diff --git a/salt/common/tools/sbin/so-common b/salt/common/tools/sbin/so-common
index 8089db28b..e09d2c8ae 100755
--- a/salt/common/tools/sbin/so-common
+++ b/salt/common/tools/sbin/so-common
@@ -397,6 +397,10 @@ retry() {
 								echo "<Start of output>"
 								echo "$output"
 								echo "<End of output>"
+								if [[ $exitcode -eq 0 ]]; then
+									echo "Forcing exit code to 1"
+									exitcode=1
+								fi
                         fi
                 elif [ -n "$failedOutput" ]; then
                         if [[ "$output" =~ "$failedOutput" ]]; then
@@ -405,7 +409,7 @@ retry() {
 								echo "$output"
 								echo "<End of output>"
 								if [[ $exitcode -eq 0 ]]; then
-									echo "The exitcode was 0, but we are setting to 1 since we found $failedOutput in the output."
+									echo "Forcing exit code to 1"
 									exitcode=1
 								fi
                         else
diff --git a/salt/elasticsearch/enabled.sls b/salt/elasticsearch/enabled.sls
index fa0f824b4..f7ab7749f 100644
--- a/salt/elasticsearch/enabled.sls
+++ b/salt/elasticsearch/enabled.sls
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ escomponenttemplates:
     - group: 939
     - clean: True
     - onchanges_in:
-      - cmd: so-elasticsearch-templates
+      - file: so-elasticsearch-templates-reload
       
 # Auto-generate templates from defaults file
 {%     for index, settings in ES_INDEX_SETTINGS.items() %}
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ es_index_template_{{index}}:
       TEMPLATE_CONFIG: {{ settings.index_template }}
     - template: jinja
     - onchanges_in:
-      - cmd: so-elasticsearch-templates
+      - file: so-elasticsearch-templates-reload
 {%       endif %}
 {%     endfor %}
 
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ es_template_{{TEMPLATE.split('.')[0] | replace("/","_") }}:
     - user: 930
     - group: 939
     - onchanges_in:
-      - cmd: so-elasticsearch-templates
+      - file: so-elasticsearch-templates-reload
 {%       endfor %}
 {%     endif %}
 
@@ -167,6 +167,10 @@ so-elasticsearch-ilm-policy-load:
     - onchanges:
       - file: so-elasticsearch-ilm-policy-load-script
 
+so-elasticsearch-templates-reload:
+  file.absent:
+    - name: /opt/so/state/estemplates.txt
+
 so-elasticsearch-templates:
   cmd.run:
     - name: /usr/sbin/so-elasticsearch-templates-load
diff --git a/salt/elasticsearch/tools/sbin/so-elasticsearch-pipelines b/salt/elasticsearch/tools/sbin/so-elasticsearch-pipelines
index 350ac97c5..71c40c1ca 100755
--- a/salt/elasticsearch/tools/sbin/so-elasticsearch-pipelines
+++ b/salt/elasticsearch/tools/sbin/so-elasticsearch-pipelines
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@
 
 . /usr/sbin/so-common
 
-
-RETURN_CODE=0
 ELASTICSEARCH_HOST=$1
 ELASTICSEARCH_PORT=9200
 
@@ -15,40 +13,20 @@ ELASTICSEARCH_PORT=9200
 ELASTICSEARCH_INGEST_PIPELINES="/opt/so/conf/elasticsearch/ingest/"
 
 # Wait for ElasticSearch to initialize
-
 if [ ! -f /opt/so/state/espipelines.txt ]; then
-
+  echo "State file /opt/so/state/espipelines.txt not found. Running so-elasticsearch-pipelines."
   echo -n "Waiting for ElasticSearch..."
-  COUNT=0
-  ELASTICSEARCH_CONNECTED="no"
-  while [[ "$COUNT" -le 240 ]]; do
-      curl -K /opt/so/conf/elasticsearch/curl.config -k --output /dev/null --silent --head --fail -L https://"$ELASTICSEARCH_HOST":"$ELASTICSEARCH_PORT"
-	  if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
-	  	ELASTICSEARCH_CONNECTED="yes"
-		echo "connected!"
-		break
-	  else
-		((COUNT+=1))
-		sleep 1
-		echo -n "."
-	  fi
-    done
-  if [ "$ELASTICSEARCH_CONNECTED" == "no" ]; then
-	echo
-	echo -e "Connection attempt timed out.  Unable to connect to ElasticSearch.  \nPlease try: \n  -checking log(s) in /var/log/elasticsearch/\n  -running 'sudo docker ps' \n  -running 'sudo so-elastic-restart'"
-	echo
-  fi
+  retry 240 1 "so-elasticsearch-query / -k --output /dev/null --silent --head --fail" || fail "Connection attempt timed out.  Unable to connect to ElasticSearch.  \nPlease try: \n  -checking log(s) in /var/log/elasticsearch/\n  -running 'sudo docker ps' \n  -running 'sudo so-elastic-restart'"
 
