diff --git a/deploy/crds/metal3.io_baremetalhosts_crd.yaml b/deploy/crds/metal3.io_baremetalhosts_crd.yaml
index 8f1ba48361..33d9a09358 100644
--- a/deploy/crds/metal3.io_baremetalhosts_crd.yaml
+++ b/deploy/crds/metal3.io_baremetalhosts_crd.yaml
@@ -297,6 +297,10 @@ spec:
         status:
           description: BareMetalHostStatus defines the observed state of BareMetalHost
           properties:
+            errorCount:
+              description: ErrorCount records how many times the host has encoutered
+                an error
+              type: integer
             errorMessage:
               description: the last error message reported by the provisioning subsystem
               type: string
@@ -689,6 +693,7 @@ spec:
                   type: string
               type: object
           required:
+          - errorCount
           - errorMessage
           - hardwareProfile
           - operationHistory
diff --git a/pkg/apis/metal3/v1alpha1/baremetalhost_types.go b/pkg/apis/metal3/v1alpha1/baremetalhost_types.go
index f419850bca..c2126690d2 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/metal3/v1alpha1/baremetalhost_types.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/metal3/v1alpha1/baremetalhost_types.go
@@ -529,6 +529,9 @@ type BareMetalHostStatus struct {
 	// OperationHistory holds information about operations performed
 	// on this host.
 	OperationHistory OperationHistory `json:"operationHistory"`
+
+	// ErrorCount records how many times the host has encoutered an error
+	ErrorCount int `json:"errorCount"`
 }
 
 // ProvisionStatus holds the state information for a single target.
@@ -781,6 +784,11 @@ func (host *BareMetalHost) UpdateTriedCredentials(currentSecret corev1.Secret) {
 	}
 }
 
+// IncrementErrorCount increments the error number
+func (host *BareMetalHost) IncrementErrorCount() {
+	host.Status.ErrorCount++
+}
+
 // NewEvent creates a new event associated with the object and ready
 // to be published to the kubernetes API.
 func (host *BareMetalHost) NewEvent(reason, message string) corev1.Event {
diff --git a/pkg/controller/baremetalhost/action_result.go b/pkg/controller/baremetalhost/action_result.go
index 6466a4658b..003c805772 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/baremetalhost/action_result.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/baremetalhost/action_result.go
@@ -1,12 +1,17 @@
 package baremetalhost
 
 import (
+	"math"
+
 	metal3 "github.com/metal3-io/baremetal-operator/pkg/apis/metal3/v1alpha1"
 
-	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/reconcile"
 	"time"
+
+	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/reconcile"
 )
 
+const maxBackOff = time.Hour * 24
+
 // actionResult is an interface that encapsulates the result of a Reconcile
 // call, as returned by the action corresponding to the current state.
 type actionResult interface {
@@ -90,11 +95,22 @@ func (r actionError) Dirty() bool {
 // actionFailed is a result indicating that the current action has failed,
 // and that the resource should be marked as in error.
 type actionFailed struct {
-	dirty     bool
-	ErrorType metal3.ErrorType
+	dirty      bool
+	ErrorType  metal3.ErrorType
+	errorCount int
+}
+
+func calculateBackoff(errorCount int, max time.Duration) time.Duration {
+	backOff := math.Exp2(float64(errorCount))
+	backOffDuration := time.Second * time.Duration(backOff)
+	if backOffDuration.Milliseconds() > max.Milliseconds() {
+		return max
+	}
+	return backOffDuration
 }
 
 func (r actionFailed) Result() (result reconcile.Result, err error) {
+	result.RequeueAfter = calculateBackoff(r.errorCount, maxBackOff)
 	return
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/controller/baremetalhost/baremetalhost_controller.go b/pkg/controller/baremetalhost/baremetalhost_controller.go
index 9590c1f371..6c4d9812b2 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/baremetalhost/baremetalhost_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/baremetalhost/baremetalhost_controller.go
@@ -347,7 +347,8 @@ func recordActionFailure(info *reconcileInfo, errorType metal3v1alpha1.ErrorType
 
 		info.publishEvent(eventType, errorMessage)
 	}
-	return actionFailed{dirty: dirty, ErrorType: errorType}
+	errorCount := info.host.Status.ErrorCount
+	return actionFailed{dirty: dirty, ErrorType: errorType, errorCount: errorCount}
 }
 
 func (r *ReconcileBareMetalHost) credentialsErrorResult(err error, request reconcile.Request, host *metal3v1alpha1.BareMetalHost) (reconcile.Result, error) {
@@ -495,6 +496,7 @@ func (r *ReconcileBareMetalHost) actionRegistering(prov provisioner.Provisioner,
 	info.log.Info("response from validate", "provResult", provResult)
 
 	if provResult.ErrorMessage != "" {
+		info.host.IncrementErrorCount()
 		return recordActionFailure(info, metal3v1alpha1.RegistrationError, provResult.ErrorMessage)
 	}
 
@@ -532,6 +534,7 @@ func (r *ReconcileBareMetalHost) actionInspecting(prov provisioner.Provisioner,
 	}
 
 	if provResult.ErrorMessage != "" {
+		info.host.IncrementErrorCount()
 		return recordActionFailure(info, metal3v1alpha1.InspectionError, provResult.ErrorMessage)
 	}
 
@@ -615,6 +618,7 @@ func (r *ReconcileBareMetalHost) actionProvisioning(prov provisioner.Provisioner
 
 	if provResult.ErrorMessage != "" {
 		info.log.Info("handling provisioning error in controller")
+		info.host.IncrementErrorCount()
 		return recordActionFailure(info, metal3v1alpha1.ProvisioningError, provResult.ErrorMessage)
 	}
 
@@ -653,6 +657,7 @@ func (r *ReconcileBareMetalHost) actionDeprovisioning(prov provisioner.Provision
 	}
 
 	if provResult.ErrorMessage != "" {
+		info.host.IncrementErrorCount()
 		return recordActionFailure(info, metal3v1alpha1.ProvisioningError, provResult.ErrorMessage)
 	}
 
@@ -687,6 +692,7 @@ func (r *ReconcileBareMetalHost) manageHostPower(prov provisioner.Provisioner, i
 	}
 
 	if provResult.ErrorMessage != "" {
+		info.host.IncrementErrorCount()
 		return recordActionFailure(info, metal3v1alpha1.PowerManagementError, provResult.ErrorMessage)
 	}
 
@@ -738,6 +744,7 @@ func (r *ReconcileBareMetalHost) manageHostPower(prov provisioner.Provisioner, i
 	}
 
 	if provResult.ErrorMessage != "" {
+		info.host.IncrementErrorCount()
 		return recordActionFailure(info, metal3v1alpha1.PowerManagementError, provResult.ErrorMessage)
 	}
 
@@ -774,6 +781,7 @@ func (r *ReconcileBareMetalHost) actionManageSteadyState(prov provisioner.Provis
 		return actionError{err}
 	}
 	if provResult.ErrorMessage != "" {
+		info.host.IncrementErrorCount()
 		return recordActionFailure(info, metal3v1alpha1.RegistrationError, provResult.ErrorMessage)
 	}
 	if provResult.Dirty {
@@ -800,6 +808,7 @@ func (r *ReconcileBareMetalHost) actionManageReady(prov provisioner.Provisioner,
 		return actionError{err}
 	}
 	if provResult.ErrorMessage != "" {
+		info.host.IncrementErrorCount()
 		return recordActionFailure(info, metal3v1alpha1.RegistrationError, provResult.ErrorMessage)
 	}
 	if provResult.Dirty {