diff --git a/oslo_messaging/_drivers/amqpdriver.py b/oslo_messaging/_drivers/amqpdriver.py
index 24fdbc737..991bf46c3 100644
--- a/oslo_messaging/_drivers/amqpdriver.py
+++ b/oslo_messaging/_drivers/amqpdriver.py
@@ -601,9 +601,10 @@ class AMQPDriverBase(base.BaseDriver):
     def _get_exchange(self, target):
         return target.exchange or self._default_exchange
 
-    def _get_connection(self, purpose=rpc_common.PURPOSE_SEND):
+    def _get_connection(self, purpose=rpc_common.PURPOSE_SEND, retry=None):
         return rpc_common.ConnectionContext(self._connection_pool,
-                                            purpose=purpose)
+                                            purpose=purpose,
+                                            retry=retry)
 
     def _get_reply_q(self):
         with self._reply_q_lock:
@@ -649,7 +650,7 @@ class AMQPDriverBase(base.BaseDriver):
             log_msg = "CAST unique_id: %s " % unique_id
 
         try:
-            with self._get_connection(rpc_common.PURPOSE_SEND) as conn:
+            with self._get_connection(rpc_common.PURPOSE_SEND, retry) as conn:
                 if notify:
                     exchange = self._get_exchange(target)
                     LOG.debug(log_msg + "NOTIFY exchange '%(exchange)s'"
diff --git a/oslo_messaging/_drivers/common.py b/oslo_messaging/_drivers/common.py
index 54c6f7fcb..b6c3adb55 100644
--- a/oslo_messaging/_drivers/common.py
+++ b/oslo_messaging/_drivers/common.py
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ class ConnectionContext(Connection):
     If possible the function makes sure to return a connection to the pool.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, connection_pool, purpose):
+    def __init__(self, connection_pool, purpose, retry):
         """Create a new connection, or get one from the pool."""
         self.connection = None
         self.connection_pool = connection_pool
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ class ConnectionContext(Connection):
 
         pooled = purpose == PURPOSE_SEND
         if pooled:
-            self.connection = connection_pool.get()
+            self.connection = connection_pool.get(retry=retry)
         else:
             self.connection = connection_pool.create(purpose)
         self.pooled = pooled
diff --git a/oslo_messaging/_drivers/impl_rabbit.py b/oslo_messaging/_drivers/impl_rabbit.py
index 20e30adb1..3ba541876 100644
--- a/oslo_messaging/_drivers/impl_rabbit.py
+++ b/oslo_messaging/_drivers/impl_rabbit.py
@@ -452,13 +452,14 @@ class ConnectionLock(DummyConnectionLock):
 class Connection(object):
     """Connection object."""
 
-    def __init__(self, conf, url, purpose):
+    def __init__(self, conf, url, purpose, retry=None):
         # NOTE(viktors): Parse config options
         driver_conf = conf.oslo_messaging_rabbit
 
         self.interval_start = driver_conf.rabbit_retry_interval
         self.interval_stepping = driver_conf.rabbit_retry_backoff
         self.interval_max = driver_conf.rabbit_interval_max
+        self.max_retries = retry
 
         self.login_method = driver_conf.rabbit_login_method
         self.rabbit_ha_queues = driver_conf.rabbit_ha_queues
@@ -728,7 +729,13 @@ class Connection(object):
                       str(exc), interval)
 
         self._set_current_channel(None)
-        self.connection.ensure_connection(errback=on_error)
+        self.connection.ensure_connection(
+            errback=on_error,
+            max_retries=self.max_retries,
+            interval_start=self.interval_start or 1,
+            interval_step=self.interval_stepping,
+            interval_max=self.interval_max,
+        )
         self._set_current_channel(self.connection.channel())
         self.set_transport_socket_timeout()
 
diff --git a/oslo_messaging/_drivers/pool.py b/oslo_messaging/_drivers/pool.py
index 8090e8d26..9e5288d68 100644
--- a/oslo_messaging/_drivers/pool.py
+++ b/oslo_messaging/_drivers/pool.py
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ class Pool(object, metaclass=abc.ABCMeta):
             self._items.append((ttl_watch, item))
             self._cond.notify()
 
-    def get(self):
+    def get(self, retry=None):
         """Return an item from the pool, when one is available.
 
         This may cause the calling thread to block.
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ class Pool(object, metaclass=abc.ABCMeta):
 
         # We've grabbed a slot and dropped the lock, now do the creation
         try:
-            return self.create()
+            return self.create(retry=retry)
         except Exception:
             with self._cond:
                 self._current_size -= 1
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ class Pool(object, metaclass=abc.ABCMeta):
                 return
 
     @abc.abstractmethod
-    def create(self):
+    def create(self, retry=None):
         """Construct a new item."""
 
