diff --git a/_local/eventingester/config.yaml b/_local/eventingester/config.yaml
index 22eb2f0b2ab..4b47abd7073 100644
--- a/_local/eventingester/config.yaml
+++ b/_local/eventingester/config.yaml
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ pulsar:
   URL: "pulsar://localhost:6650"
   restURL: "http://localhost:8090"
   jobsetEventsTopic: "events"
+  backoffTime: 1s
+  maxBackoffTime: 5s
+  backoffRandomizationFactor: 0.5
+  backoffMultiplier: 1.5
+  deadLetterTopic: events-dead-letter
+  deadLetterMaxAttempts: 5
 subscriptionName: "events-ingester"
 metricsPort: 9004
 observability:
diff --git a/_local/lookoutingester/config.yaml b/_local/lookoutingester/config.yaml
index fffb575434d..87ab6378ace 100644
--- a/_local/lookoutingester/config.yaml
+++ b/_local/lookoutingester/config.yaml
@@ -18,3 +18,9 @@ postgres:
 pulsar:
   URL: "pulsar://localhost:6650"
   restURL: "http://localhost:8090"
+  backoffTime: 1s
+  maxBackoffTime: 5s
+  backoffRandomizationFactor: 0.5
+  backoffMultiplier: 1.5
+  deadLetterTopic: events-dead-letter
+  deadLetterMaxAttempts: 5
diff --git a/_local/scheduleringester/config.yaml b/_local/scheduleringester/config.yaml
index 0e15f53981c..f3c28ee2cfa 100644
--- a/_local/scheduleringester/config.yaml
+++ b/_local/scheduleringester/config.yaml
@@ -18,3 +18,9 @@ postgres:
 pulsar:
   URL: "pulsar://localhost:6650"
   restURL: "http://localhost:8090"
+  backoffTime: 1s
+  maxBackoffTime: 5s
+  backoffRandomizationFactor: 0.5
+  backoffMultiplier: 1.5
+  deadLetterTopic: scheduler-events-dead-letter
+  deadLetterMaxAttempts: 5
diff --git a/config/eventingester/config.yaml b/config/eventingester/config.yaml
index db82db2e273..b343984b228 100644
--- a/config/eventingester/config.yaml
+++ b/config/eventingester/config.yaml
@@ -9,7 +9,12 @@ pulsar:
   restURL: "http://localhost:8090"
   jobsetEventsTopic: events
   backoffTime: 1s
+  maxBackoffTime: 30s
+  backoffRandomizationFactor: 0.5
+  backoffMultiplier: 1.5
   receiverQueueSize: 100
+  deadLetterTopic: events-dead-letter
+  deadLetterMaxAttempts: 5
   delayMonitor:
     enabled: false
     interval: 30s
diff --git a/config/lookoutingester/config.yaml b/config/lookoutingester/config.yaml
index a96ec78425f..814956d19be 100644
--- a/config/lookoutingester/config.yaml
+++ b/config/lookoutingester/config.yaml
@@ -12,7 +12,12 @@ pulsar:
   restURL: "http://localhost:8090"
   jobsetEventsTopic: "events"
   backoffTime: 1s
+  maxBackoffTime: 30s
+  backoffRandomizationFactor: 0.5
+  backoffMultiplier: 1.5
   receiverQueueSize: 100
+  deadLetterTopic: events-dead-letter
+  deadLetterMaxAttempts: 5
   delayMonitor:
     enabled: false
     interval: 30s
@@ -21,4 +26,3 @@ batchSize: 10000
 batchDuration: 500ms
 minJobSpecCompressionSize: 1024
 userAnnotationPrefix: "armadaproject.io/"
-maxBackoff: 60
diff --git a/config/scheduleringester/config.yaml b/config/scheduleringester/config.yaml
index 43604d2fbfb..4137b624c65 100644
--- a/config/scheduleringester/config.yaml
+++ b/config/scheduleringester/config.yaml
@@ -14,7 +14,12 @@ pulsar:
   jobsetEventsTopic: "events"
   controlPlaneEventsTopic: "control-plane"
   backoffTime: 1s
+  maxBackoffTime: 30s
+  backoffRandomizationFactor: 0.5
+  backoffMultiplier: 1.5
   receiverQueueSize: 100
+  deadLetterTopic: scheduler-events-dead-letter
+  deadLetterMaxAttempts: 5
   delayMonitor:
     enabled: false
     interval: 30s
diff --git a/internal/eventingester/configuration/validation.go b/internal/eventingester/configuration/validation.go
index 03940bb2251..44eca51850a 100644
--- a/internal/eventingester/configuration/validation.go
+++ b/internal/eventingester/configuration/validation.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package configuration
 
 import (
+	"errors"
+
 	"github.com/go-playground/validator/v10"
 
 	commonconfig "github.com/armadaproject/armada/internal/common/config"
@@ -8,7 +10,7 @@ import (
 
 func (c EventIngesterConfiguration) Validate() error {
 	validate := validator.New()
-	return validate.Struct(c)
+	return errors.Join(validate.Struct(c), c.Pulsar.Validate())
 }
 
 func (c *EventIngesterConfiguration) Mutate() (commonconfig.Config, error) {
diff --git a/internal/lookoutingester/configuration/validation.go b/internal/lookoutingester/configuration/validation.go
index 288be88ebe4..81f4b9b8e4a 100644
--- a/internal/lookoutingester/configuration/validation.go
+++ b/internal/lookoutingester/configuration/validation.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package configuration
 
 import (
+	"errors"
+
 	"github.com/go-playground/validator/v10"
 
 	commonconfig "github.com/armadaproject/armada/internal/common/config"
@@ -8,7 +10,7 @@ import (
 
 func (c LookoutIngesterConfiguration) Validate() error {
 	validate := validator.New()
-	return validate.Struct(c)
+	return errors.Join(validate.Struct(c), c.Pulsar.Validate())
 }
 
 func (c *LookoutIngesterConfiguration) Mutate() (commonconfig.Config, error) {
diff --git a/internal/scheduleringester/config.go b/internal/scheduleringester/config.go
index 486afe7c43c..c992185d664 100644
--- a/internal/scheduleringester/config.go
+++ b/internal/scheduleringester/config.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package scheduleringester
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/go-playground/validator/v10"
@@ -37,5 +38,5 @@ func (c *Configuration) Mutate() (commonconfig.Config, error) {
 
 func (c Configuration) Validate() error {
 	validate := validator.New()
-	return validate.Struct(c)
+	return errors.Join(validate.Struct(c), c.Pulsar.Validate())
 }