diff --git a/salt/manager/tools/sbin/soup b/salt/manager/tools/sbin/soup
index 8a68e5242..3bec13716 100755
--- a/salt/manager/tools/sbin/soup
+++ b/salt/manager/tools/sbin/soup
@@ -1021,24 +1021,33 @@ verify_es_version_compatibility() {
         local retries=20
         local retry_count=0
         local delay=180
-        local expected_es_nodes
-        local searchnode_minions
+        local expected_es_nodes searchnode_minions attempt
+        local searchnode_discovery_success=false
         SEARCHNODE_ES_VERSIONS=""
 
-        while [[ $retry_count -lt $retries ]]; do
-            if ! searchnode_minions=$(set -o pipefail; salt-key --out=json --list=accepted 2> /dev/null | jq -r '.minions[]? | select(endswith("searchnode"))'); then
-                echo "Failed to retrieve grid searchnodes via salt-key... Retrying in $delay seconds. Attempt $((retry_count + 1)) of $retries."
-                ((retry_count++))
-                sleep $delay
-                continue
+        for attempt in {1..3}; do
+            if searchnode_minions=$(set -o pipefail; salt-key --out=json --list=accepted 2> /dev/null | jq -r '.minions[]? | select(endswith("searchnode"))'); then
+                searchnode_discovery_success=true
+                break
             fi
-            # Always add node running soup to expected es nodes
-            expected_es_nodes="${MINIONID%_*}"
-            while IFS= read -r searchnode_minion; do
-                [[ -z "$searchnode_minion" ]] && continue
-                expected_es_nodes+=$'\n'"${searchnode_minion%_searchnode}"
-            done <<< "$searchnode_minions"
 
+            echo "Failed to retrieve grid searchnodes via salt-key... Retrying in 30 seconds. Attempt $attempt of 3."
+            sleep 30
+        done
+
+        if [[ "$searchnode_discovery_success" != "true" ]]; then
+            echo "Failed to retrieve grid searchnodes via salt-key."
+            return 1
+        fi
+
+        # Always add node running soup to expected es nodes
+        expected_es_nodes="${MINIONID%_*}"
+        while IFS= read -r searchnode_minion; do
+            [[ -z "$searchnode_minion" ]] && continue
+            expected_es_nodes+=$'\n'"${searchnode_minion%_searchnode}"
+        done <<< "$searchnode_minions"
+
+        while [[ $retry_count -lt $retries ]]; do
             SEARCHNODE_ES_VERSIONS=$(so-elasticsearch-query _nodes/_all/version --retry 5 --retry-delay 10 --fail 2>&1)
             local exit_status=$?
 
@@ -1081,25 +1090,34 @@ verify_es_version_compatibility() {
 
     # Gather heavynode version info and verify that each node is running a version compatible with the target ES version.
     verify_heavynodes_es_target_compatibility() {
-        local heavynode_minions
+        local heavynode_minions attempt
         local retries=20
         local retry_count=0
         local delay=180
+        local heavynode_discovery_success=false
         HEAVYNODE_ES_VERSIONS=""
 
+        for attempt in {1..3}; do
+            if heavynode_minions=$(set -o pipefail; salt-key --out=json --list=accepted 2> /dev/null | jq -r '.minions[]? | select(endswith("heavynode"))'); then
+                heavynode_discovery_success=true
+                break
+            fi
+
+            echo "Failed to retrieve grid heavynodes via salt-key... Retrying in 30 seconds. Attempt $attempt of 3."
+            sleep 30
+        done
+
+        if [[ "$heavynode_discovery_success" != "true" ]]; then
+            echo "Failed to retrieve grid heavynodes via salt-key."
+            return 1
+        fi
+
+        if [[ -z "$heavynode_minions" ]]; then
+            echo "No heavynodes detected. Skipping heavynode Elasticsearch version compatibility check."
+            return 0
+        fi
+
         while [[ $retry_count -lt $retries ]]; do
-            if ! heavynode_minions=$(set -o pipefail; salt-key --out=json --list=accepted 2> /dev/null | jq -r '.minions[]? | select(endswith("heavynode"))'); then
-                echo "Failed to retrieve grid heavynodes via salt-key... Retrying in $delay seconds. Attempt $((retry_count + 1)) of $retries."
-                ((retry_count++))
-                sleep $delay
-                continue
-            fi
-
-            if [[ -z "$heavynode_minions" ]]; then
-                echo "No heavynodes detected. Skipping heavynode Elasticsearch version compatibility check."
-                return 0
-            fi
-
             HEAVYNODE_ES_VERSIONS=$(salt -C 'G@role:so-heavynode' cmd.run 'set -o pipefail; so-elasticsearch-query / --retry 5 --retry-delay 10 | jq -er ".version.number"' shell=/bin/bash --out=json 2> /dev/null)
             local exit_status=$?