diff --git a/ironic/drivers/modules/agent_base.py b/ironic/drivers/modules/agent_base.py
index a5cae441da..3d15cdfb3b 100644
--- a/ironic/drivers/modules/agent_base.py
+++ b/ironic/drivers/modules/agent_base.py
@@ -224,11 +224,16 @@ def _freshly_booted(commands, step_type):
     agent executed will be get_XXX_steps. For later reboots the list of
     commands will be empty.
     """
-    return (
-        not commands
-        or (len(commands) == 1
-            and commands[0]['command_name'] == 'get_%s_steps' % step_type)
-    )
+    if not commands:
+        # Empty list, most likely unit testing or immediately after a reboot.
+        return True
+    step_name = 'get_%s_steps' % step_type
+    # Make a list of resulting commands which do not match the expected
+    # get_XXX_steps command.
+    result = [x for x in commands if not x['command_name'] == step_name]
+    # If the length of the result is greater than 0, then this is not a freshly
+    # booted agent.
+    return not len(result) > 0
 
 
 def _get_completed_command(task, commands, step_type):
diff --git a/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/test_agent_base.py b/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/test_agent_base.py
index 62ee99cb1f..010d24f40f 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/test_agent_base.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/test_agent_base.py
@@ -1689,3 +1689,41 @@ class StepMethodsTestCase(db_base.DbTestCase):
             response = agent_base.execute_step(
                 task, self.clean_steps['deploy'][0], 'clean')
             self.assertEqual(states.CLEANWAIT, response)
+
+
+class FreshlyBootedTestCase(db_base.DbTestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        super(FreshlyBootedTestCase, self).setUp()
+
+    def test__freshly_booted_empty_result(self):
+        commands = []
+        self.assertTrue(agent_base._freshly_booted(commands, 'deploy'))
+
+    def test__freshly_booted_single_command(self):
+        commands = [{'command_name': 'get_deploy_steps'}]
+        self.assertTrue(agent_base._freshly_booted(commands, 'deploy'))
+
+    def test__freshly_booted_single_command_mismatch(self):
+        commands = [{'command_name': 'get_service_steps'}]
+        self.assertFalse(agent_base._freshly_booted(commands, 'deploy'))
+
+    def test__freshly_booted_has_retries(self):
+        # NOTE(TheJulia): this is just an arbitrary number
+        # of retires to account for lossy/problematic networks
+        commands = [
+            {'command_name': 'get_deploy_steps'},
+            {'command_name': 'get_deploy_steps'},
+            {'command_name': 'get_deploy_steps'},
+            {'command_name': 'get_deploy_steps'},
+            {'command_name': 'get_deploy_steps'}]
+        self.assertTrue(agent_base._freshly_booted(commands, 'deploy'))
+
+    def test__freshly_booted_multi_command(self):
+        commands = [
+            {'command_name': 'get_deploy_steps'},
+            {'command_name': 'get_deploy_steps'},
+            {'command_name': 'get_deploy_steps'},
+            {'command_name': 'get_deploy_steps'},
+            {'command_name': 'get_service_steps'}]
+        self.assertFalse(agent_base._freshly_booted(commands, 'deploy'))
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/permit-retries-with-agent-startup-aebfc36a775794c3.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/permit-retries-with-agent-startup-aebfc36a775794c3.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e358e75a68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/permit-retries-with-agent-startup-aebfc36a775794c3.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    Fixes an issue with agent startup where the workflow from the first
+    agent heartbeat interaction could fail due to a transient networking
+    issue leaving the Agent and Ironic in a state where the node cannot be
+    deployed and continues to record errors upon each additional heartbeat
+    operation. Logic to check the state of the agent has been adjusted to
+    ignore retry operations which were recorded by the agent.
+    More information on this issue can be found in
+    `bug 2110698 <https://bugs.launchpad.net/ironic/+bug/2110698>`_.