diff --git a/pkg/daemon/daemon.go b/pkg/daemon/daemon.go
index 474b2b17a8..cdd20c1aa9 100644
--- a/pkg/daemon/daemon.go
+++ b/pkg/daemon/daemon.go
@@ -681,7 +681,7 @@ func (dn *Daemon) prepUpdateFromCluster() (bool, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Grab the node instance
-	node, err := dn.kubeClient.CoreV1().Nodes().Get(dn.name, metav1.GetOptions{})
+	node, err := GetNode(dn.kubeClient.CoreV1().Nodes(), dn.name)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}
@@ -719,7 +719,7 @@ func (dn *Daemon) executeUpdateFromCluster() error {
 // "transient state" file, which signifies that all of those prior steps have
 // been completed.
 func (dn *Daemon) completeUpdate(desiredConfigName string) error {
-	node, err := dn.kubeClient.CoreV1().Nodes().Get(dn.name, metav1.GetOptions{})
+	node, err := GetNode(dn.kubeClient.CoreV1().Nodes(), dn.name)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/daemon/node.go b/pkg/daemon/node.go
index 3a700c8ccb..6007c7dc2e 100644
--- a/pkg/daemon/node.go
+++ b/pkg/daemon/node.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
 	"github.com/openshift/machine-config-operator/pkg/daemon/constants"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	core_v1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
@@ -49,19 +50,32 @@ func getNodeAnnotation(client corev1.NodeInterface, node string, k string) (stri
 	return getNodeAnnotationExt(client, node, k, false)
 }
 
-// getNodeAnnotationExt is like getNodeAnnotation, but allows one to customize ENOENT handling
-func getNodeAnnotationExt(client corev1.NodeInterface, node string, k string, allowNoent bool) (string, error) {
+// GetNode gets the node object.
+func GetNode(client corev1.NodeInterface, node string) (*core_v1.Node, error) {
+	var lastErr error
 	var n *core_v1.Node
 	err := wait.PollImmediate(10*time.Second, 5*time.Minute, func() (bool, error) {
-		var err error
-		n, err = client.Get(node, metav1.GetOptions{})
-		if err == nil {
+		n, lastErr = client.Get(node, metav1.GetOptions{})
+		if lastErr == nil {
 			return true, nil
 		}
+		glog.Warningf("Failed to fetch node %s (%v); retrying...", node, lastErr)
 		return false, nil
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
+		if err == wait.ErrWaitTimeout {
+			return nil, errors.Wrapf(lastErr, "Timed out trying to fetch node %s", node)
+		}
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return n, nil
+}
+
+// getNodeAnnotationExt is like getNodeAnnotation, but allows one to customize ENOENT handling
+func getNodeAnnotationExt(client corev1.NodeInterface, node string, k string, allowNoent bool) (string, error) {
+	n, err := GetNode(client, node)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("Failed fetching node %s: %v", node, err)
 	}
 
 	v, ok := n.Annotations[k]
diff --git a/pkg/daemon/update.go b/pkg/daemon/update.go
index 59ead42e78..7da205c981 100644
--- a/pkg/daemon/update.go
+++ b/pkg/daemon/update.go
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ func (dn *Daemon) updateOSAndReboot(newConfig *mcfgv1.MachineConfig) error {
 	if dn.onceFrom == "" {
 		glog.Info("Update prepared; draining the node")
 
-		node, err := dn.kubeClient.CoreV1().Nodes().Get(dn.name, metav1.GetOptions{})
+		node, err := GetNode(dn.kubeClient.CoreV1().Nodes(), dn.name)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ func (dn *Daemon) updateOSAndReboot(newConfig *mcfgv1.MachineConfig) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		glog.V(2).Info("Node successfully drained")
+		glog.Info("Node successfully drained")
 	}
 
 	// reboot. this function shouldn't actually return.
diff --git a/pkg/daemon/writer.go b/pkg/daemon/writer.go
index 4e3c4dfaca..28372142b8 100644
--- a/pkg/daemon/writer.go
+++ b/pkg/daemon/writer.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
 	"github.com/openshift/machine-config-operator/pkg/daemon/constants"
 	"k8s.io/api/core/v1"
-	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/typed/core/v1"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/util/retry"
 )
@@ -145,7 +144,7 @@ func (nw *NodeWriter) SetSSHAccessed(client corev1.NodeInterface, node string) e
 // a retry is necessary.
 func updateNodeRetry(client corev1.NodeInterface, node string, f func(*v1.Node)) error {
 	err := retry.RetryOnConflict(retry.DefaultBackoff, func() error {
-		n, getErr := client.Get(node, metav1.GetOptions{})
+		n, getErr := GetNode(client, node)
 		if getErr != nil {
 			return getErr
 		}