diff --git a/pyghmi/ipmi/oem/lenovo/imm.py b/pyghmi/ipmi/oem/lenovo/imm.py
index ba741033..c5deb7cf 100644
--- a/pyghmi/ipmi/oem/lenovo/imm.py
+++ b/pyghmi/ipmi/oem/lenovo/imm.py
@@ -2062,13 +2062,18 @@ class XCCClient(IMMClient):
             complete = False
             phase = "apply"
             statetype = 'TaskState'
-            while not complete:
+            # sometimes we get an empty pgress when transitioning from the apply phase to
+            # the validating phase; add a retry here so we don't exit the loop in this case
+            retry = 3
+            while not complete and retry > 0:
                 pgress, status = self.grab_redfish_response_with_status(
                     monitorurl)
                 if status < 200 or status >= 300:
                     raise Exception(pgress)
                 if not pgress:
-                    break
+                    retry -= 1
+                    ipmisession.Session.pause(3)
+                    continue
                 for msg in pgress.get('Messages', []):
                     if 'Verify failed' in msg.get('Message', ''):
                         raise Exception(msg['Message'])
diff --git a/pyghmi/redfish/oem/generic.py b/pyghmi/redfish/oem/generic.py
index 1dea64ba..8f989e09 100644
--- a/pyghmi/redfish/oem/generic.py
+++ b/pyghmi/redfish/oem/generic.py
@@ -820,10 +820,15 @@ class OEMHandler(object):
             complete = False
             phase = "apply"
             statetype = 'TaskState'
-            while not complete:
+            # sometimes we get an empty pgress when transitioning from the apply phase to
+            # the validating phase; add a retry here so we don't exit the loop in this case
+            retry = 3
+            while not complete and retry > 0:
                 pgress = self._do_web_request(monitorurl, cache=False)
                 if not pgress:
-                    break
+                    retry -= 1
+                    time.sleep(3)
+                    continue
                 for msg in pgress.get('Messages', []):
                     if 'Verify failed' in msg.get('Message', ''):
                         raise Exception(msg['Message'])
diff --git a/pyghmi/redfish/oem/lenovo/xcc.py b/pyghmi/redfish/oem/lenovo/xcc.py
index 13c4535e..e093dd6c 100644
--- a/pyghmi/redfish/oem/lenovo/xcc.py
+++ b/pyghmi/redfish/oem/lenovo/xcc.py
@@ -1278,10 +1278,15 @@ class OEMHandler(generic.OEMHandler):
             complete = False
             phase = "apply"
             statetype = 'TaskState'
-            while not complete:
+            # sometimes we get an empty pgress when transitioning from the apply phase to
+            # the validating phase; add a retry here so we don't exit the loop in this case
+            retry = 3
+            while not complete and retry > 0:
                 pgress = self._do_web_request(monitorurl, cache=False)
                 if not pgress:
-                    break
+                    retry -= 1
+                    time.sleep(3)
+                    continue
                 for msg in pgress.get('Messages', []):
                     if 'Verify failed' in msg.get('Message', ''):
                         raise Exception(msg['Message'])