diff --git a/darwin/future/exceptions.py b/darwin/future/exceptions.py
index 0a77bada2..df48d8424 100644
--- a/darwin/future/exceptions.py
+++ b/darwin/future/exceptions.py
@@ -135,3 +135,9 @@ class DatasetNotFound(DarwinException):
     """Raised when the dataset endpoint returns a malformed response."""
 
     ...
+
+
+class MaxRetriesError(DarwinException):
+    """Raised when a certain API call is re-tried for {x} number of times."""
+
+    ...
diff --git a/darwin/future/meta/objects/stage.py b/darwin/future/meta/objects/stage.py
index 3e9fdbc7f..fd49fec01 100644
--- a/darwin/future/meta/objects/stage.py
+++ b/darwin/future/meta/objects/stage.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 from darwin.future.core.items import get_item, move_items_to_stage
 from darwin.future.core.types.query import QueryFilter
 from darwin.future.data_objects.workflow import WFEdgeCore, WFStageCore
+from darwin.future.exceptions import MaxRetriesError
 from darwin.future.meta.objects.base import MetaBase
 from darwin.future.meta.queries.item_id import ItemIDQuery
 
@@ -83,16 +84,28 @@ def move_attached_files_to_stage(
         )
         ids = [x.id for x in self.item_ids.collect_all()]
 
+        def all_items_complete(item_ids: list[UUID]) -> bool:
+            for item_id in item_ids:
+                if get_item(self.client, slug, item_id).processing_status != "complete":
+                    return False
+            return True
+
         if wait:
-            while True:
-                for _id in ids:
-                    if get_item(self.client, slug, _id).processing_status != "complete":
-                        # wait for 0.5 seconds before checking again
-                        time.sleep(0.5)
-                        break
-                else:
-                    # All items are complete, break the while loop
+            max_attempts = 5
+            wait_time = 0.5  # seconds
+
+            # Try to check if all items are complete for a maximum number of attempts
+            for attempt in range(1, max_attempts + 1):
+                complete = all_items_complete(item_ids=ids)
+                if complete:
                     break
+                else:
+                    # The wait time increases with each attempt
+                    time.sleep(wait_time * attempt)
+            else:
+                raise MaxRetriesError(
+                    "Max retry attempts to check for Item(s) to complete processing"
+                )
 
         move_items_to_stage(self.client, slug, w_id, d_id, new_stage_id, ids)
         return self