diff --git a/src/persevero.gleam b/src/persevero.gleam
index 259e703..c33db98 100644
--- a/src/persevero.gleam
+++ b/src/persevero.gleam
@@ -135,10 +135,10 @@ pub fn execute_with_wait(
   case max_attempts <= 0 {
     True -> RetryData(result: Error(RetriesExhausted([])), wait_times: [])
     False -> {
-      let wait_stream = wait_stream |> yielder.take(max_attempts - 1)
       let wait_stream =
-        yielder.from_list([0])
-        |> yielder.append(wait_stream)
+        wait_stream
+        |> yielder_prepend(0)
+        |> yielder.take(max_attempts)
         |> yielder.map(int.max(_, 0))
 
       do_execute(
@@ -155,6 +155,11 @@ pub fn execute_with_wait(
   }
 }
 
+fn yielder_prepend(yielder: Yielder(a), element: a) -> Yielder(a) {
+  use <- yielder.yield(element)
+  yielder
+}
+
 fn do_execute(
   wait_stream wait_stream: Yielder(Int),
   allow allow: fn(b) -> Bool,