38caa2b3d..b87c99a07c 100644
--- a/node_utils.js
+++ b/node_utils.js
@@ -38,17 +38,10 @@ function get_conf() {
 	return conf;
 }
 
-function get_redis_subscriber(kind="redis_socketio", options=null) {
+function get_redis_subscriber(kind="redis_socketio", options={}) {
 	const conf = get_conf();
 	const host = conf[kind] || conf.redis_async_broker_port;
-
-	if (options) {
-		return redis.createClient({
-			host,
-			...options
-		});
-	}
-	return redis.createClient(host);
+	return redis.createClient({ url: host, ...options });
 }
 
 module.exports = {