diff --git a/images/maas-region-controller/2.3_configure_ipmi_user.patch b/images/maas-region-controller/2.3_configure_ipmi_user.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a82ee50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/images/maas-region-controller/2.3_configure_ipmi_user.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+diff --git a/src/metadataserver/user_data/templates/snippets/maas_ipmi_autodetect.py b/src/metadataserver/user_data/templates/snippets/maas_ipmi_autodetect.py
+index e2c3ce5..7370963 100644
+--- a/src/metadataserver/user_data/templates/snippets/maas_ipmi_autodetect.py
++++ b/src/metadataserver/user_data/templates/snippets/maas_ipmi_autodetect.py
+@@ -229,17 +229,40 @@ def make_ipmi_user_settings(username, password):
+     return user_settings
+ 
+ 
++def configure_ipmi_user_with_backoff(username):
++    """Create/configure an IPMI user, but with several tries"""
++    attempt = 1
++    max_attempts = 5
++    backoff_amount = 30
++    while attempt <= max_attempts:
++        password = None
++        try:
++            password = configure_ipmi_user(username)
++        except:
++            if (attempt + 1) > max_attempts:
++                # This is our last attempt, don't catch anything:
++                raise
++
++        if password is None:
++            time.sleep(attempt * backoff_amount)
++        else:
++            return password
++        attempt += 1
++
++
+ def configure_ipmi_user(username):
+     """Create or configure an IPMI user for remote use."""
++    exceptions_caught = []
+     for password in [generate_random_password(),
+                      generate_random_password(with_special_chars=True)]:
+         user_settings = make_ipmi_user_settings(username, password)
+         try:
+             apply_ipmi_user_settings(user_settings)
+             return password
+-        except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
+-            pass
+-    raise IPMIError("Unable to set BMC password.")
++        except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
++            exceptions_caught.append(e)
++    raise IPMIError(
++        "Unable to set BMC password:\n{}".format(exceptions_caught))
+ 
+ 
+ def set_ipmi_lan_channel_settings():
+@@ -357,7 +380,7 @@ def main():
+     IPMI_MAAS_USER = "maas"
+     IPMI_MAAS_PASSWORD = None
+ 
+-    IPMI_MAAS_PASSWORD = configure_ipmi_user(IPMI_MAAS_USER)
++    IPMI_MAAS_PASSWORD = configure_ipmi_user_with_backoff(IPMI_MAAS_USER)
+ 
+     # Attempt to enable IPMI Over Lan. If it is disabled, MAAS won't
+     # be able to remotely communicate to the BMC.
diff --git a/images/maas-region-controller/Dockerfile b/images/maas-region-controller/Dockerfile
index 9e92a26..0643a1a 100644
--- a/images/maas-region-controller/Dockerfile
+++ b/images/maas-region-controller/Dockerfile
@@ -72,11 +72,15 @@ COPY 2.3_mac_address.patch /tmp/2.3_mac_address.patch
 # sh8121att: allow all requests via the proxy to allow it to work
 # behind ingress
 COPY 2.3_proxy_acl.patch /tmp/2.3_proxy_acl.patch
+# Patch to add retrying to MaaS BMC user setup, and improve exception handling
+copy 2.3_configure_ipmi_user.patch /tmp/2.3_configure_ipmi_user.patch
+
 RUN cd /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/maasserver && patch preseed_network.py < /tmp/2.3_route.patch
 RUN cd /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/maasserver && patch preseed.py < /tmp/2.3_kernel_package.patch
 RUN cd /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/maasserver/models && patch partition.py < /tmp/2.3_bios_grub_partition.patch
 RUN cd /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/maasserver && patch preseed_storage.py < /tmp/2.3_bios_grub_preseed.patch
 RUN cd /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/metadataserver/user_data/templates/snippets && patch maas_enlist.sh < /tmp/2.3_maas_enlist.patch
+RUN cd /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/metadataserver/user_data/templates/snippets && patch maas_ipmi_autodetect.py < /tmp/2.3_configure_ipmi_user.patch
 RUN cd /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/provisioningserver/utils && patch ipaddr.py < /tmp/2.3_mac_address.patch
 RUN cd /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/provisioningserver/templates/proxy && patch maas-proxy.conf.template < /tmp/2.3_proxy_acl.patch