diff --git a/vmware_nsxlib/tests/unit/v3/test_cluster.py b/vmware_nsxlib/tests/unit/v3/test_cluster.py
index a5049e41..22b27b1a 100644
--- a/vmware_nsxlib/tests/unit/v3/test_cluster.py
+++ b/vmware_nsxlib/tests/unit/v3/test_cluster.py
@@ -199,7 +199,8 @@ class RequestsHTTPProviderTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
             provider.validate_connection(mock_cluster, mock_ep, mock_conn)
             mock_get.assert_not_called()
 
-    def _validate_con_mocks(self, nsx_version):
+    def _validate_con_mocks(self, nsx_version,
+                            keepalive_section='transport-zones'):
         nsxlib_config = nsxlib_testcase.get_default_nsxlib_config()
         nsxlib = v3.NsxLib(nsxlib_config)
         nsxlib.nsx_version = nsx_version
@@ -209,7 +210,7 @@ class RequestsHTTPProviderTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         mock_ep.provider.url = 'https://1.2.3.4'
         conf = mock.Mock()
         conf.url_base = 'abc'
-        conf.keepalive_section = 'transport-zones'
+        conf.keepalive_section = keepalive_section
         conf.validate_connection_method = nsxlib.validate_connection_method
         mock_cluster = mock.Mock()
         mock_cluster.nsxlib_config = conf
diff --git a/vmware_nsxlib/v3/client.py b/vmware_nsxlib/v3/client.py
index 15f23d9e..22c3024e 100644
--- a/vmware_nsxlib/v3/client.py
+++ b/vmware_nsxlib/v3/client.py
@@ -284,6 +284,12 @@ class NSX3Client(JSONRESTClient):
     NSX_V1_API_PREFIX = 'api/v1/'
     NSX_POLICY_V1_API_PREFIX = 'policy/api/v1/'
 
+    # NOTE: For user-facing client, NsxClusteredAPI instance
+    # will be passed as connection parameter below, thus all
+    # requests on this client will pass via cluster code to
+    # determine endpoint
+    # For validation client, TimeoutSession with specific
+    # endpoint parameters will be passed as connection.
     def __init__(self, connection, url_prefix=None,
                  default_headers=None,
                  nsx_api_managers=None,
diff --git a/vmware_nsxlib/v3/cluster.py b/vmware_nsxlib/v3/cluster.py
index 65077a60..4b143258 100644
--- a/vmware_nsxlib/v3/cluster.py
+++ b/vmware_nsxlib/v3/cluster.py
@@ -185,8 +185,8 @@ class NSXRequestsHTTPProvider(AbstractHTTPProvider):
         return "%s-%s" % (requests.__title__, requests.__version__)
 
     def validate_connection(self, cluster_api, endpoint, conn):
-        # We don't need to retry with different endpoint during validation,
-        # thus limit max_attempts to 1
+        # Retry during validation can cause retry storm, thus limit
+        # max_attempts to 1
         # on connection level, validation will be retried according to
         # nsxlib 'retries' and 'http_timeout' parameters.
         client = nsx_client.NSX3Client(
@@ -195,12 +195,9 @@ class NSXRequestsHTTPProvider(AbstractHTTPProvider):
             default_headers=conn.default_headers,
             max_attempts=1)
 
-        validation_done = False
-        # Check the manager state directly
         if cluster_api.nsxlib_config.validate_connection_method:
             cluster_api.nsxlib_config.validate_connection_method(
                 client, endpoint.provider.url)
-            validation_done = True
 
         # If keeplive section returns a list, it is assumed to be non-empty
         keepalive_section = cluster_api.nsxlib_config.keepalive_section
@@ -210,7 +207,6 @@ class NSXRequestsHTTPProvider(AbstractHTTPProvider):
             result = client.get(keepalive_section,
                                 silent=True,
                                 with_retries=False)
-            validation_done = True
             if not result or result.get('result_count', 1) <= 0:
                 msg = _("No %(section)s found "
                         "for '%(url)s'") % {'section': keepalive_section,
@@ -219,8 +215,6 @@ class NSXRequestsHTTPProvider(AbstractHTTPProvider):
                 raise exceptions.ResourceNotFound(
                     manager=endpoint.provider.url, operation=msg)
 
-        return validation_done
-
     def new_connection(self, cluster_api, provider):
         config = cluster_api.nsxlib_config
         session = TimeoutSession(config.http_timeout,
@@ -586,14 +580,10 @@ class ClusteredAPI(object):
         try:
             with endpoint.pool.item() as conn:
                 # with some configurations, validation will be skipped
-                result = self._http_provider.validate_connection(self,
-                                                                 endpoint,
-                                                                 conn)
-                if result or endpoint.state == EndpointState.INITIALIZED:
-                    # If no endpoint validation is configured, we assume
-                    # endpoint is UP on startup, but we shouldn't move it
-                    # to UP from DOWN state
-                    endpoint.set_state(EndpointState.UP)
+                self._http_provider.validate_connection(self,
+                                                        endpoint,
+                                                        conn)
+                endpoint.set_state(EndpointState.UP)
         except exceptions.ClientCertificateNotTrusted:
             LOG.warning("Failed to validate API cluster endpoint "
                         "'%(ep)s' due to untrusted client certificate",
diff --git a/vmware_nsxlib/v3/policy/__init__.py b/vmware_nsxlib/v3/policy/__init__.py
index df275a89..85db4ff0 100644
--- a/vmware_nsxlib/v3/policy/__init__.py
+++ b/vmware_nsxlib/v3/policy/__init__.py
@@ -138,8 +138,19 @@ class NsxPolicyLib(lib.NsxLibBase):
 
     @property
     def validate_connection_method(self):
-        # TODO(asarfaty): Find an equivalent api to check policy status
-        pass
+        """Return a method that will validate the NSX policy status"""
+
+        def check_policy_status(client, url):
+            # Try to get the status silently and with no retries
+            infra = client.get('infra',
+                               silent=True, with_retries=False)
+            if not infra or not infra.get('id'):
+                msg = _("Policy health check failed")
+                LOG.warning(msg)
+                raise exceptions.ResourceNotFound(
+                    manager=url, operation=msg)
+
+        return check_policy_status
 
     def get_version(self):
         """Get the NSX Policy manager version