diff --git a/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_component.c b/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_component.c
index 7e8e01ae24..e0f070c9bf 100644
--- a/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_component.c
+++ b/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_component.c
@@ -433,6 +433,23 @@ static int tcp_component_register(void)
                                           OPAL_INFO_LVL_9,
                                           MCA_BASE_VAR_SCOPE_READONLY,
                                           &mca_oob_tcp_component.keepalive_probes);
+
+    mca_oob_tcp_component.retry_delay = 0;
+    (void)mca_base_component_var_register(component, "retry_delay",
+                                          "Time (in sec) to wait before trying to connect to peer again",
+                                          MCA_BASE_VAR_TYPE_INT, NULL, 0, 0,
+                                          OPAL_INFO_LVL_9,
+                                          MCA_BASE_VAR_SCOPE_READONLY,
+                                          &mca_oob_tcp_component.retry_delay);
+
+    mca_oob_tcp_component.max_recon_attempts = 10;
+    (void)mca_base_component_var_register(component, "max_recon_attempts",
+                                          "Max number of times to attempt connection before giving up (-1 -> never give up)",
+                                          MCA_BASE_VAR_TYPE_INT, NULL, 0, 0,
+                                          OPAL_INFO_LVL_9,
+                                          MCA_BASE_VAR_SCOPE_READONLY,
+                                          &mca_oob_tcp_component.max_retries);
+
     return ORTE_SUCCESS;
 }
 
@@ -1204,6 +1221,7 @@ static void peer_cons(mca_oob_tcp_peer_t *peer)
     OBJ_CONSTRUCT(&peer->addrs, opal_list_t);
     peer->active_addr = NULL;
     peer->state = MCA_OOB_TCP_UNCONNECTED;
+    peer->num_retries = 0;
     OBJ_CONSTRUCT(&peer->send_queue, opal_list_t);
     peer->send_msg = NULL;
     peer->recv_msg = NULL;
diff --git a/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_component.h b/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_component.h
index cd48d2e639..120dac3d61 100644
--- a/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_component.h
+++ b/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_component.h
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ typedef struct {
     int                keepalive_probes;       /**< number of keepalives that can be missed before declaring error */
     int                keepalive_time;         /**< idle time in seconds before starting to send keepalives */
     int                keepalive_intvl;        /**< time between keepalives, in seconds */
+    int                retry_delay;            /**< time to wait before retrying connection */
+    int                max_recon_attempts;     /**< maximum number of times to attempt connect before giving up (-1 for never) */
 } mca_oob_tcp_component_t;
 
 ORTE_MODULE_DECLSPEC extern mca_oob_tcp_component_t mca_oob_tcp_component;
diff --git a/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_connection.c b/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_connection.c
index 4a5bca883c..fd0b53bc1d 100644
--- a/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_connection.c
+++ b/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_connection.c
@@ -258,11 +258,32 @@ void mca_oob_tcp_peer_try_connect(int fd, short args, void *cbdata)
             /* connection succeeded */
             addr->retries = 0;
             connected = true;
+            peer->num_retries = 0;
             break;
         }
     }
 
     if (!connected) {
+        /* it could be that the intended recipient just hasn't
+         * started yet. if requested, wait awhile and try again
+         * unless/until we hit the maximum number of retries */
+        if (0 < mca_oob_tcp_component.retry_delay) {
+            if (mca_oob_tcp_component.max_recon_attempts < 0 ||
+                peer->num_retries < mca_oob_tcp_component.max_recon_attempts) {
+                struct timeval tv;
+                /* reset the addr states */
+                OPAL_LIST_FOREACH(addr, &peer->addrs, mca_oob_tcp_addr_t) {
+                    addr->state = MCA_OOB_TCP_UNCONNECTED;
+                    addr->retries = 0;
+                }
+                /* give it awhile and try again */
+                tv.tv_sec = mca_oob_tcp_component.retry_delay;
+                tv.tv_usec = 0;
+                ++peer->num_retries;
+                ORTE_RETRY_TCP_CONN_STATE(peer, mca_oob_tcp_peer_try_connect, &tv);
+                goto cleanup;
+            }
+        }
         /* no address succeeded, so we cannot reach this peer */
         peer->state = MCA_OOB_TCP_FAILED;
         host = orte_get_proc_hostname(&(peer->name));
diff --git a/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_peer.h b/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_peer.h
index a0386a9b77..c4c1397755 100644
--- a/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_peer.h
+++ b/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_peer.h
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ typedef struct {
     opal_list_t addrs;
     mca_oob_tcp_addr_t *active_addr;
     mca_oob_tcp_state_t state;
+    int num_retries;
     opal_event_t send_event;    /**< registration with event thread for send events */
     bool send_ev_active;
     opal_event_t recv_event;    /**< registration with event thread for recv events */