diff --git a/src/bootstrap/socket.cc b/src/bootstrap/socket.cc
index 55a22386..71055fb7 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/socket.cc
+++ b/src/bootstrap/socket.cc
@@ -413,6 +413,12 @@ static mscclppResult_t socketTryAccept(struct mscclppSocket* sock) {
   } else if (errno != EAGAIN && errno != EWOULDBLOCK) {
     WARN("socketTryAccept: get errno %d that is not EAGAIN or EWOULDBLOCK", errno);
     return mscclppSystemError;
+  } else if (++sock->acceptRetries == RETRY_ACCEPT_TIMES) {
+    WARN("socketTryAccept: exceeded retries (%d)", sock->acceptRetries);
+    return mscclppRemoteError;
+  } else {  
+    usleep(SLEEP_INT);
+    if (sock->acceptRetries % 1000 == 0) INFO(MSCCLPP_ALL, "socketTryAccept: Call to try accept returned %s, retrying", strerror(errno));
   }
   return mscclppSuccess;
 }
@@ -691,6 +697,7 @@ mscclppResult_t mscclppSocketInit(struct mscclppSocket* sock, union mscclppSocke
   if (sock == NULL) goto exit;
   sock->timedOutRetries = 0;
   sock->refusedRetries = 0;
+  sock->acceptRetries = 0;
   sock->abortFlag = abortFlag;
   sock->asyncFlag = asyncFlag;
   sock->state = mscclppSocketStateInitialized;
diff --git a/src/include/socket.h b/src/include/socket.h
index c2d56365..5e0de72b 100644
--- a/src/include/socket.h
+++ b/src/include/socket.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #define SLEEP_INT            1000 // connection retry sleep interval in usec
 #define RETRY_REFUSED_TIMES   2e4 // connection refused retry times before reporting a timeout (20 sec)
 #define RETRY_TIMEDOUT_TIMES    3 // connection timed out retry times (each one can take 20s)
+#define RETRY_ACCEPT_TIMES    2e4 // connection accept retry times (each one can take 20s)
 #define SOCKET_NAME_MAXLEN (NI_MAXHOST+NI_MAXSERV)
 #define MSCCLPP_SOCKET_MAGIC 0x564ab9f2fc4b9d6cULL
 
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ struct mscclppSocket {
   int acceptFd;
   int timedOutRetries;
   int refusedRetries;
+  int acceptRetries;
   union mscclppSocketAddress addr;
   volatile uint32_t* abortFlag;
   int asyncFlag;