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 13188ecb8..7b3dad4d4 100755
--- a/src/metadataserver/user_data/templates/snippets/maas_ipmi_autodetect.py
+++ b/src/metadataserver/user_data/templates/snippets/maas_ipmi_autodetect.py
@@ -235,8 +235,30 @@ 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),
@@ -245,9 +267,11 @@ def configure_ipmi_user(username):
         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():
@@ -389,7 +413,7 @@ def main():
     IPMI_MAAS_USER = args.maas_ipmi_user
     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.