diff --git a/tools/deployment/seaworthy-virt/airship_gate/lib/airship.sh b/tools/deployment/seaworthy-virt/airship_gate/lib/airship.sh
index 26f4dbb78..7b4f1b628 100644
--- a/tools/deployment/seaworthy-virt/airship_gate/lib/airship.sh
+++ b/tools/deployment/seaworthy-virt/airship_gate/lib/airship.sh
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ shipyard_action_wait() {
             exit 0
     fi
 
+    log "$(shipyard_cmd describe "${ACTION_ID}")"
     sleep "${poll_time}"
   done
 }
diff --git a/tools/deployment/seaworthy-virt/airship_gate/stages/genesis.sh b/tools/deployment/seaworthy-virt/airship_gate/stages/genesis.sh
index c78a68924..b08c1595a 100755
--- a/tools/deployment/seaworthy-virt/airship_gate/stages/genesis.sh
+++ b/tools/deployment/seaworthy-virt/airship_gate/stages/genesis.sh
@@ -18,13 +18,26 @@ set -e
 source "${GATE_UTILS}"
 
 # Copies script and virtmgr private key to genesis VM
-rsync_cmd "${SCRIPT_DEPOT}/genesis.sh" "${GENESIS_NAME}:/root/airship/"
+# waits for the genesis node to complete reboot, if it is rebooted during
+# genesis setup stage.
+GENESIS_RSYNC_RETRIES=${GENESIS_RSYNC_RETRIES:-10}
+retries=0
+while ! rsync_cmd "${SCRIPT_DEPOT}/genesis.sh" "${GENESIS_NAME}:/root/airship/"; do
+  if [[ "${retries}" < "${GENESIS_RSYNC_RETRIES}" ]]; then
+    log "Genesis node is not reachable yet. Retrying in 30 seconds."
+    retries=$((retries+1))
+    sleep 30
+    continue
+  fi
+  log_error "Genesis was not reachable after max retries: "${GENESIS_RSYNC_RETRIES}"."
+  exit 1
+done
 
 set -o pipefail
 ssh_cmd_raw "${GENESIS_NAME}" "PROMENADE_ENCRYPTION_KEY=${PROMENADE_ENCRYPTION_KEY} /root/airship/genesis.sh" 2>&1 | tee -a "${LOG_FILE}"
 set +o pipefail
 
-if ! ssh_cmd n0 docker images | tail -n +2 | grep -v registry:5000 ; then
+if ! ssh_cmd "${GENESIS_NAME}" docker images | tail -n +2 | grep -v registry:5000 ; then
     log_warn "Using some non-cached docker images.  This will slow testing."
-    ssh_cmd n0 docker images | tail -n +2 | grep -v registry:5000 | tee -a "${LOG_FILE}"
+    ssh_cmd "${GENESIS_NAME}" docker images | tail -n +2 | grep -v registry:5000 | tee -a "${LOG_FILE}"
 fi
diff --git a/tools/deployment/seaworthy-virt/airship_gate/stages/shipyard-load-design.sh b/tools/deployment/seaworthy-virt/airship_gate/stages/shipyard-load-design.sh
index f957a010a..6ddd65ece 100755
--- a/tools/deployment/seaworthy-virt/airship_gate/stages/shipyard-load-design.sh
+++ b/tools/deployment/seaworthy-virt/airship_gate/stages/shipyard-load-design.sh
@@ -52,12 +52,25 @@ check_configdocs_result(){
   fi
 }
 
+CREATE_CONFIGDOCS_RETRIES=${CREATE_CONFIGDOCS_RETRIES:-5}
+
+create_configdocs_design() {
+  for ((i=0; i<${CREATE_CONFIGDOCS_RETRIES}; i++)); do
+    if check_configdocs_result "$(shipyard_cmd create configdocs "$@")"; then
+      log "Create confidocs succeeded."
+      return 0
+    fi
+    log "Failed on atemp $i, retrying ..."
+    sleep 30
+  done
+  log "Create configdocs failed after $i retries."
+  return 1
+}
+
 # Copy site design to genesis node
 ssh_cmd "${BUILD_NAME}" mkdir -p "${BUILD_WORK_DIR}/site"
 rsync_cmd "${DEFINITION_DEPOT}"/*.yaml "${BUILD_NAME}:${BUILD_WORK_DIR}/site/"
-
-sleep 120
-check_configdocs_result "$(shipyard_cmd create configdocs design "--directory=${BUILD_WORK_DIR}/site" --replace)"
+create_configdocs_design design --directory="${BUILD_WORK_DIR}/site" --replace
 
 # Skip certs/gate if already part of site manifests
 if [[ -n "${USE_EXISTING_SECRETS}" ]]
@@ -70,14 +83,14 @@ if [[ "${OMIT_CERTS}" == "0" ]]
 then
   ssh_cmd "${BUILD_NAME}" mkdir -p "${BUILD_WORK_DIR}/certs"
   rsync_cmd "${CERT_DEPOT}"/*.yaml "${BUILD_NAME}:${BUILD_WORK_DIR}/certs/"
-  check_configdocs_result "$(shipyard_cmd create configdocs certs "--directory=${BUILD_WORK_DIR}/certs" --append)"
+  create_configdocs_design certs --directory="${BUILD_WORK_DIR}/certs" --append
 fi
 
 if [[ "${OMIT_GATE}" == "0" ]]
 then
   ssh_cmd "${BUILD_NAME}" mkdir -p "${BUILD_WORK_DIR}/gate"
   rsync_cmd "${GATE_DEPOT}"/*.yaml "${BUILD_NAME}:${BUILD_WORK_DIR}/gate/"
-  check_configdocs_result "$(shipyard_cmd create configdocs gate "--directory=${BUILD_WORK_DIR}/gate" --append)"
+  create_configdocs_design gate --directory="${BUILD_WORK_DIR}/gate" --append
 fi
 
 check_configdocs_result "$(shipyard_cmd commit configdocs)"