diff --git a/meta/classes/image.bbclass b/meta/classes/image.bbclass
index 6d77243cb1b1..9d783d80a228 100644
--- a/meta/classes/image.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/image.bbclass
@@ -221,6 +221,7 @@ do_rootfs_finalize() {
         rm -f "${ROOTFSDIR}/etc/apt/sources.list.d/isar-apt.list"
         rm -f "${ROOTFSDIR}/etc/apt/preferences.d/isar-apt"
         rm -f "${ROOTFSDIR}/etc/apt/sources.list.d/base-apt.list"
+        rm -f "${ROOTFSDIR}/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/80isar"
 
         mv "${ROOTFSDIR}/etc/apt/sources-list" \
             "${ROOTFSDIR}/etc/apt/sources.list.d/bootstrap.list"
diff --git a/meta/classes/rootfs.bbclass b/meta/classes/rootfs.bbclass
index 1fc487896f4d..e219be4f8529 100644
--- a/meta/classes/rootfs.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/rootfs.bbclass
@@ -98,6 +98,19 @@ EOF
 EOSUDO
 }
 
+ROOTFS_CONFIGURE_COMMAND += "rootfs_configure_apt"
+rootfs_configure_apt[weight] = "2"
+rootfs_configure_apt() {
+    sudo -s <<'EOSUDO'
+    set -e
+
+    mkdir -p '${ROOTFSDIR}/etc/apt/apt.conf.d'
+    echo 'APT::Acquire::Retries "3";' > \
+        '${ROOTFSDIR}/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/80isar'
+EOSUDO
+}
+
+
 ROOTFS_INSTALL_COMMAND += "rootfs_install_pkgs_update"
 rootfs_install_pkgs_update[weight] = "5"
 rootfs_install_pkgs_update[isar-apt-lock] = "acquire-before"