diff --git a/softcopy/copier.py b/softcopy/copier.py
index e77e758..5622086 100644
--- a/softcopy/copier.py
+++ b/softcopy/copier.py
@@ -6,11 +6,14 @@
 
 
 class AbstractCopier(ABC):
-    def __init__(self, source: Path, destination: Path, n_copy_procs: int, log: logging.Logger = LOG):
+    def __init__(
+        self, source: Path, destination: Path, n_copy_procs: int, sleep_time: float = 1.0, log: logging.Logger = LOG
+    ):
         self._source = source
         self._destination = destination
         self._n_copy_procs = n_copy_procs
         self._log = log
+        self._sleep_time = sleep_time
 
     @abstractmethod
     def start(self):
diff --git a/softcopy/main.py b/softcopy/main.py
index 25cad3d..66288df 100644
--- a/softcopy/main.py
+++ b/softcopy/main.py
@@ -20,7 +20,13 @@
 @click.argument("targets_file", type=click.File("r"))
 @click.option("--verbose", default=False, is_flag=True, help="print debug information while running")
 @click.option("--nprocs", default=1, type=int, help="number of processes to use for copying")
-def main(targets_file, verbose, nprocs):
+@click.option(
+    "--sleep-time",
+    default=0.0,
+    type=float,
+    help="time to sleep in each copy process between copies. Can help mitigate down an overwhelemd system",
+)
+def main(targets_file, verbose, nprocs, sleep_time):
     """Tranfer data from source to destination as described in a yaml TARGETS_FILE. Uses low priority io to allow
     data to be moved while the microscope is acquiring. The program is zarr-aware and can safely copy an archive
     before it is finished being written to."""
@@ -50,7 +56,7 @@ def main(targets_file, verbose, nprocs):
             # If the source ends with .ome.zarr, then infer ome mode for this entry:
             is_ome = source.name.endswith(".ome.zarr")
             copier_type = OMEZarrCopier if is_ome else ZarrCopier
-            copier = copier_type(source, destination, nprocs, LOG.getChild(f"Target {target_id}"))
+            copier = copier_type(source, destination, nprocs, sleep_time, LOG.getChild(f"Target {target_id}"))
             copiers.append(copier)
             copier.start()
 
diff --git a/softcopy/ome_zarr_copier.py b/softcopy/ome_zarr_copier.py
index bed7002..207c3a6 100644
--- a/softcopy/ome_zarr_copier.py
+++ b/softcopy/ome_zarr_copier.py
@@ -28,11 +28,13 @@ class OMEZarrCopier(AbstractCopier):
     _zarr_copier: ZarrCopier
     _metadata_hashes: dict[str, str]
 
-    def __init__(self, source: Path, destination: Path, n_copy_procs: int, log: logging.Logger = LOG):
-        super().__init__(source, destination, n_copy_procs, log)
+    def __init__(
+        self, source: Path, destination: Path, n_copy_procs: int, sleep_time: float = 0, log: logging.Logger = LOG
+    ):
+        super().__init__(source, destination, n_copy_procs, sleep_time, log)
         image_0_source = source / "0"
         image_0_destination = destination / "0"
-        self._zarr_copier = ZarrCopier(image_0_source, image_0_destination, n_copy_procs, log)
+        self._zarr_copier = ZarrCopier(image_0_source, image_0_destination, n_copy_procs, sleep_time, log)
         self._metadata_hashes = {}
 
     def start(self):
diff --git a/softcopy/zarr_copier.py b/softcopy/zarr_copier.py
index 27c5833..05d004b 100644
--- a/softcopy/zarr_copier.py
+++ b/softcopy/zarr_copier.py
@@ -45,8 +45,10 @@ class ZarrCopier(AbstractCopier):
     _zarr_format: int
     _dimension_separator: Literal[".", "/"]
 
-    def __init__(self, source: Path, destination: Path, n_copy_procs: int = 1, log: Logger = LOG):
-        super().__init__(source, destination, n_copy_procs, log)
+    def __init__(
+        self, source: Path, destination: Path, n_copy_procs: int = 1, sleep_time: float = 0, log: Logger = LOG
+    ):
+        super().__init__(source, destination, n_copy_procs, sleep_time, log)
 
         self._stop = Value("b", 0)
         self._observation_finished = Value("b", 0)
@@ -129,6 +131,7 @@ def start(self):
                     self._dimension_separator,
                     self._zarr_format,
                     self._copy_count,
+                    self._sleep_time,
                 ),
             )
             proc.start()
@@ -330,13 +333,19 @@ def _copy_worker(
     dimension_separator: Literal[".", "/"],
     zarr_format: Literal[2, 3],
     count: Synchronized,
+    sleep: float = 0,
 ):
+    srcfile = None
+    destfile = None
+
     while stop.value == 0:
         try:
+            time.sleep(sleep)
+            print(sleep)
             data: PackedName = queue.get(timeout=1)
             srcfile = data.get_path(files_nd, source, dimension_separator, zarr_format)
             destfile = data.get_path(files_nd, destination, dimension_separator, zarr_format)
-            print(f"Copying {srcfile} to {destfile}")
+            # print(f"Copying {srcfile} to {destfile}")
 
             # TODO: this is just for on-demand folder creation. it slows things down, so we should
             # make it optional in the targets.yaml
@@ -353,6 +362,12 @@ def _copy_worker(
             # a due to some other issue, although a 1s timeout is extremely unlikely if the queue is nonempty.
             if queue_draining.value == 1 and queue.empty():
                 break
+        except PermissionError:
+            print(
+                f"Permission error while handling copying {srcfile} to {destfile}. This is rare and will be handled in the integrity check."
+            )
+        except Exception as e:
+            print(f"Unknown exception while copying {srcfile} to {destfile}: {e}")
 
 
 class ZarrFileEventHandler(FileSystemEventHandler):