   cd ${ELASTICSEARCH_INGEST_PIPELINES}
-
   echo "Loading pipelines..."
-  for i in .[a-z]* *; do echo $i; RESPONSE=$(curl -K /opt/so/conf/elasticsearch/curl.config -k -XPUT -L https://${ELASTICSEARCH_HOST}:${ELASTICSEARCH_PORT}/_ingest/pipeline/$i -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d@$i 2>/dev/null); echo $RESPONSE; if [[ "$RESPONSE" == *"error"* ]]; then RETURN_CODE=1; fi; done
+  for i in .[a-z]* *; 
+  do 
+    echo $i;
+    retry 5 5 "so-elasticsearch-query _ingest/pipeline/$i -d@$i -XPUT | grep '{\"acknowledged\":true}'" || fail "Could not load pipeline: $i"
+  done
   echo
 
   cd - >/dev/null
-  if [[ "$RETURN_CODE" != "1" ]]; then
-    touch /opt/so/state/espipelines.txt
-  fi  
-else 
-  exit $RETURN_CODE
+  touch /opt/so/state/espipelines.txt
 fi
diff --git a/salt/elasticsearch/tools/sbin_jinja/so-elasticsearch-templates-load b/salt/elasticsearch/tools/sbin_jinja/so-elasticsearch-templates-load
index 857da5434..33caff435 100755
--- a/salt/elasticsearch/tools/sbin_jinja/so-elasticsearch-templates-load
+++ b/salt/elasticsearch/tools/sbin_jinja/so-elasticsearch-templates-load
@@ -7,105 +7,143 @@
 {%  from 'vars/globals.map.jinja' import GLOBALS %}
 {%- set SUPPORTED_PACKAGES = salt['pillar.get']('elasticfleet:packages', default=ELASTICFLEETDEFAULTS.elasticfleet.packages, merge=True) %}
 
-. /usr/sbin/so-common
-{% if GLOBALS.role != 'so-heavynode' %}
-if [ -f /usr/sbin/so-elastic-fleet-common ]; then
-  . /usr/sbin/so-elastic-fleet-common
-fi
-{% endif %}
+STATE_FILE_INITIAL=/opt/so/state/estemplates_initial_load_attempt.txt
+STATE_FILE_SUCCESS=/opt/so/state/estemplates.txt
 
