diff --git a/commercetools-java-client-core/src/main/java/io/sphere/sdk/client/AutoRefreshSphereAccessTokenSupplierImpl.java b/commercetools-java-client-core/src/main/java/io/sphere/sdk/client/AutoRefreshSphereAccessTokenSupplierImpl.java
index eda3c89c70d..403078e8569 100644
--- a/commercetools-java-client-core/src/main/java/io/sphere/sdk/client/AutoRefreshSphereAccessTokenSupplierImpl.java
+++ b/commercetools-java-client-core/src/main/java/io/sphere/sdk/client/AutoRefreshSphereAccessTokenSupplierImpl.java
@@ -42,9 +42,14 @@ private List<RetryRule> createRules() {
             final boolean unauthorized = latestError instanceof UnauthorizedException;
             return unknownHost || unauthorized;
         };
+        final Predicate<RetryContext> isSuspended = r -> {
+            final Throwable latestError = r.getLatestError();
+            return latestError instanceof SuspendedProjectException;
+        };
         final RetryRule fatalRetryRule = RetryRule.of(isFatal, RetryAction.ofShutdownServiceAndSendLatestException());
         final RetryRule retryScheduledRetryRule = RetryRule.of(RetryPredicate.ofAlwaysTrue(), RetryAction.ofScheduledRetry(2, retryContext -> Duration.ofMillis(retryContext.getAttempt() * retryContext.getAttempt() * 50)));
-        return asList(fatalRetryRule, retryScheduledRetryRule);
+        final RetryRule suspendedRetryRule = RetryRule.of(isSuspended, RetryAction.ofExponentialBackoff(100, 1000, 60000));
+        return asList(suspendedRetryRule, fatalRetryRule, retryScheduledRetryRule);
     }
 
     private CompletionStage<Tokens> supervisedTokenSupplier(final Supplier<CompletionStage<Tokens>> supplier) {
diff --git a/commercetools-java-client-core/src/main/java/io/sphere/sdk/client/TokensSupplierImpl.java b/commercetools-java-client-core/src/main/java/io/sphere/sdk/client/TokensSupplierImpl.java
index 678296d29b5..d59992e21e8 100644
--- a/commercetools-java-client-core/src/main/java/io/sphere/sdk/client/TokensSupplierImpl.java
+++ b/commercetools-java-client-core/src/main/java/io/sphere/sdk/client/TokensSupplierImpl.java
@@ -129,7 +129,12 @@ private Tokens parseResponse(final HttpResponse httpResponse, final HttpRequest
                         exception = new InvalidClientCredentialsException(config);
                     }
                     if (error.equals("invalid_scope")) {
-                        exception = new InvalidScopeException(exception);
+                        final String description = jsonNode.get("error_description").asText();
+                        if (description.endsWith("suspended")) {
+                            exception = new SuspendedProjectException(exception);
+                        } else {
+                            exception = new InvalidScopeException(exception);
+                        }
                     }
                 } catch (final JsonException e) {
                     exception = new UnauthorizedException(httpResponse.toString(), e,httpResponse.getStatusCode());
diff --git a/commercetools-java-client-core/src/test/java/io/sphere/sdk/client/AutoRefreshSphereAccessTokenSupplierImplTest.java b/commercetools-java-client-core/src/test/java/io/sphere/sdk/client/AutoRefreshSphereAccessTokenSupplierImplTest.java
index b89478e53bd..9dd908dd67c 100644
--- a/commercetools-java-client-core/src/test/java/io/sphere/sdk/client/AutoRefreshSphereAccessTokenSupplierImplTest.java
+++ b/commercetools-java-client-core/src/test/java/io/sphere/sdk/client/AutoRefreshSphereAccessTokenSupplierImplTest.java
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import io.sphere.sdk.http.HttpResponse;
 import io.sphere.sdk.models.Base;
 import org.junit.Test;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletionStage;
@@ -31,6 +32,21 @@ public void selectNextRetryTime() {
         assertThat(AuthActor.selectNextRetryTime(-100L)).as("at least a second").isEqualTo(1L);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testSuspendedClient() throws Exception {
+        final SuspendableDoubleHttpClient httpClient = getSuspendableHttpClient();
+
+        try(final SphereAccessTokenSupplier supplier =
+                AutoRefreshSphereAccessTokenSupplierImpl.createAndBeginRefreshInBackground(SphereAuthConfig.of("project-key", "client-id", "clientSecret"), httpClient, true)) {
+            Thread.sleep(2000);
+            httpClient.suspended = true;
+            Thread.sleep(120000);
+            LoggerFactory.getLogger(AutoRefreshSphereAccessTokenSupplierImplTest.class).debug("Project unsuspended");
+            httpClient.suspended = false;
+            Thread.sleep(10000);
+        }
+    }
+
     private TestDoubleHttpClient getHttpClient() {
         return new TestDoubleHttpClient() {
             @Override
@@ -40,6 +56,31 @@ protected HttpResponse executeSync(final HttpRequest httpRequest, final int requ
         };
     }
 
+    private SuspendableDoubleHttpClient getSuspendableHttpClient() {
+        return new SuspendableDoubleHttpClient() {
+            @Override
+            protected HttpResponse executeSync(final HttpRequest httpRequest, final int requestId) {
+                if (suspended) {
+                    return HttpResponse.of(400, "{\n" +
+                            "      \"statusCode\" : 400,\n" +
+                            "      \"message\" : \"Project 'test-project-suspension-1' is suspended\",\n" +
+                            "      \"errors\" : [ {\n" +
+                            "        \"code\" : \"invalid_scope\",\n" +
+                            "        \"message\" : \"Project 'test-project-suspension-1' is suspended\"\n" +
+                            "      } ],\n" +
+                            "      \"error\" : \"invalid_scope\",\n" +
+                            "      \"error_description\" : \"Project 'test-project-suspension-1' is suspended\"\n" +
+                            "    }");
+                }
+                return HttpResponse.of(200, "{\"access_token\": \"vkFuQ6oTwj8_Ye4eiRSsqMeqLYNeQRJi\", \"expires_in\": 1}");
+            }
+        };
+    }
+
+    public static abstract class SuspendableDoubleHttpClient extends TestDoubleHttpClient {
+        public boolean suspended = false;
+    }
+
     public static abstract class TestDoubleHttpClient extends Base implements HttpClient {
         private final AtomicInteger timesCalled = new AtomicInteger(0);
 
diff --git a/commercetools-sdk-base/src/main/java/io/sphere/sdk/client/SuspendedProjectException.java b/commercetools-sdk-base/src/main/java/io/sphere/sdk/client/SuspendedProjectException.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ed503d0d555
--- /dev/null
+++ b/commercetools-sdk-base/src/main/java/io/sphere/sdk/client/SuspendedProjectException.java
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+package io.sphere.sdk.client;
+
+/**
+ * when trying to make a call to commercetools with suspended project
+ *
+ */
+public class SuspendedProjectException extends UnauthorizedException{
+    private static final long serialVersionUID = 0L;
+
+    public SuspendedProjectException(final Throwable cause) {
+        super("Project suspended",cause,400);
+    }
+}