diff --git a/xCAT-test/xcattest b/xCAT-test/xcattest
index c70ba64e5..ba4862b59 100755
--- a/xCAT-test/xcattest
+++ b/xCAT-test/xcattest
@@ -632,9 +632,17 @@ sub getnodeattr
 {
     my ($node, $attr) = @_;
     my @output = runcmd("lsdef -t node -o $node -i $attr");
+    my $t ;
     if($::RUNCMD_RC){
-        return "Unknown";
-    }else{
+    #    return "Unknown";
+                    foreach $t (1 .. 40) {
+                      log_this("could not get node attr $attr ");
+                      @output = runcmd("lsdef -t node -o $node -i $attr");
+                      last  if ($::RUNCMD_RC == 0);
+       }
+
+    }
+        if($::RUNCMD_RC == 0){
         foreach my $output1 (@output){
             if($output1 =~ /$attr=(\w.+)/){
                 log_this("$attr is $1");