 
@@ -130,9 +130,9 @@ class ConnectionPool(Pool):
         LOG.debug("Idle connection has expired and been closed."
                   " Pool size: %d" % len(self._items))
 
-    def create(self, purpose=common.PURPOSE_SEND):
+    def create(self, purpose=common.PURPOSE_SEND, retry=None):
         LOG.debug('Pool creating new connection')
-        return self.connection_cls(self.conf, self.url, purpose)
+        return self.connection_cls(self.conf, self.url, purpose, retry=retry)
 
     def empty(self):
         for item in self.iter_free():
diff --git a/oslo_messaging/notify/messaging.py b/oslo_messaging/notify/messaging.py
index 61c7357c3..da633d892 100644
--- a/oslo_messaging/notify/messaging.py
+++ b/oslo_messaging/notify/messaging.py
@@ -21,19 +21,30 @@ Notification drivers for sending notifications via messaging.
 The messaging drivers publish notification messages to notification
 listeners.
 
-The driver will block the notifier's thread until the notification message has
-been passed to the messaging transport.  There is no guarantee that the
-notification message will be consumed by a notification listener.
+In case of the rabbit backend the driver will block the notifier's thread
+until the notification message has been passed to the messaging transport.
+There is no guarantee that the notification message will be consumed by a
+notification listener.
+
+In case of the kafka backend the driver will not block the notifier's thread
+but return immediately. The driver will try to deliver the message in the
+background.
 
 Notification messages are sent 'at-most-once' - ensuring that they are not
 duplicated.
 
 If the connection to the messaging service is not active when a notification is
-sent this driver will block waiting for the connection to complete.  If the
-connection fails to complete, the driver will try to re-establish that
+sent the rabbit backend will block waiting for the connection to complete.
+If the connection fails to complete, the driver will try to re-establish that
 connection. By default this will continue indefinitely until the connection
 completes. However, the retry parameter can be used to have the notification
-send fail with a MessageDeliveryFailure after the given number of retries.
+send fail. In this case an error is logged and the notifier's thread is resumed
+without any error.
+
+If the connection to the messaging service is not active when a notification is
+sent the kafka backend will return immediately and the backend tries to
+establish the connection and deliver the messages in the background.
+
 """
 
 import logging
diff --git a/oslo_messaging/tests/drivers/test_pool.py b/oslo_messaging/tests/drivers/test_pool.py
index d5c642014..82a10e1ba 100644
--- a/oslo_messaging/tests/drivers/test_pool.py
+++ b/oslo_messaging/tests/drivers/test_pool.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class PoolTestCase(test_utils.BaseTestCase):
 
     class TestPool(pool.Pool):
 
-        def create(self):
+        def create(self, retry=None):
             return uuid.uuid4()
 
     class ThreadWaitWaiter(object):
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ class PoolTestCase(test_utils.BaseTestCase):
         p = self.TestPool(**kwargs)
 
         if self.create_error:
-            def create_error():
+            def create_error(retry=None):
                 raise RuntimeError
             orig_create = p.create
             self.useFixture(fixtures.MockPatchObject(
diff --git a/oslo_messaging/tests/notify/test_notifier.py b/oslo_messaging/tests/notify/test_notifier.py
index d0a8eca6e..330bdaba5 100644
--- a/oslo_messaging/tests/notify/test_notifier.py
+++ b/oslo_messaging/tests/notify/test_notifier.py
@@ -244,6 +244,10 @@ class TestMessagingNotifierRetry(test_utils.BaseTestCase):
             topics=["test-retry"],
             retry=2,
             group="oslo_messaging_notifications")
+        self.config(
+            # just to speed up the test execution
+            rabbit_retry_backoff=0,
+            group="oslo_messaging_rabbit")
         transport = oslo_messaging.get_notification_transport(
             self.conf, url='rabbit://')
         notifier = oslo_messaging.Notifier(transport)
@@ -264,12 +268,15 @@ class TestMessagingNotifierRetry(test_utils.BaseTestCase):
             'kombu.connection.Connection._establish_connection',
             new=wrapped_establish_connection
         ):
-            # FIXME(gibi) This is bug 1917645 as the driver does not stop
-            # retrying the connection after two retries only our test fixture
-            # stops the retry by raising TestingException
-            self.assertRaises(
-                self.TestingException,
-                notifier.info, {}, "test", {})
+            with mock.patch(
+                'oslo_messaging.notify.messaging.LOG.exception'
+            ) as mock_log:
+                notifier.info({}, "test", {})
+
+        # one normal call plus two retries
+        self.assertEqual(3, len(calls))
+        # the error was caught and logged
+        mock_log.assert_called_once()
 
     def test_notifier_retry_connection_fails_kafka(self):
         """This test sets a small retry number for notification sending and
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/bug-1917645-rabbit-use-retry-parameter-for-notifications-3f7c508ab4437579.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/bug-1917645-rabbit-use-retry-parameter-for-notifications-3f7c508ab4437579.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d3d62cb9d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/bug-1917645-rabbit-use-retry-parameter-for-notifications-3f7c508ab4437579.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    As a fix for `bug 1917645 <https://launchpad.net/bugs/1917645>`_ the rabbit
+    backend is changed to use the ``[oslo_messaging_notifications]retry``
+    parameter when driver tries to connect to the message bus during
+    notification sending. Before this fix the rabbit backend retried the
+    connection forever blocking the caller thread.