diff --git a/etc/ironic/ironic.conf.sample b/etc/ironic/ironic.conf.sample
index 405295b5fa..48d78c9520 100644
--- a/etc/ironic/ironic.conf.sample
+++ b/etc/ironic/ironic.conf.sample
@@ -1208,7 +1208,7 @@
 # Maximum retries in case of connection error or deadlock
 # error before error is raised. Set to -1 to specify an
 # infinite retry count. (integer value)
-#db_max_retries = 20
+#db_max_retries = 5
 
 
 [deploy]
diff --git a/ironic/conf/database.py b/ironic/conf/database.py
index fccf2f437d..b4aa6224b2 100644
--- a/ironic/conf/database.py
+++ b/ironic/conf/database.py
@@ -26,3 +26,6 @@ opts = [
 
 def register_opts(conf):
     conf.register_opts(opts, group='database')
+    # Change the oslo_db side default to 5
+    conf.import_opt('db_max_retries', 'ironic.db.api', group='database')
+    conf.set_default('db_max_retries', 5, group='database')
diff --git a/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/api.py b/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/api.py
index 3d134f5bff..62741d0247 100644
--- a/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/api.py
+++ b/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/api.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import collections
 import datetime
 import threading
 
+from oslo_db import api as oslo_db_api
 from oslo_db import exception as db_exc
 from oslo_db.sqlalchemy import enginefacade
 from oslo_db.sqlalchemy import utils as db_utils
@@ -55,6 +56,9 @@ def _session_for_read():
     return enginefacade.reader.using(_CONTEXT)
 
 
+# Please add @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock decorator to all methods using
+# _session_for_write (as deadlocks happen on write), so that oslo_db is able
+# to retry in case of deadlocks.
 def _session_for_write():
     return enginefacade.writer.using(_CONTEXT)
 
@@ -258,6 +262,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
         return _paginate_query(models.Node, limit, marker,
                                sort_key, sort_dir, query)
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def reserve_node(self, tag, node_id):
         with _session_for_write():
             query = _get_node_query_with_tags()
@@ -276,6 +281,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
             except NoResultFound:
                 raise exception.NodeNotFound(node_id)
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def release_node(self, tag, node_id):
         with _session_for_write():
             query = model_query(models.Node)
@@ -294,6 +300,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
             except NoResultFound:
                 raise exception.NodeNotFound(node_id)
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def create_node(self, values):
         # ensure defaults are present for new nodes
         if 'uuid' not in values:
@@ -364,6 +371,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
 
