diff --git a/src/agent/agent.c b/src/agent/agent.c
index 5c6725c06c..51ee5e0f92 100644
--- a/src/agent/agent.c
+++ b/src/agent/agent.c
@@ -169,6 +169,13 @@ static int agent_heartbeat_timer_callback(sd_event_source *event_source, UNUSED
         Agent *agent = (Agent *) userdata;
 
         int r = 0;
+        if (agent->connection_state == AGENT_CONNECTION_STATE_CONNECTING) {
+                bc_log_error("Agent connection attempt failed, retrying");
+                if (agent->register_call_slot != NULL) {
+                        sd_bus_slot_unrefp(&agent->register_call_slot);
+                }
+                agent->connection_state = AGENT_CONNECTION_STATE_RETRY;
+        }
         if (agent->connection_state == AGENT_CONNECTION_STATE_CONNECTED &&
             agent_check_controller_liveness(agent)) {
                 r = sd_bus_emit_signal(
@@ -532,6 +539,9 @@ void agent_unref(Agent *agent) {
                 sd_event_unrefp(&agent->event);
         }
 
+        if (agent->register_call_slot != NULL) {
+                sd_bus_slot_unrefp(&agent->register_call_slot);
+        }
         if (agent->metrics_slot != NULL) {
                 sd_bus_slot_unrefp(&agent->metrics_slot);
         }
@@ -2684,53 +2694,21 @@ void agent_stop(Agent *agent) {
         }
 }
 
-static bool agent_connect(Agent *agent) {
-        peer_bus_close(agent->peer_dbus);
-
-        bc_log_infof("Connecting to controller on %s", agent->orch_addr);
-
-        agent->peer_dbus = peer_bus_open(agent->event, "peer-bus-to-controller", agent->orch_addr);
-        if (agent->peer_dbus == NULL) {
-                bc_log_error("Failed to open peer dbus");
-                return false;
-        }
-
-        bus_socket_set_options(agent->peer_dbus, agent->peer_socket_options);
-
-        int r = sd_bus_add_object_vtable(
-                        agent->peer_dbus,
-                        NULL,
-                        INTERNAL_AGENT_OBJECT_PATH,
-                        INTERNAL_AGENT_INTERFACE,
-                        internal_agent_vtable,
-                        agent);
-        if (r < 0) {
-                bc_log_errorf("Failed to add agent vtable: %s", strerror(-r));
-                return false;
-        }
+static int agent_process_register_callback(sd_bus_message *m, Agent *agent) {
+        int r = 0;
 
-        _cleanup_sd_bus_message_ sd_bus_message *bus_msg = NULL;
-        sd_bus_error error = SD_BUS_ERROR_NULL;
-        r = sd_bus_call_method(
-                        agent->peer_dbus,
-                        BC_DBUS_NAME,
-                        INTERNAL_CONTROLLER_OBJECT_PATH,
-                        INTERNAL_CONTROLLER_INTERFACE,
-                        "Register",
-                        &error,
-                        &bus_msg,
-                        "s",
-                        agent->name);
-        if (r < 0) {
-                bc_log_errorf("Registering as '%s' failed: %s", agent->name, error.message);
-                sd_bus_error_free(&error);
-                return false;
+        if (sd_bus_message_is_method_error(m, NULL)) {
+                bc_log_errorf("Registering as '%s' failed: %s",
+                              agent->name,
+                              sd_bus_message_get_error(m)->message);
+                return -EPERM;
         }
 
-        r = sd_bus_message_read(bus_msg, "");
+        bc_log_info("Register call response received");
+        r = sd_bus_message_read(m, "");
         if (r < 0) {
                 bc_log_errorf("Failed to parse response message: %s", strerror(-r));
-                return false;
+                return r;
         }
 
         bc_log_infof("Connected to controller as '%s'", agent->name);
@@ -2759,7 +2737,7 @@ static bool agent_connect(Agent *agent) {
                         agent);
         if (r < 0) {
                 bc_log_errorf("Failed to add heartbeat signal match: %s", strerror(-r));
-                return false;
+                return r;
         }
 
         r = sd_bus_match_signal_async(
@@ -2774,7 +2752,7 @@ static bool agent_connect(Agent *agent) {
                         agent);
         if (r < 0) {
                 bc_log_errorf("Failed to request match for Disconnected signal: %s", strerror(-r));
-                return false;
+                return r;
         }
 