-default_conf_dir=/opt/so/conf
-
-# Define a default directory to load pipelines from
-ELASTICSEARCH_TEMPLATES="$default_conf_dir/elasticsearch/templates/"
-
-{% if GLOBALS.role == 'so-heavynode' %}
-file="/opt/so/conf/elasticsearch/templates/index/so-common-template.json"
-{% else %}
-file="/usr/sbin/so-elastic-fleet-common"
-{% endif %}
-
-if [ -f "$file" ]; then
-	# Wait for ElasticSearch to initialize
-	echo -n "Waiting for ElasticSearch..."
-	COUNT=0
-	ELASTICSEARCH_CONNECTED="no"
-	while [[ "$COUNT" -le 240 ]]; do
-      		so-elasticsearch-query / -k --output /dev/null --silent --head --fail
-		if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
-			ELASTICSEARCH_CONNECTED="yes"
-			echo "connected!"
-			break
-		else
-			((COUNT+=1))
-			sleep 1
-			echo -n "."
-		fi
-	done
-	if [ "$ELASTICSEARCH_CONNECTED" == "no" ]; then
-		echo
-		echo -e "Connection attempt timed out.  Unable to connect to ElasticSearch.  \nPlease try: \n  -checking log(s) in /var/log/elasticsearch/\n  -running 'sudo docker ps' \n  -running 'sudo so-elastic-restart'"
-		echo
-		exit 1
-	fi
-
-	{% if GLOBALS.role != 'so-heavynode' %}
-        SESSIONCOOKIE=$(curl -s -K /opt/so/conf/elasticsearch/curl.config -c - -X GET http://localhost:5601/ | grep sid | awk '{print $7}')
-	INSTALLED=$(elastic_fleet_package_is_installed {{ SUPPORTED_PACKAGES[0] }} )
-	if [ "$INSTALLED" != "installed" ]; then
-        	echo
-        	echo "Packages not yet installed."
-        	echo
-        	exit 0
-	fi
-        {% endif %}
-	set -e
-
-	cd ${ELASTICSEARCH_TEMPLATES}/component/ecs
-
-	echo "Loading ECS component templates..."
-	for i in *; do TEMPLATE=$(echo $i | cut -d '.' -f1); echo "$TEMPLATE-mappings"; so-elasticsearch-query _component_template/$TEMPLATE-mappings -d@$i -XPUT 2>/dev/null; echo; done
-
-	cd ${ELASTICSEARCH_TEMPLATES}/component/elastic-agent
-
-	echo "Loading Elastic Agent component templates..."
-	{% if GLOBALS.role == 'so-heavynode' %}
-        component_pattern="so-*"
-        {% else %}
-        component_pattern="*"
-        {% endif %}
-        for i in $component_pattern; do TEMPLATE=${i::-5}; echo "$TEMPLATE"; so-elasticsearch-query _component_template/$TEMPLATE -d@$i -XPUT 2>/dev/null; echo; done
-
-	# Load SO-specific component templates
-	cd ${ELASTICSEARCH_TEMPLATES}/component/so
-
-	echo "Loading Security Onion component templates..."
-	for i in *; do TEMPLATE=$(echo $i | cut -d '.' -f1); echo "$TEMPLATE"; so-elasticsearch-query _component_template/$TEMPLATE -d@$i -XPUT 2>/dev/null; echo; done
-	echo
-
-	# Load SO index templates
-	cd ${ELASTICSEARCH_TEMPLATES}/index
-
-	echo "Loading Security Onion index templates..."
-	shopt -s extglob
-        {% if GLOBALS.role == 'so-heavynode' %}
-        pattern="!(*1password*|*aws*|*azure*|*cloudflare*|*elastic_agent*|*fim*|*github*|*google*|*osquery*|*system*|*windows*)"
-        {% else %}
-        pattern="*"
-        {% endif %}
-        for i in $pattern; do
-            TEMPLATE=${i::-14};
-            echo "$TEMPLATE";
-            so-elasticsearch-query _index_template/$TEMPLATE -d@$i -XPUT 2>/dev/null;
-            echo;
-        done
-	echo
+if [[ -f $STATE_FILE_INITIAL ]]; then
+  # The initial template load has already run. As this is a subsequent load, all dependencies should 
+  # already be satisified. Therefore, immediately exit/abort this script upon any template load failure
+  # since this is an unrecoverable failure.
+  should_exit_on_failure=1
 else
-	{% if GLOBALS.role == 'so-heavynode' %}
-        echo "Common template does not exist. Exiting..."
-        {% else %}
-        echo "Elastic Fleet not configured. Exiting..."
-	{% endif %}
-        exit 0
+  # This is the initial template load, and there likely are some components not yet setup in Elasticsearch.
+  # Therefore load as many templates as possible at this time and if an error occurs proceed to the next 
+  # template. But if at least one template fails to load do not mark the templates as having been loaded.
+  # This will allow the next load to resume the load of the templates that failed to load initially.
+  should_exit_on_failure=0
+  echo "This is the initial template load"
+fi
+
+load_failures=0
+
+load_template() {
+  uri=$1
+  file=$2
+
+  echo "Loading template file $i" 
+  if ! retry 3 5 "so-elasticsearch-query $uri -d@$file -XPUT" "{\"acknowledged\":true}"; then
+    if [[ $should_exit_on_failure -eq 1 ]]; then
+      fail "Could not load template file: $file"
+    else
+      load_failures=$((load_failures+1))
+      echo "Incremented load failure counter: $load_failures"
+    fi
+  fi
+}
+
+if [ ! -f $STATE_FILE_SUCCESS ]; then