         return result
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def destroy_node(self, node_id):
         with _session_for_write():
             query = model_query(models.Node)
@@ -422,6 +430,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
             else:
                 raise
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def _do_update_node(self, node_id, values):
         with _session_for_write():
             query = model_query(models.Node)
@@ -492,6 +501,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
         return _paginate_query(models.Port, limit, marker,
                                sort_key, sort_dir, query)
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def create_port(self, values):
         if not values.get('uuid'):
             values['uuid'] = uuidutils.generate_uuid()
@@ -508,6 +518,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
                 raise exception.PortAlreadyExists(uuid=values['uuid'])
             return port
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def update_port(self, port_id, values):
         # NOTE(dtantsur): this can lead to very strange errors
         if 'uuid' in values:
@@ -527,6 +538,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
             raise exception.MACAlreadyExists(mac=values['address'])
         return ref
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def destroy_port(self, port_id):
         with _session_for_write():
             query = model_query(models.Port)
@@ -575,6 +587,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
         return _paginate_query(models.Portgroup, limit, marker,
                                sort_key, sort_dir, query)
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def create_portgroup(self, values):
         if not values.get('uuid'):
             values['uuid'] = uuidutils.generate_uuid()
@@ -596,6 +609,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
                 raise exception.PortgroupAlreadyExists(uuid=values['uuid'])
             return portgroup
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def update_portgroup(self, portgroup_id, values):
         if 'uuid' in values:
             msg = _("Cannot overwrite UUID for an existing portgroup.")
@@ -620,6 +634,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
                     raise
             return ref
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def destroy_portgroup(self, portgroup_id):
         def portgroup_not_empty(session):
             """Checks whether the portgroup does not have ports."""
@@ -659,6 +674,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
         return _paginate_query(models.Chassis, limit, marker,
                                sort_key, sort_dir)
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def create_chassis(self, values):
         if not values.get('uuid'):
             values['uuid'] = uuidutils.generate_uuid()
@@ -673,6 +689,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
                 raise exception.ChassisAlreadyExists(uuid=values['uuid'])
             return chassis
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def update_chassis(self, chassis_id, values):
         # NOTE(dtantsur): this can lead to very strange errors
         if 'uuid' in values:
@@ -689,6 +706,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
             ref = query.one()
         return ref
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def destroy_chassis(self, chassis_id):
         def chassis_not_empty():
             """Checks whether the chassis does not have nodes."""
@@ -709,6 +727,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
             if count != 1:
                 raise exception.ChassisNotFound(chassis=chassis_id)
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def register_conductor(self, values, update_existing=False):
         with _session_for_write() as session:
             query = (model_query(models.Conductor)
@@ -736,6 +755,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
         except NoResultFound:
             raise exception.ConductorNotFound(conductor=hostname)
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def unregister_conductor(self, hostname):
         with _session_for_write():
             query = (model_query(models.Conductor)
@@ -744,6 +764,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
             if count == 0:
                 raise exception.ConductorNotFound(conductor=hostname)
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def touch_conductor(self, hostname):
         with _session_for_write():
             query = (model_query(models.Conductor)
@@ -755,6 +776,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
             if count == 0:
                 raise exception.ConductorNotFound(conductor=hostname)
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def clear_node_reservations_for_conductor(self, hostname):
         nodes = []
         with _session_for_write():
@@ -769,6 +791,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
                 _LW('Cleared reservations held by %(hostname)s: '
                     '%(nodes)s'), {'hostname': hostname, 'nodes': nodes})
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def clear_node_target_power_state(self, hostname):
         nodes = []
         with _session_for_write():
@@ -831,6 +854,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
         query = _filter_active_conductors(query)
         return query.all()
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def register_conductor_hardware_interfaces(self, conductor_id,
                                                hardware_type, interface_type,
                                                interfaces, default_interface):
@@ -852,12 +876,14 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
                     interface_type=interface_type,
                     interfaces=interfaces)
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def unregister_conductor_hardware_interfaces(self, conductor_id):
         with _session_for_write():
             query = (model_query(models.ConductorHardwareInterfaces)
                      .filter_by(conductor_id=conductor_id))
             query.delete()
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def touch_node_provisioning(self, node_id):
         with _session_for_write():
             query = model_query(models.Node)
@@ -870,6 +896,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
         if not model_query(models.Node).filter_by(id=node_id).scalar():
             raise exception.NodeNotFound(node=node_id)
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def set_node_tags(self, node_id, tags):
         # remove duplicate tags
         tags = set(tags)
@@ -883,6 +910,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
 
         return node_tags
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def unset_node_tags(self, node_id):
         self._check_node_exists(node_id)
         with _session_for_write():
@@ -895,6 +923,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
                   .all())
         return result
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def add_node_tag(self, node_id, tag):
         node_tag = models.NodeTag(tag=tag, node_id=node_id)
 
