diff --git a/test/extended/node/node_swap_cnv.go b/test/extended/node/node_swap_cnv.go
index 11b0119552c5..9290b863a62b 100644
--- a/test/extended/node/node_swap_cnv.go
+++ b/test/extended/node/node_swap_cnv.go
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ var _ = g.Describe("[Jira:Node/Kubelet][sig-node][Feature:NodeSwap][Serial][Disr
 		}()
 
 		g.By("Restarting kubelet to load the new configuration")
-		err = restartKubeletOnNode(oc, cnvWorkerNode)
+		err = restartKubeletOnNode(ctx, oc, cnvWorkerNode)
 		o.Expect(err).NotTo(o.HaveOccurred())
 
 		g.By("Waiting for node to be ready after kubelet restart")
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ var _ = g.Describe("[Jira:Node/Kubelet][sig-node][Feature:NodeSwap][Serial][Disr
 			o.Expect(err).NotTo(o.HaveOccurred())
 
 			g.By("Restarting kubelet to apply LimitedSwap")
-			err = restartKubeletOnNode(oc, cnvWorkerNode)
+			err = restartKubeletOnNode(ctx, oc, cnvWorkerNode)
 			o.Expect(err).NotTo(o.HaveOccurred())
 			waitForNodeToBeReady(ctx, oc, cnvWorkerNode)
 
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ var _ = g.Describe("[Jira:Node/Kubelet][sig-node][Feature:NodeSwap][Serial][Disr
 			framework.Logf("Created drop-in file: %s on %s", cnvDropInFilePath, cpNodeName)
 
 			g.By(fmt.Sprintf("Restarting kubelet on %s", cpNodeName))
-			err = restartKubeletOnNode(oc, cpNodeName)
+			err = restartKubeletOnNode(ctx, oc, cpNodeName)
 			o.Expect(err).NotTo(o.HaveOccurred())
 			waitForNodeToBeReady(ctx, oc, cpNodeName)
 
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ var _ = g.Describe("[Jira:Node/Kubelet][sig-node][Feature:NodeSwap][Serial][Disr
 		framework.Logf("Confirmed: Directory does not exist after deletion")
 
 		g.By("Restarting kubelet")
-		err = restartKubeletOnNode(oc, cnvWorkerNode)
+		err = restartKubeletOnNode(ctx, oc, cnvWorkerNode)
 		o.Expect(err).NotTo(o.HaveOccurred())
 
 		g.By("Waiting for node to be ready")
@@ -536,7 +536,7 @@ var _ = g.Describe("[Jira:Node/Kubelet][sig-node][Feature:NodeSwap][Serial][Disr
 
 		g.By("Restarting kubelet")
 		framework.Logf("Running: systemctl restart kubelet on node %s", cnvWorkerNode)
-		err = restartKubeletOnNode(oc, cnvWorkerNode)
+		err = restartKubeletOnNode(ctx, oc, cnvWorkerNode)
 		o.Expect(err).NotTo(o.HaveOccurred())
 		framework.Logf("Kubelet restart initiated, waiting for node to be ready...")
 		waitForNodeToBeReady(ctx, oc, cnvWorkerNode)
@@ -704,14 +704,14 @@ var _ = g.Describe("[Jira:Node/Kubelet][sig-node][Feature:NodeSwap][Serial][Disr
 			framework.Logf("Removing: %s", file99)
 			removeDropInFile(oc, cnvWorkerNode, file99)
 			framework.Logf("Running: systemctl restart kubelet")
-			restartKubeletOnNode(oc, cnvWorkerNode)
+			restartKubeletOnNode(ctx, oc, cnvWorkerNode)
 			waitForNodeToBeReady(ctx, oc, cnvWorkerNode)
 			framework.Logf("Cleanup completed")
 		}()
 
 		g.By("Restarting kubelet")
 		framework.Logf("Running: systemctl restart kubelet")
-		err = restartKubeletOnNode(oc, cnvWorkerNode)
+		err = restartKubeletOnNode(ctx, oc, cnvWorkerNode)
 		o.Expect(err).NotTo(o.HaveOccurred())
 		framework.Logf("Waiting for node to be ready...")
 		waitForNodeToBeReady(ctx, oc, cnvWorkerNode)
@@ -776,7 +776,7 @@ var _ = g.Describe("[Jira:Node/Kubelet][sig-node][Feature:NodeSwap][Serial][Disr
 				framework.Logf("Removing drop-in file from node: %s", node)
 				removeDropInFile(oc, node, cnvDropInFilePath)
 				framework.Logf("Restarting kubelet on node: %s", node)
-				restartKubeletOnNode(oc, node)
+				restartKubeletOnNode(ctx, oc, node)
 			}
 			for _, node := range cnvNodes {
 				framework.Logf("Waiting for node %s to be ready...", node)
@@ -813,7 +813,7 @@ var _ = g.Describe("[Jira:Node/Kubelet][sig-node][Feature:NodeSwap][Serial][Disr
 		g.By("Restarting kubelet on all CNV nodes")
 		for _, node := range cnvNodes {
 			framework.Logf("Running: systemctl restart kubelet on node %s", node)
-			err := restartKubeletOnNode(oc, node)
+			err := restartKubeletOnNode(ctx, oc, node)
 			o.Expect(err).NotTo(o.HaveOccurred())
 		}
 
