diff --git a/ironic_python_agent/config.py b/ironic_python_agent/config.py
index c73e6fc96..84566d859 100644
--- a/ironic_python_agent/config.py
+++ b/ironic_python_agent/config.py
@@ -245,12 +245,12 @@ cli_opts = [
                help='The connection timeout (in seconds) when downloading '
                     'an image. Does not affect the whole download.'),
     cfg.IntOpt('image_download_connection_retries', min=0,
-               default=APARAMS.get('ipa-image-download-connection-retries', 2),
+               default=APARAMS.get('ipa-image-download-connection-retries', 9),
                help='How many times to retry the connection when downloading '
                     'an image. Also retries on failure HTTP statuses.'),
     cfg.IntOpt('image_download_connection_retry_interval', min=0,
                default=APARAMS.get(
-                   'ipa-image-download-connection-retry-interval', 5),
+                   'ipa-image-download-connection-retry-interval', 10),
                help='Interval (in seconds) between two attempts to establish '
                     'connection when downloading an image.'),
 
diff --git a/ironic_python_agent/tests/unit/extensions/test_standby.py b/ironic_python_agent/tests/unit/extensions/test_standby.py
index a8a7c8a01..4fbb9e15d 100644
--- a/ironic_python_agent/tests/unit/extensions/test_standby.py
+++ b/ironic_python_agent/tests/unit/extensions/test_standby.py
@@ -412,6 +412,7 @@ class TestStandbyExtension(base.IronicAgentTest):
 
     @mock.patch('requests.get', autospec=True)
     def test_download_image_bad_status(self, requests_mock):
+        self.config(image_download_connection_retry_interval=0)
         image_info = _build_fake_image_info()
         response = requests_mock.return_value
         response.status_code = 404
@@ -1243,6 +1244,7 @@ class TestStandbyExtension(base.IronicAgentTest):
                 return self
 
         self.config(image_download_connection_timeout=1)
+        self.config(image_download_connection_retries=2)
         self.config(image_download_connection_retry_interval=0)
         image_info = _build_fake_image_info()
         file_mock = mock.Mock()
@@ -1390,6 +1392,7 @@ class TestImageDownload(base.IronicAgentTest):
     @mock.patch('time.sleep', autospec=True)
     def test_download_image_retries(self, sleep_mock, requests_mock,
                                     time_mock):
+        self.config(image_download_connection_retries=2)
         response = requests_mock.return_value
         response.status_code = 500
         response.text = 'Oops'
@@ -1406,7 +1409,7 @@ class TestImageDownload(base.IronicAgentTest):
                                          stream=True, proxies={},
                                          timeout=60)
         self.assertEqual(3, requests_mock.call_count)
-        sleep_mock.assert_called_with(5)
+        sleep_mock.assert_called_with(10)
         self.assertEqual(2, sleep_mock.call_count)
 
     @mock.patch('time.sleep', autospec=True)
@@ -1431,7 +1434,7 @@ class TestImageDownload(base.IronicAgentTest):
                                          stream=True, proxies={},
                                          timeout=60)
         self.assertEqual(3, requests_mock.call_count)
-        sleep_mock.assert_called_with(5)
+        sleep_mock.assert_called_with(10)
         self.assertEqual(2, sleep_mock.call_count)
 
     def test_download_image_and_checksum(self, requests_mock, md5_mock):
@@ -1531,6 +1534,7 @@ foobar  irrelevant file.img
                                standby.ImageDownload, image_info)
 
     def test_download_image_and_checksum_failed(self, requests_mock, md5_mock):
+        self.config(image_download_connection_retry_interval=0)
         content = ['SpongeBob', 'SquarePants']
         cs_response = mock.Mock()
         cs_response.status_code = 400
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/extend-retry-timeout-30c930a33d97c193.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/extend-retry-timeout-30c930a33d97c193.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0870eb6b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/extend-retry-timeout-30c930a33d97c193.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    Fixes the short timeout retries interval, which was previously ``5``
+    seconds, to a length that will allow the agent to retry after a
+    network interruption. The time between retries is now ``10`` seconds,
+    and the number of retries are set to ``9`` to help ensure intermittent
+    network outages do not cause recoverable failures.