         /* re-emit ProxyNew signals */
@@ -2791,6 +2769,73 @@ static bool agent_connect(Agent *agent) {
                 }
         }
 
+        return 0;
+}
+
+static int agent_register_callback(sd_bus_message *m, void *userdata, UNUSED sd_bus_error *ret_error) {
+        Agent *agent = (Agent *) userdata;
+
+        if (agent->connection_state != AGENT_CONNECTION_STATE_CONNECTING) {
+                bc_log_error("Agent is not in CONNECTING state, dropping Register callback");
+                if (agent->register_call_slot != NULL) {
+                        sd_bus_slot_unrefp(&agent->register_call_slot);
+                }
+                return -EPERM;
+        }
+        int r = 0;
+        r = agent_process_register_callback(m, agent);
+        if (r < 0) {
+                agent->connection_state = AGENT_CONNECTION_STATE_RETRY;
+                return r;
+        }
+        return 0;
+}
+
+static bool agent_connect(Agent *agent) {
+        peer_bus_close(agent->peer_dbus);
+
+        bc_log_infof("Connecting to controller on %s", agent->orch_addr);
+        agent->connection_state = AGENT_CONNECTION_STATE_CONNECTING;
+
+        agent->peer_dbus = peer_bus_open(agent->event, "peer-bus-to-controller", agent->orch_addr);
+        if (agent->peer_dbus == NULL) {
+                bc_log_error("Failed to open peer dbus");
+                return false;
+        }
+
+        bus_socket_set_options(agent->peer_dbus, agent->peer_socket_options);
+
+        int r = sd_bus_add_object_vtable(
+                        agent->peer_dbus,
+                        NULL,
+                        INTERNAL_AGENT_OBJECT_PATH,
+                        INTERNAL_AGENT_INTERFACE,
+                        internal_agent_vtable,
+                        agent);
+        if (r < 0) {
+                bc_log_errorf("Failed to add agent vtable: %s", strerror(-r));
+                return false;
+        }
+
+        _cleanup_sd_bus_message_ sd_bus_message *bus_msg = NULL;
+        sd_bus_error error = SD_BUS_ERROR_NULL;
+        r = sd_bus_call_method_async(
+                        agent->peer_dbus,
+                        NULL, // No slot needed since peer_dbus is closed on reconnect
+                        BC_DBUS_NAME,
+                        INTERNAL_CONTROLLER_OBJECT_PATH,
+                        INTERNAL_CONTROLLER_INTERFACE,
+                        "Register",
+                        agent_register_callback,
+                        agent,
+                        "s",
+                        agent->name);
+        if (r < 0) {
+                bc_log_errorf("Registering as '%s' failed: %s", agent->name, error.message);
+                sd_bus_error_free(&error);
+                return false;
+        }
+
         return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/agent/agent.h b/src/agent/agent.h
index 9a41b9c821..6a8d7ba3a8 100644
--- a/src/agent/agent.h
+++ b/src/agent/agent.h
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ typedef struct JobTracker JobTracker;
 typedef enum {
         AGENT_CONNECTION_STATE_DISCONNECTED,
         AGENT_CONNECTION_STATE_CONNECTED,
-        AGENT_CONNECTION_STATE_RETRY
+        AGENT_CONNECTION_STATE_RETRY,
+        AGENT_CONNECTION_STATE_CONNECTING
 } AgentConnectionState;
 
 struct Agent {
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@ struct Agent {
         sd_bus *systemd_dbus;
         sd_bus *peer_dbus;
 
+        sd_bus_slot *register_call_slot;
         sd_bus_slot *metrics_slot;
 
         LIST_HEAD(SystemdRequest, outstanding_requests);
diff --git a/tests/bluechi_test/config.py b/tests/bluechi_test/config.py
index 4c1aeca24d..0f77ff1c00 100644
--- a/tests/bluechi_test/config.py
+++ b/tests/bluechi_test/config.py
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ def serialize(self) -> str:
 ControllerAddress={self.controller_address}
 HeartbeatInterval={self.heartbeat_interval}
 ControllerHeartbeatThreshold={self.controller_heartbeat_threshold}
+RegisterCallTimeout={self.register_call_timeout}
 LogLevel={self.log_level}
 LogTarget={self.log_target}
 LogIsQuiet={self.log_is_quiet}