+  echo "State file $STATE_FILE_SUCCESS not found. Running so-elasticsearch-templates-load."
+
+  . /usr/sbin/so-common
+
+  {% if GLOBALS.role != 'so-heavynode' %}
+  if [ -f /usr/sbin/so-elastic-fleet-common ]; then
+    . /usr/sbin/so-elastic-fleet-common
+  fi
+  {% endif %}
+
+  default_conf_dir=/opt/so/conf
+
+  # Define a default directory to load pipelines from
+  ELASTICSEARCH_TEMPLATES="$default_conf_dir/elasticsearch/templates/"
+
+  {% if GLOBALS.role == 'so-heavynode' %}
+  file="/opt/so/conf/elasticsearch/templates/index/so-common-template.json"
+  {% else %}
+  file="/usr/sbin/so-elastic-fleet-common"
+  {% endif %}
+
+  if [ -f "$file" ]; then
+    # Wait for ElasticSearch to initialize
+    echo -n "Waiting for ElasticSearch..."
+    retry 240 1 "so-elasticsearch-query / -k --output /dev/null --silent --head --fail" || fail "Connection attempt timed out.  Unable to connect to ElasticSearch.  \nPlease try: \n  -checking log(s) in /var/log/elasticsearch/\n  -running 'sudo docker ps' \n  -running 'sudo so-elastic-restart'"
+    {% if GLOBALS.role != 'so-heavynode' %}
+    SESSIONCOOKIE=$(curl -s -K /opt/so/conf/elasticsearch/curl.config -c - -X GET http://localhost:5601/ | grep sid | awk '{print $7}')
+    INSTALLED=$(elastic_fleet_package_is_installed {{ SUPPORTED_PACKAGES[0] }} )
+    if [ "$INSTALLED" != "installed" ]; then
+      echo
+      echo "Packages not yet installed."
+      echo
+      exit 0
+    fi
+    {% endif %}
+
+    touch $STATE_FILE_INITIAL
+
+    cd ${ELASTICSEARCH_TEMPLATES}/component/ecs
+
+    echo "Loading ECS component templates..."
+    for i in *; do 
+      TEMPLATE=$(echo $i | cut -d '.' -f1) 
+      load_template "_component_template/${TEMPLATE}-mappings" "$i"
+    done
+    echo
+
+    cd ${ELASTICSEARCH_TEMPLATES}/component/elastic-agent
+
+    echo "Loading Elastic Agent component templates..."
+    {% if GLOBALS.role == 'so-heavynode' %}
+    component_pattern="so-*"
+    {% else %}
+    component_pattern="*"
+    {% endif %}
+    for i in $component_pattern; do 
+      TEMPLATE=${i::-5} 
+      load_template "_component_template/$TEMPLATE" "$i"
+    done
+    echo
+	    
+    # Load SO-specific component templates
+    cd ${ELASTICSEARCH_TEMPLATES}/component/so
+
+    echo "Loading Security Onion component templates..."
+    for i in *; do 
+      TEMPLATE=$(echo $i | cut -d '.' -f1); 
+      load_template "_component_template/$TEMPLATE" "$i"
+    done
+    echo
+
+    # Load SO index templates
+    cd ${ELASTICSEARCH_TEMPLATES}/index
+
+    echo "Loading Security Onion index templates..."
+    shopt -s extglob
+    {% if GLOBALS.role == 'so-heavynode' %}
+    pattern="!(*1password*|*aws*|*azure*|*cloudflare*|*elastic_agent*|*fim*|*github*|*google*|*osquery*|*system*|*windows*)"
+    {% else %}
+    pattern="*"
+    {% endif %}
+    for i in $pattern; do
+      TEMPLATE=${i::-14}
+      load_template "_index_template/$TEMPLATE" "$i"
+    done
+  else
+    {% if GLOBALS.role == 'so-heavynode' %}
+    echo "Common template does not exist. Exiting..."
+    {% else %}
+    echo "Elastic Fleet not configured. Exiting..."
+    {% endif %}
+    exit 0
+  fi
+  
+  cd - >/dev/null
+
+  if [[ $load_failures -eq 0 ]]; then
+    echo "All template loaded successfully"
+    touch $STATE_FILE_SUCCESS
+  else
+    echo "Encountered $load_failures templates that were unable to load, likely due to missing dependencies that will be available later; will retry on next highstate"
+  fi
+else
+  echo "Templates already loaded"
 fi
-	cd - >/dev/null
diff --git a/setup/so-verify b/setup/so-verify
index 3f00cc420..8133c0bf1 100755
--- a/setup/so-verify
+++ b/setup/so-verify
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ log_has_errors() {
     # Failed to restart snapd.mounts-pre.target: Operation refused, unit snapd.mounts-pre.target
     # may be requested by dependency only (it is configured to refuse manual start/stop).
 
-    # Exit code 100 failure is likely apt-get running in the background, we wait for it to unlock.
+    # Command failed with exit code is output during retry loops.
     
     grep -E "FAILED|Failed|failed|ERROR|Result: False|Error is not recoverable" "$setup_log" | \
         grep -vE "The Salt Master has cached the public key for this node" | \
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ log_has_errors() {
         grep -vE "Login Failed Details" | \
         grep -vE "response from daemon: unauthorized" | \
         grep -vE "Reading first line of patchfile" | \
-        grep -vE "Command failed with exit code 100; will retry" | \
+        grep -vE "Command failed with exit code" | \
         grep -vE "Running scope as unit" &> "$error_log"
     
     if [[ $? -eq 0 ]]; then