diff --git a/placement/objects/resource_provider.py b/placement/objects/resource_provider.py
index ff2f56af4..08ec17a2f 100644
--- a/placement/objects/resource_provider.py
+++ b/placement/objects/resource_provider.py
@@ -511,9 +511,15 @@ def _anchors_for_sharing_providers(context, rp_ids, get_id=False):
     return set([(r[0], r[1]) for r in context.session.execute(sel).fetchall()])
 
 
+@oslo_db_api.wrap_db_retry(
+    max_retries=5, jitter=True,
+    exception_checker=lambda exc: isinstance(exc, db_exc.DBDuplicateEntry))
 def _ensure_aggregate(ctx, agg_uuid):
     """Finds an aggregate and returns its internal ID. If not found, creates
     the aggregate and returns the new aggregate's internal ID.
+
+    If there is a race to create the aggregate (which can happen under rare
+    high load conditions), retry up to 5 times.
     """
     sel = sa.select([_AGG_TBL.c.id]).where(_AGG_TBL.c.uuid == agg_uuid)
     res = ctx.session.execute(sel).fetchone()
@@ -521,23 +527,14 @@ def _ensure_aggregate(ctx, agg_uuid):
         return res[0]
 
     LOG.debug("_ensure_aggregate() did not find aggregate %s. "
-              "Creating it.", agg_uuid)
-    try:
-        ins_stmt = _AGG_TBL.insert().values(uuid=agg_uuid)
-        res = ctx.session.execute(ins_stmt)
-        agg_id = res.inserted_primary_key[0]
-        LOG.debug("_ensure_aggregate() created new aggregate %s (id=%d).",
-                  agg_uuid, agg_id)
-        return agg_id
-    except db_exc.DBDuplicateEntry:
-        # Something else added this agg_uuid in between our initial
-        # fetch above and when we tried flushing this session, so let's
-        # grab whatever that other thing added.
-        LOG.debug("_ensure_provider() failed to create new aggregate %s. "
-                  "Another thread already created an aggregate record. "
-                  "Looking up that aggregate record.",
-                  agg_uuid)
-        return _ensure_aggregate(ctx, agg_uuid)
+              "Attempting to create it.", agg_uuid)
+
+    ins_stmt = _AGG_TBL.insert().values(uuid=agg_uuid)
+    res = ctx.session.execute(ins_stmt)
+    agg_id = res.inserted_primary_key[0]
+    LOG.debug("_ensure_aggregate() created new aggregate %s (id=%d).",
+              agg_uuid, agg_id)
+    return agg_id
 
 
 @db_api.placement_context_manager.writer
diff --git a/placement/tests/functional/db/test_resource_provider.py b/placement/tests/functional/db/test_resource_provider.py
index 9cf4b59db..c1e7f5c69 100644
--- a/placement/tests/functional/db/test_resource_provider.py
+++ b/placement/tests/functional/db/test_resource_provider.py
@@ -2386,3 +2386,69 @@ class SharedProviderTestCase(tb.PlacementDbBaseTestCase):
             100,
         )
         self.assertEqual([ss.id], got_ids)
+
+
+# We don't want to waste time sleeping in these tests. It would add
+# tens of seconds.
+@mock.patch('time.sleep', return_value=None)
+class TestEnsureAggregateRetry(tb.PlacementDbBaseTestCase):
+
+    @mock.patch('placement.objects.resource_provider.LOG')
+    def test_retry_happens(self, mock_log, mock_time):
+        """Confirm that retrying on DBDuplicateEntry happens when ensuring
+        aggregates.
+        """
+        magic_fetch_one_attrs = {'fetchone.return_value': None}
+        expected_id = 1
+        # The expected calls to the debug log, used to track the
+        # internal behavior of _ensure_aggregates.
+        expected_calls = [
+            mock.call('_ensure_aggregate() did not find aggregate %s. '
+                      'Attempting to create it.',
+                      uuidsentinel.agg1),
+            mock.call('_ensure_aggregate() did not find aggregate %s. '
+                      'Attempting to create it.',
+                      uuidsentinel.agg1),
+            mock.call('_ensure_aggregate() created new aggregate %s (id=%d).',
+                      uuidsentinel.agg1, mock.ANY),
+        ]
+        side_effects = [
+            # Fail to get an agg from db
+            mock.MagicMock(**magic_fetch_one_attrs),
+            # Fake a duplicate entry when creating
+            db_exc.DBDuplicateEntry,
+            # Fail to get an agg from db
+            mock.MagicMock(**magic_fetch_one_attrs),
+            # Create agg with success
+            mock.DEFAULT
+        ]
+
+        facade = self.placement_db.get_enginefacade()
+        with facade.writer.using(self.context) as session:
+            with mock.patch.object(session, 'execute',
+                                   side_effect=side_effects):
+                rp_obj._ensure_aggregate(self.context, uuidsentinel.agg1)
+            mock_log.debug.assert_has_calls(expected_calls)
+            agg_id = rp_obj._ensure_aggregate(self.context, uuidsentinel.agg1)
+            self.assertEqual(expected_id, agg_id)
+
+    def test_retry_failsover(self, mock_time):
+        """Confirm that the retry loop used when ensuring aggregates only
+        retries 5 times. After that it lets DBDuplicateEntry raise.
+        """
+        magic_fetch_one_attrs = {'fetchone.return_value': None}
+        # Fail to create an aggregate five times.
+        side_effects = [
+            # Fail to get an agg from db
+            mock.MagicMock(**magic_fetch_one_attrs),
+            # Fake a duplicate entry when creating
+            db_exc.DBDuplicateEntry,
+        ] * 6
+
+        facade = self.placement_db.get_enginefacade()
+        with facade.writer.using(self.context) as session:
+            with mock.patch.object(session, 'execute',
+                                   side_effect=side_effects):
+                self.assertRaises(
+                    db_exc.DBDuplicateEntry, rp_obj._ensure_aggregate,
+                    self.context, uuidsentinel.agg1)