diff --git a/cm.sh b/cm.sh
index ac05a353f2426ee3ce0ce6a7de2b3f96db2025d4..ff558e3201328a3cf0141ea9b899ed8bbc5422a9 100755
--- a/cm.sh
+++ b/cm.sh
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 # 2022-05-20  <axel.hahn@iml.unibe.ch>  update _wait_4_free_slot and data in debug.log
 # 2023-02-01  <axel.hahn@unibe.ch>      skip function _fixKeyfile with former workaround
 # 2023-05-08  <axel.hahn@unibe.ch>      fix: "key and cert do not match"
+# 2024-03-21  <axel.hahn@unibe.ch>      shorter sleep times
 # ======================================================================
 
 
@@ -123,8 +124,8 @@ function _certMustNotExist(){
 	then
 		echo "ERROR: cert ${CM_fqdn} was added already."
 		# exit 1
-		echo "Press Ctrl+C to abort within the next 10 sec..."
-		sleep 10
+		echo "Press Ctrl+C to abort within the next 3 sec..."
+		sleep 3
 	fi
 }
 
@@ -369,7 +370,7 @@ function _wait_for_free_slot(){
 			_iProcesses=$( echo "$_sProcesses" | wc -l )
 			_iFirstPID=$( echo "$_sProcesses" | head -1 | awk '{ print $2}' )
 			_debuglog "zzz ... waiting in _wait_for_free_slot ... $_iFirstPID is first ... my pos is $_iPos of $_iProcesses"
-            sleep 10
+            sleep $((3 + RANDOM % 3));
         fi
     done
 	_debuglog "end _wait_for_free_slot"