diff --git a/mtce-common/src/common/logMacros.h b/mtce-common/src/common/logMacros.h
index 41de0aa7..a3227b5b 100644
--- a/mtce-common/src/common/logMacros.h
+++ b/mtce-common/src/common/logMacros.h
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ typedef struct
     int   api_retries           ; /**< api retries before failure             */
     int   bmc_reset_delay       ; /**< secs delay before bmc reset            */
     int   http_retry_wait       ; /**< secs to wait between http reg retries  */
+    int   host_add_delay        ; /**< secs to wait before adding hosts       */
     int   hostwd_failure_threshold ; /**< allowed # of missed pmon/hostwd messages */
     bool  hostwd_reboot_on_err  ; /**< should hostwd reboot on fault detected */
     bool  hostwd_kdump_on_stall ; /**< sysrq crash dump on quorum msg'ing stall */
diff --git a/mtce/src/common/nodeClass.cpp b/mtce/src/common/nodeClass.cpp
index b46bfafe..3b983f10 100755
--- a/mtce/src/common/nodeClass.cpp
+++ b/mtce/src/common/nodeClass.cpp
@@ -639,7 +639,7 @@ nodeLinkClass::node* nodeLinkClass::addNode( string hostname )
     ptr->swactStage        = MTC_SWACT__START    ;
     ptr->offlineStage      = MTC_OFFLINE__IDLE   ;
     ptr->onlineStage       = MTC_ONLINE__START   ;
-    ptr->addStage          = MTC_ADD__START      ;
+    ptr->addStage          = MTC_ADD__START_DELAY;
     ptr->delStage          = MTC_DEL__START      ;
     ptr->recoveryStage     = MTC_RECOVERY__START ;
     ptr->insvTestStage     = MTC_INSV_TEST__RUN  ; /* Start wo initial delay */
@@ -3137,7 +3137,17 @@ int nodeLinkClass::add_host ( node_inv_type & inv )
 
     if (( rc == PASS ) && ( node_ptr ))
     {
-        node_ptr->addStage = MTC_ADD__START ;
+        int delay = daemon_get_cfg_ptr()->host_add_delay ;
+        if ( delay > 0 )
+        {
+            mtcTimer_start ( node_ptr->mtcTimer, mtcTimer_handler, delay );
+            node_ptr->addStage = MTC_ADD__START_DELAY ;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            node_ptr->addStage = MTC_ADD__START ;
+        }
+        ilog ("Host add delay is %d seconds", delay );
         adminActionChange ( node_ptr , MTC_ADMIN_ACTION__ADD );
     }
     return (rc);
diff --git a/mtce/src/maintenance/mtcNodeCtrl.cpp b/mtce/src/maintenance/mtcNodeCtrl.cpp
index ba5dd369..900805d0 100644
--- a/mtce/src/maintenance/mtcNodeCtrl.cpp
+++ b/mtce/src/maintenance/mtcNodeCtrl.cpp
@@ -463,6 +463,11 @@ static int mtc_config_handler ( void * user,
         config_ptr->http_retry_wait = atoi(value);
         mtcInv.http_retry_wait = config_ptr->http_retry_wait ;
     }
+    else if (MATCH("agent", "host_add_delay"))
+    {
+        config_ptr->host_add_delay = atoi(value);
+        ilog ("Start Delay : %d secs", config_ptr->host_add_delay );
+    }
     else if (MATCH("timeouts", "failsafe_shutdown_delay"))
     {
         config_ptr->failsafe_shutdown_delay = atoi(value);
diff --git a/mtce/src/maintenance/mtcNodeHdlrs.cpp b/mtce/src/maintenance/mtcNodeHdlrs.cpp
index 7084dbab..a00152d1 100755
--- a/mtce/src/maintenance/mtcNodeHdlrs.cpp
+++ b/mtce/src/maintenance/mtcNodeHdlrs.cpp
@@ -6215,8 +6215,13 @@ int nodeLinkClass::add_handler ( struct nodeLinkClass::node * node_ptr )
 
     switch ( node_ptr->addStage )
     {
-        case MTC_ADD__START:
         case MTC_ADD__START_DELAY:
+        {
+            if ( mtcTimer_expired (node_ptr->mtcTimer) )
+                node_ptr->addStage = MTC_ADD__START ;
+            break ;
+        }
+        case MTC_ADD__START:
         {
             bool timer_set = false ;
             plog ("%s Host Add\n", node_ptr->hostname.c_str());
diff --git a/mtce/src/scripts/mtc.conf b/mtce/src/scripts/mtc.conf
index 3bc57cba..84d6b3f6 100644
--- a/mtce/src/scripts/mtc.conf
+++ b/mtce/src/scripts/mtc.conf
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ bmc_reset_delay = 300        ; seconds to wait before issuing a bmc
 
 http_retry_wait = 10         ; secs to wait between http request retries
 
+host_add_delay = 20          ; seconds to wait before adding hosts
+
 [client]                     ; Client Configuration
 
 scheduling_priority = 45     ; realtime scheduling; range of 1 .. 99