@@ -946,13 +946,13 @@ var _ = g.Describe("[Jira:Node/Kubelet][sig-node][Feature:NodeSwap][Serial][Disr
 				framework.Logf("Note: OS swap was initially enabled, may need manual re-enable")
 			}
 			framework.Logf("Restarting kubelet on node: %s", cnvWorkerNode)
-			restartKubeletOnNode(oc, cnvWorkerNode)
+			restartKubeletOnNode(ctx, oc, cnvWorkerNode)
 			waitForNodeToBeReady(ctx, oc, cnvWorkerNode)
 		}()
 
 		g.By("Restarting kubelet with LimitedSwap config but no OS swap")
 		framework.Logf("Running: systemctl restart kubelet on node %s", cnvWorkerNode)
-		err = restartKubeletOnNode(oc, cnvWorkerNode)
+		err = restartKubeletOnNode(ctx, oc, cnvWorkerNode)
 		o.Expect(err).NotTo(o.HaveOccurred())
 		framework.Logf("Waiting for node to be ready...")
 		waitForNodeToBeReady(ctx, oc, cnvWorkerNode)
@@ -1084,7 +1084,7 @@ var _ = g.Describe("[Jira:Node/Kubelet][sig-node][Feature:NodeSwap][Serial][Disr
 			framework.Logf("Removing drop-in file: %s", cnvDropInFilePath)
 			removeDropInFile(oc, cnvWorkerNode, cnvDropInFilePath)
 			framework.Logf("Restarting kubelet")
-			restartKubeletOnNode(oc, cnvWorkerNode)
+			restartKubeletOnNode(ctx, oc, cnvWorkerNode)
 			waitForNodeToBeReady(ctx, oc, cnvWorkerNode)
 			framework.Logf("Final cleanup completed")
 		}()
@@ -1153,7 +1153,7 @@ var _ = g.Describe("[Jira:Node/Kubelet][sig-node][Feature:NodeSwap][Serial][Disr
 
 			g.By(fmt.Sprintf("Restarting kubelet with %s swap", swapSize.name))
 			framework.Logf("Running: systemctl restart kubelet")
-			err = restartKubeletOnNode(oc, cnvWorkerNode)
+			err = restartKubeletOnNode(ctx, oc, cnvWorkerNode)
 			o.Expect(err).NotTo(o.HaveOccurred())
 			waitForNodeToBeReady(ctx, oc, cnvWorkerNode)
 
@@ -1296,7 +1296,7 @@ var _ = g.Describe("[Jira:Node/Kubelet][sig-node][Feature:NodeSwap][Serial][Disr
 
 		g.By("Restarting kubelet")
 		framework.Logf("Running: systemctl restart kubelet")
-		err = restartKubeletOnNode(oc, cnvWorkerNode)
+		err = restartKubeletOnNode(ctx, oc, cnvWorkerNode)
 		o.Expect(err).NotTo(o.HaveOccurred())
 		framework.Logf("Waiting for node to be ready...")
 		waitForNodeToBeReady(ctx, oc, cnvWorkerNode)
diff --git a/test/extended/node/node_utils.go b/test/extended/node/node_utils.go
index 40ae3b9105e7..2aaba7f73ff7 100644
--- a/test/extended/node/node_utils.go
+++ b/test/extended/node/node_utils.go
@@ -196,9 +196,54 @@ func loadConfigFromFile(path string) string {
 }
 
 // restartKubeletOnNode restarts the kubelet service on the specified node
-func restartKubeletOnNode(oc *exutil.CLI, nodeName string) error {
-	_, err := ExecOnNodeWithChroot(oc, nodeName, "systemctl", "restart", "kubelet")
-	return err
+// Retries on transient network errors which are common on real clusters
+func restartKubeletOnNode(ctx context.Context, oc *exutil.CLI, nodeName string) error {
+	const maxAttempts = 3
+	var lastErr error
+	for attempt := 0; attempt < maxAttempts; attempt++ {
+		_, err := ExecOnNodeWithChroot(oc, nodeName, "systemctl", "restart", "kubelet")
+		if err == nil {
+			return nil
+		}
+		lastErr = err
+		if !isTransientNetworkError(err) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to restart kubelet on %s: %w", nodeName, err)
+		}
+		if attempt == maxAttempts-1 {
+			break
+		}
+		backoff := time.Duration((attempt+1)*5) * time.Second
+		framework.Logf("Attempt %d/%d to restart kubelet on %s failed: %v; retrying in %s",
+			attempt+1, maxAttempts, nodeName, err, backoff)
+		timer := time.NewTimer(backoff)
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			timer.Stop()
+			return fmt.Errorf("context canceled while restarting kubelet on %s: %w", nodeName, ctx.Err())
+		case <-timer.C:
+		}
+	}
+	return fmt.Errorf("failed to restart kubelet on %s after %d attempts: %w", nodeName, maxAttempts, lastErr)
+}
+
+// isTransientNetworkError checks if the error is a transient network error worth retrying
+func isTransientNetworkError(err error) bool {
+	if err == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	errStr := err.Error()
+	transientErrors := []string{
+		"connection refused",
+		"connection reset",
+		"connection timed out",
+		"i/o timeout",
+	}
+	for _, transientErr := range transientErrors {
+		if strings.Contains(errStr, transientErr) {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
 }
 
 // waitForNodeToBeReady waits for a node to become Ready
@@ -227,7 +272,7 @@ func cleanupDropInAndRestartKubelet(ctx context.Context, oc *exutil.CLI, nodeNam
 	framework.Logf("Removing drop-in file: %s", filePath)
 	removeDropInFile(oc, nodeName, filePath)
 	framework.Logf("Restarting kubelet on node: %s", nodeName)
-	restartKubeletOnNode(oc, nodeName)
+	restartKubeletOnNode(ctx, oc, nodeName)
 	framework.Logf("Waiting for node to be ready...")
 	waitForNodeToBeReady(ctx, oc, nodeName)
 }