diff --git a/I2CManager.cpp b/I2CManager.cpp
index a951a87..d7be935 100644
--- a/I2CManager.cpp
+++ b/I2CManager.cpp
@@ -81,8 +81,13 @@ void I2CManagerClass::forceClock(uint32_t speed) {
 
 // Check if specified I2C address is responding (blocking operation)
 // Returns I2C_STATUS_OK (0) if OK, or error code.
+// Suppress retries.  If it doesn't respond first time it's out of the running.
 uint8_t I2CManagerClass::checkAddress(uint8_t address) {
-  return write(address, NULL, 0);
+  I2CRB rb;
+  rb.setWriteParams(address, NULL, 0);
+  rb.suppressRetries(true);
+  queueRequest(&rb);
+  return rb.wait();
 }
 
 
@@ -244,3 +249,9 @@ void I2CRB::setWriteParams(uint8_t i2cAddress, const uint8_t *writeBuffer, uint8
   this->status = I2C_STATUS_OK;
 }
 
+void I2CRB::suppressRetries(bool suppress) {
+  if (suppress)
+    this->operation |= OPERATION_NORETRY;
+  else
+    this->operation &= ~OPERATION_NORETRY;
+}
diff --git a/I2CManager.h b/I2CManager.h
index f966d77..bcb7092 100644
--- a/I2CManager.h
+++ b/I2CManager.h
@@ -157,6 +157,8 @@ typedef enum : uint8_t
   OPERATION_REQUEST = 2,
   OPERATION_SEND = 3,
   OPERATION_SEND_P = 4,
+  OPERATION_NORETRY = 0x80,  // OR with operation to suppress retries.
+  OPERATION_MASK = 0x7f,  // mask for extracting the operation code
 } OperationEnum;
 
 
@@ -178,6 +180,7 @@ public:
   void setReadParams(uint8_t i2cAddress, uint8_t *readBuffer, uint8_t readLen);
   void setRequestParams(uint8_t i2cAddress, uint8_t *readBuffer, uint8_t readLen, const uint8_t *writeBuffer, uint8_t writeLen);
   void setWriteParams(uint8_t i2cAddress, const uint8_t *writeBuffer, uint8_t writeLen);
+  void suppressRetries(bool suppress);
 
   uint8_t writeLen;
   uint8_t readLen;
diff --git a/I2CManager_NonBlocking.h b/I2CManager_NonBlocking.h
index 2793823..7769d17 100644
--- a/I2CManager_NonBlocking.h
+++ b/I2CManager_NonBlocking.h
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ void I2CManagerClass::startTransaction() {
       currentRequest = queueHead;
       rxCount = txCount = 0;
       // Copy key fields to static data for speed.
-      operation = currentRequest->operation;
+      operation = currentRequest->operation & OPERATION_MASK;
       // Start the I2C process going.
       I2C_sendStart();
       startTime = micros();
@@ -227,8 +227,10 @@ void I2CManagerClass::handleInterrupt() {
   // and state isn't active then state contains the completion status of the request.
   if (state != I2C_STATE_ACTIVE && currentRequest != NULL) {
     // Operation has completed.
-    if (state == I2C_STATUS_OK || ++retryCounter > MAX_I2C_RETRIES) {
-      // Status is OK, or has failed and retry count exceeded.
+    if (state == I2C_STATUS_OK || ++retryCounter > MAX_I2C_RETRIES
+      || currentRequest->operation & OPERATION_NORETRY) 
+    {
+      // Status is OK, or has failed and retry count exceeded, or retries disabled.
       // Remove completed request from head of queue
       I2CRB * t = queueHead;
       if (t == currentRequest) {
diff --git a/I2CManager_Wire.h b/I2CManager_Wire.h
index aa0189f..aea91aa 100644
--- a/I2CManager_Wire.h
+++ b/I2CManager_Wire.h
@@ -51,11 +51,14 @@ void I2CManagerClass::_setClock(unsigned long i2cClockSpeed) {
 uint8_t I2CManagerClass::write(uint8_t address, const uint8_t buffer[], uint8_t size, I2CRB *rb) {
   uint8_t status = I2C_STATUS_OK;
   uint8_t retryCount = 0;
+  // If request fails, retry up to the defined limit, unless the NORETRY flag is set
+  // in the request block.
   do {
     Wire.beginTransmission(address);
     if (size > 0) Wire.write(buffer, size);
     status = Wire.endTransmission();
-  } while (!(status == I2C_STATUS_OK || ++retryCount > MAX_I2C_RETRIES));
+  } while (!(status == I2C_STATUS_OK || ++retryCount > MAX_I2C_RETRIES
+    || rb->operation & OPERATION_NORETRY));
   rb->status = status;
   return I2C_STATUS_OK;
 }
@@ -81,6 +84,8 @@ uint8_t I2CManagerClass::read(uint8_t address, uint8_t readBuffer[], uint8_t rea
   uint8_t status = I2C_STATUS_OK;
   uint8_t nBytes = 0;
   uint8_t retryCount = 0;
+  // If request fails, retry up to the defined limit, unless the NORETRY flag is set
+  // in the request block.
   do {
     if (writeSize > 0) {
       Wire.beginTransmission(address);
@@ -93,7 +98,8 @@ uint8_t I2CManagerClass::read(uint8_t address, uint8_t readBuffer[], uint8_t rea
         readBuffer[nBytes++] = Wire.read();
       if (nBytes < readSize) status = I2C_STATUS_TRUNCATED;
     }
-  } while (!(status == I2C_STATUS_OK || ++retryCount > MAX_I2C_RETRIES));
+  } while (!(status == I2C_STATUS_OK || ++retryCount > MAX_I2C_RETRIES
+    || rb->operation & OPERATION_NORETRY));
 
   rb->nBytes = nBytes;
   rb->status = status;
@@ -109,7 +115,7 @@ uint8_t I2CManagerClass::read(uint8_t address, uint8_t readBuffer[], uint8_t rea
  * the non-blocking version.
  ***************************************************************************/
 void I2CManagerClass::queueRequest(I2CRB *req) {
-  switch (req->operation) {
+  switch (req->operation & OPERATION_MASK) {
     case OPERATION_READ:
       read(req->i2cAddress, req->readBuffer, req->readLen, NULL, 0, req);
       break;