@@ -909,6 +938,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
 
         return node_tag
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def delete_node_tag(self, node_id, tag):
         self._check_node_exists(node_id)
         with _session_for_write():
@@ -964,6 +994,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
         return _paginate_query(models.VolumeConnector, limit, marker,
                                sort_key, sort_dir, query)
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def create_volume_connector(self, connector_info):
         if 'uuid' not in connector_info:
             connector_info['uuid'] = uuidutils.generate_uuid()
@@ -983,6 +1014,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
                     uuid=connector_info['uuid'])
             return connector
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def update_volume_connector(self, ident, connector_info):
         if 'uuid' in connector_info:
             msg = _("Cannot overwrite UUID for an existing Volume Connector.")
@@ -1006,6 +1038,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
             raise exception.VolumeConnectorNotFound(connector=ident)
         return ref
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def destroy_volume_connector(self, ident):
         with _session_for_write():
             query = model_query(models.VolumeConnector)
@@ -1039,6 +1072,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
         return _paginate_query(models.VolumeTarget, limit, marker, sort_key,
                                sort_dir, query)
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def create_volume_target(self, target_info):
         if 'uuid' not in target_info:
             target_info['uuid'] = uuidutils.generate_uuid()
@@ -1057,6 +1091,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
                     uuid=target_info['uuid'])
             return target
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def update_volume_target(self, ident, target_info):
         if 'uuid' in target_info:
             msg = _("Cannot overwrite UUID for an existing Volume Target.")
@@ -1077,6 +1112,7 @@ class Connection(api.Connection):
             raise exception.VolumeTargetNotFound(target=ident)
         return ref
 
+    @oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock
     def destroy_volume_target(self, ident):
         with _session_for_write():
             query = model_query(models.VolumeTarget)
diff --git a/ironic/tests/unit/db/sqlalchemy/test_api.py b/ironic/tests/unit/db/sqlalchemy/test_api.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bd620e86c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ironic/tests/unit/db/sqlalchemy/test_api.py
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+#    Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+#    not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+#    a copy of the License at
+#
+#         http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+#    Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#    distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+#    WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+#    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+#    under the License.
+
+import inspect
+
+from ironic.db.sqlalchemy import api as sqlalchemy_api
+from ironic.tests import base as test_base
+
+
+class TestDBWriteMethodsRetryOnDeadlock(test_base.TestCase):
+
+    def test_retry_on_deadlock(self):
+        # This test ensures that every dbapi method doing database write is
+        # wrapped with retry_on_deadlock decorator
+        for name, method in inspect.getmembers(sqlalchemy_api.Connection,
+                                               predicate=inspect.ismethod):
+            src = inspect.getsource(method)
+            if 'with _session_for_write()' in src:
+                self.assertIn(
+                    '@oslo_db_api.retry_on_deadlock', src,
+                    'oslo_db\'s retry_on_deadlock decorator not '
+                    'applied to method ironic.db.sqlalchemy.api.Connection.%s '
+                    'doing database write' % name)
diff --git a/ironic/tests/unit/db/test_conductor.py b/ironic/tests/unit/db/test_conductor.py
index 62293f5c0f..abe57390c9 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/unit/db/test_conductor.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/unit/db/test_conductor.py
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 import datetime
 
 import mock
+from oslo_db import exception as db_exc
+from oslo_db import sqlalchemy
 from oslo_utils import timeutils
 
 from ironic.common import exception
@@ -129,6 +131,13 @@ class DbConductorTestCase(base.DbTestCase):
         c = self.dbapi.get_conductor(c.hostname)
         self.assertEqual(test_time, timeutils.normalize_time(c.updated_at))
 
+    @mock.patch.object(sqlalchemy.orm.Query, 'update', autospec=True)
+    def test_touch_conductor_deadlock(self, mock_update):
+        mock_update.side_effect = [db_exc.DBDeadlock(), None]
+        c = self._create_test_cdr()
+        self.dbapi.touch_conductor(c.hostname)
+        self.assertEqual(2, mock_update.call_count)
+
     def test_touch_conductor_not_found(self):
         # A conductor's heartbeat will not create a new record,
         # it will only update existing ones
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/add-db-deadlock-handling-6bc10076537f3727.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/add-db-deadlock-handling-6bc10076537f3727.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d1536407a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/add-db-deadlock-handling-6bc10076537f3727.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - Fixes an issue which caused conductor's periodic tasks to stop executing.
+    See https://bugs.launchpad.net/ironic/+bug/1637210
+features:
+  - Adds DBDeadlock handling which may improve stability when using Galera.
+    See https://bugs.launchpad.net/ironic/+bug/1639338
+upgrade:
+  - All DB API methods doing database writes now retry on deadlock. The
+    ``[database]db_max_retries`` configuration option specifies the maximum
+    number of times to retry, and can be customised if necessary. It is 5 by
+    default.