diff --git a/unit_tests/utilities/test_zaza_utilities_openstack.py b/unit_tests/utilities/test_zaza_utilities_openstack.py
index 46efb0d..5c344bf 100644
--- a/unit_tests/utilities/test_zaza_utilities_openstack.py
+++ b/unit_tests/utilities/test_zaza_utilities_openstack.py
@@ -738,7 +738,8 @@ class TestOpenStackUtils(ut_utils.BaseTestCase):
                 'bob',
                 '10.0.0.10',
                 'myvm',
-                password='reallyhardpassord')
+                password='reallyhardpassord',
+                retry=False)
         paramiko_mock.connect.assert_called_once_with(
             '10.0.0.10',
             password='reallyhardpassord',
diff --git a/zaza/openstack/charm_tests/barbican/tests.py b/zaza/openstack/charm_tests/barbican/tests.py
index 3d54917..a11ff1f 100644
--- a/zaza/openstack/charm_tests/barbican/tests.py
+++ b/zaza/openstack/charm_tests/barbican/tests.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import zaza.openstack.utilities.openstack as openstack_utils
 
 
 class BarbicanTest(test_utils.OpenStackBaseTest):
-    """Run nova-compute specific tests."""
+    """Run barbican specific tests."""
 
     _SERVICES = ['apache2', 'barbican-worker']
 
diff --git a/zaza/openstack/charm_tests/neutron/tests.py b/zaza/openstack/charm_tests/neutron/tests.py
index e40831c..1f07ca9 100644
--- a/zaza/openstack/charm_tests/neutron/tests.py
+++ b/zaza/openstack/charm_tests/neutron/tests.py
@@ -712,7 +712,6 @@ class NeutronNetworkingTest(unittest.TestCase):
         openstack_utils.ssh_command(
             username, address, 'instance', 'ping -c 1 192.168.0.1',
             password=password, privkey=privkey, verify=verify)
-        pass
 
 
 def floating_ips_from_instance(instance):
diff --git a/zaza/openstack/utilities/openstack.py b/zaza/openstack/utilities/openstack.py
index 55f8d1b..98bb838 100644
--- a/zaza/openstack/utilities/openstack.py
+++ b/zaza/openstack/utilities/openstack.py
@@ -2300,7 +2300,7 @@ def ping_response(ip):
                    check=True)
 
 
-def ssh_test(username, ip, vm_name, password=None, privkey=None):
+def ssh_test(username, ip, vm_name, password=None, privkey=None, retry=True):
     """SSH to given ip using supplied credentials.
 
     :param username: Username to connect with
@@ -2315,6 +2315,9 @@ def ssh_test(username, ip, vm_name, password=None, privkey=None):
     :param privkey: Private key to authenticate with. If a password is
                     supplied it is used rather than the private key.
     :type privkey: str
+    :param retry: If True, retry a few times if an exception is raised in the
+                  process, e.g. on connection failure.
+    :type retry: boolean
     :raises: exceptions.SSHFailed
     """
     def verify(stdin, stdout, stderr):
@@ -2328,8 +2331,18 @@ def ssh_test(username, ip, vm_name, password=None, privkey=None):
                                                               vm_name))
             raise exceptions.SSHFailed()
 
-    ssh_command(username, ip, vm_name, 'uname -n',
-                password=password, privkey=privkey, verify=verify)
+    # NOTE(lourot): paramiko.SSHClient().connect() calls read_all() which can
+    # raise an EOFError, see
+    # * https://docs.paramiko.org/en/stable/api/packet.html
+    # * https://github.com/paramiko/paramiko/issues/925
+    # So retrying a few times makes sense.
+    for attempt in tenacity.Retrying(
+            stop=tenacity.stop_after_attempt(3 if retry else 1),
+            wait=tenacity.wait_exponential(multiplier=1, min=2, max=10),
+            reraise=True):
+        with attempt:
+            ssh_command(username, ip, vm_name, 'uname -n',
+                        password=password, privkey=privkey, verify=verify)
 
 
 def ssh_command(username,