diff --git a/neutron/agent/ovsdb/native/helpers.py b/neutron/agent/ovsdb/native/helpers.py
index 4a7c28f2d0e..849b19b4438 100644
--- a/neutron/agent/ovsdb/native/helpers.py
+++ b/neutron/agent/ovsdb/native/helpers.py
@@ -26,6 +26,6 @@ ml2_ovs_conf.register_ovs_opts(cfg=cfg.CONF)
 
 enable_connection_uri = functools.partial(
     priv_helpers.enable_connection_uri,
-    log_fail_as_error=False, check_exit_code=False,
+    log_fail_as_error=False, check_exit_code=True,
     timeout=cfg.CONF.OVS.ovsdb_timeout,
     inactivity_probe=cfg.CONF.OVS.of_inactivity_probe * 1000)
diff --git a/neutron/privileged/agent/ovsdb/native/helpers.py b/neutron/privileged/agent/ovsdb/native/helpers.py
index f5650c07589..1a3ae2cad7d 100644
--- a/neutron/privileged/agent/ovsdb/native/helpers.py
+++ b/neutron/privileged/agent/ovsdb/native/helpers.py
@@ -13,11 +13,15 @@
 #    under the License.
 
 from oslo_concurrency import processutils
+from oslo_log import log as logging
 from oslo_utils import netutils
 
 from neutron import privileged
 
 
+LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
 def _connection_to_manager_uri(conn_uri):
     proto, addr = conn_uri.split(':', 1)
     ip, port = netutils.parse_host_port(addr)
@@ -45,5 +49,30 @@ def enable_connection_uri(conn_uri, log_fail_as_error=False,
            '--', 'add', 'Open_vSwitch', '.', 'manager_options', '@manager']
     if probe is not None:
         cmd += ['--', 'set', 'Manager', man_uri, 'inactivity_probe=%s' % probe]
-    return processutils.execute(*cmd, log_errors=log_fail_as_error,
-                                check_exit_code=check_exit_code)
+    try:
+        processutils.execute(*cmd, log_errors=log_fail_as_error,
+                             check_exit_code=check_exit_code)
+    except processutils.ProcessExecutionError as pe:
+        LOG.warning("OVS Manager creation failed, it might already "
+                    "exist (stderr: %s).", pe.stderr)
+        if probe is None:
+            LOG.debug("No new value for inactivity_probe, re-creation of "
+                      "OVS Manager is not necessary")
+            return
+
+        # Try to fetch Manager table as it is already exists and see if
+        # inactivity_probe is already the desired value
+        cmd = ['ovs-vsctl', '--timeout=%d' % timeout, '--id=@manager',
+               '--', 'get', 'Manager', man_uri, 'inactivity_probe']
+        in_probe = processutils.execute(*cmd, log_errors=log_fail_as_error,
+                                        check_exit_code=True)
+        if in_probe[0].strip() == str(probe):
+            LOG.info("OVS Manager is already created and inactivity_probe "
+                     "is set to %s.", in_probe[0].strip())
+            return in_probe
+        cmd = ['ovs-vsctl', '--timeout=%d' % timeout, '--', 'set',
+               'Manager', man_uri, 'inactivity_probe=%s' % probe]
+        processutils.execute(*cmd, log_errors=log_fail_as_error,
+                             check_exit_code=True)
+        LOG.info("OVS Manager was set with new inactivity_probe "
+                 "value %s.", probe)
diff --git a/neutron/tests/functional/agent/ovsdb/native/test_helpers.py b/neutron/tests/functional/agent/ovsdb/native/test_helpers.py
index 4d33f755a1e..76877965e7e 100644
--- a/neutron/tests/functional/agent/ovsdb/native/test_helpers.py
+++ b/neutron/tests/functional/agent/ovsdb/native/test_helpers.py
@@ -51,3 +51,29 @@ class EnableConnectionUriTestCase(base.BaseSudoTestCase):
 
         for connection in manager_connections:
             self.assertNotIn(connection, ovs.ovsdb.get_manager().execute())
+
+    def test_add_manager_overwrites_existing_manager(self):
+        ovs = ovs_lib.BaseOVS()
+
+        _port = self.useFixture(port.ExclusivePort(
+            const.PROTO_NAME_TCP,
+            start=net_helpers.OVS_MANAGER_TEST_PORT_FIRST,
+            end=net_helpers.OVS_MANAGER_TEST_PORT_LAST)).port
+        ovsdb_cfg_connection = 'tcp:127.0.0.1:%s' % _port
+        manager_connection = 'ptcp:%s:127.0.0.1' % _port
+
+        helpers.enable_connection_uri(ovsdb_cfg_connection,
+                                      inactivity_probe=10)
+        self.addCleanup(ovs.ovsdb.remove_manager(manager_connection).execute)
+        # First call of enable_connection_uri cretes the manager
+        # and the list returned by get_manager contains it:
+        my_mans = ovs.ovsdb.get_manager().execute()
+        self.assertIn(manager_connection, my_mans)
+
+        # after 2nd call of enable_connection_uri with new value of
+        # inactivity_probe will keep the original manager only the
+        # inactivity_probe value is set:
+        helpers.enable_connection_uri(ovsdb_cfg_connection,
+                                      inactivity_probe=100)
+        my_mans = ovs.ovsdb.get_manager().execute()
+        self.assertIn(manager_connection, my_mans)