diff --git a/oximeter/db/src/client/mod.rs b/oximeter/db/src/client/mod.rs
index c2b07ebaa6..04d34c515d 100644
--- a/oximeter/db/src/client/mod.rs
+++ b/oximeter/db/src/client/mod.rs
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ use dropshot::EmptyScanParams;
 use dropshot::PaginationOrder;
 use dropshot::ResultsPage;
 use dropshot::WhichPage;
+use omicron_common::backoff;
 use oximeter::schema::TimeseriesKey;
 use oximeter::types::Sample;
 use oximeter::TimeseriesName;
@@ -627,12 +628,20 @@ impl Client {
                 upgrade_files
                     .insert(name.to_string(), (path.to_owned(), contents));
             } else {
-                warn!(
-                    log,
-                    "skipping non-SQL schema dir entry";
-                    "dir" => version_schema_dir.display(),
-                    "path" => path.display(),
-                );
+                // Warn on unexpected files, _except_ the
+                // timeseries-to-delete.txt files we use to expunge timeseries.
+                if path
+                    .file_name()
+                    .map(|name| name == crate::TIMESERIES_TO_DELETE_FILE)
+                    .unwrap_or(true)
+                {
+                    warn!(
+                        log,
+                        "skipping non-SQL schema dir entry";
+                        "dir" => version_schema_dir.display(),
+                        "path" => path.display(),
+                    );
+                }
                 continue;
             }
         }
@@ -1008,10 +1017,46 @@ impl Client {
 
     /// Given a list of timeseries by name, delete their schema and any
     /// associated data records from all tables.
+    ///
+    /// If the database isn't available or the request times out, this method
+    /// will continue to retry the operation until it succeeds.
     async fn expunge_timeseries_by_name(
         &self,
         replicated: bool,
         to_delete: &[TimeseriesName],
+    ) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        let op = || async {
+            self.expunge_timeseries_by_name_once(replicated, to_delete)
+                .await
+                .map_err(|err| match err {
+                    Error::DatabaseUnavailable(_) => {
+                        backoff::BackoffError::transient(err)
+                    }
+                    _ => backoff::BackoffError::permanent(err),
+                })
+        };
+        let notify = |error, count, delay| {
+            warn!(
+                self.log,
+                "failed to delete some timeseries";
+                "error" => ?error,
+                "call_count" => count,
+                "retry_after" => ?delay,
+            );
+        };
+        backoff::retry_notify_ext(
+            backoff::retry_policy_internal_service(),
+            op,
+            notify,
+        )
+        .await
+    }
+
+    /// Attempt to delete the named timeseries once.
+    async fn expunge_timeseries_by_name_once(
+        &self,
+        replicated: bool,
+        to_delete: &[TimeseriesName],
     ) -> Result<(), Error> {
         // The version table should not have any matching data, but let's avoid
         // it entirely anyway.
@@ -4685,7 +4730,7 @@ mod tests {
         // timeseries share some field types and have others that are distinct
         // between them, so that we can test that we don't touch tables we
         // shouldn't, and only delete the parts we should.
-        let samples = generate_expunge_timeseries_samples();
+        let samples = generate_expunge_timeseries_samples(4);
         client
             .insert_samples(&samples)
             .await
@@ -4805,7 +4850,9 @@ mod tests {
         }
     }
 
-    fn generate_expunge_timeseries_samples() -> Vec<Sample> {
+    fn generate_expunge_timeseries_samples(
+        n_samples_per_timeseries: u64,
+    ) -> Vec<Sample> {
         #[derive(oximeter::Target)]
         struct FirstTarget {
             first_field: String,
@@ -4833,12 +4880,12 @@ mod tests {
         };
         let mut m = SharedMetric { datum: 0 };
 
-        let mut out = Vec::with_capacity(8);
-        for i in 0..4 {
+        let mut out = Vec::with_capacity(2 * n_samples_per_timeseries as usize);
+        for i in 0..n_samples_per_timeseries {
             m.datum = i;
             out.push(Sample::new(&ft, &m).unwrap());
         }
-        for i in 4..8 {
+        for i in n_samples_per_timeseries..(2 * n_samples_per_timeseries) {
             m.datum = i;
             out.push(Sample::new(&st, &m).unwrap());
         }