diff --git a/ansible/roles/test/files/ptftests/advanced-reboot.py b/ansible/roles/test/files/ptftests/advanced-reboot.py
index ed09edb6175..75aa5fe2bb3 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/test/files/ptftests/advanced-reboot.py
+++ b/ansible/roles/test/files/ptftests/advanced-reboot.py
@@ -225,7 +225,8 @@ def __init__(self):
         self.dut_connection = DeviceConnection(
             self.test_params['dut_hostname'],
             self.test_params['dut_username'],
-            password=self.test_params['dut_password']
+            password=self.test_params['dut_password'],
+            alt_password=self.test_params.get('alt_password')
         )
 
         # Check if platform type is kvm
diff --git a/ansible/roles/test/files/ptftests/device_connection.py b/ansible/roles/test/files/ptftests/device_connection.py
index 5a475eba671..0539941e886 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/test/files/ptftests/device_connection.py
+++ b/ansible/roles/test/files/ptftests/device_connection.py
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 import paramiko
 import logging
 import socket
+import sys
 from paramiko.ssh_exception import BadHostKeyException, AuthenticationException, SSHException
-
+from pip._vendor.retrying import retry
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 DEFAULT_CMD_EXECUTION_TIMEOUT_SEC = 10
@@ -14,7 +15,7 @@ class DeviceConnection:
     Paramiko module uses fallback mechanism where it would first try to use
     ssh key and that fails, it will attempt username/password combination
     '''
-    def __init__(self, hostname, username, password=None):
+    def __init__(self, hostname, username, password=None, alt_password=None):
         '''
         Class constructor
 
@@ -25,7 +26,13 @@ def __init__(self, hostname, username, password=None):
         self.hostname = hostname
         self.username = username
         self.password = password
+        self.alt_password = alt_password
+
 
+    @retry(
+        stop_max_attempt_number=2,
+        retry_on_exception=lambda e: isinstance(e, AuthenticationException)
+    )
     def execCommand(self, cmd, timeout=DEFAULT_CMD_EXECUTION_TIMEOUT_SEC):
         '''
         Executes command on remote device
@@ -52,12 +59,16 @@ def execCommand(self, cmd, timeout=DEFAULT_CMD_EXECUTION_TIMEOUT_SEC):
             stdOut = so.readlines()
             stdErr = se.readlines()
             retValue = 0
+        except AuthenticationException as authenticationException:
+            logger.error('SSH Authentication failure with message: %s' % authenticationException)
+            if self.alt_password is not None:
+                # attempt retry with alt_password
+                self.password = self.alt_password
+                raise AuthenticationException
         except SSHException as sshException:
             logger.error('SSH Command failed with message: %s' % sshException)
-        except AuthenticationException as authenticationException:
-            logger.error('SSH Authentiaction failure with message: %s' % authenticationException)
         except BadHostKeyException as badHostKeyException:
-            logger.error('SSH Authentiaction failure with message: %s' % badHostKeyException)
+            logger.error('SSH Authentication failure with message: %s' % badHostKeyException)
         except socket.timeout as e:
             # The ssh session will timeout in case of a successful reboot
             logger.error('Caught exception socket.timeout: {}, {}, {}'.format(repr(e), str(e), type(e)))
diff --git a/tests/upgrade_path/test_upgrade_path.py b/tests/upgrade_path/test_upgrade_path.py
index fbed0a3f912..c8f1a60c075 100644
--- a/tests/upgrade_path/test_upgrade_path.py
+++ b/tests/upgrade_path/test_upgrade_path.py
@@ -99,10 +99,12 @@ def ptf_params(duthosts, rand_one_dut_hostname, nbrhosts, creds, tbinfo):
         #TODO:Update to vm_hosts.append(value['host'].host.mgmt_ip)
         vm_hosts.append(value['host'].host.options['inventory_manager'].get_host(value['host'].hostname).vars['ansible_host'])
 
+    sonicadmin_alt_password = duthost.host.options['variable_manager']._hostvars[duthost.hostname].get("ansible_altpassword")
     ptf_params = {
         "verbose": False,
         "dut_username": creds.get('sonicadmin_user'),
         "dut_password": creds.get('sonicadmin_password'),
+        "alt_password": sonicadmin_alt_password,
         "dut_hostname": duthost.host.options['inventory_manager'].get_host(duthost.hostname).vars['ansible_host'],
         "reboot_limit_in_seconds": 30,
         "reboot_type": "warm-reboot",