diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index e7375ce..72f68fe 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -3,8 +3,12 @@ nut (2.7.1-1) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
   * New upstream release (Closes: #730183)
     - Refresh debian/patches/0004-fix-systemd-service.patch
   * debian/rules, debian/control: Enable SSL support using libnss3
+  * d/p/0005-Provide-retry-options-for-upsdrvctl-and-drivers.patch,
+    d/p/0006-ups-conf-maxretry.patch: By default, retry to start the drivers
+    up-to three times, this should mitigate races with slow devices
+    (Closes: #694717)
 
- -- Laurent Bigonville <bigon@debian.org>  Sun, 24 Nov 2013 16:23:21 +0100
+ -- Laurent Bigonville <bigon@debian.org>  Sun, 24 Nov 2013 16:26:05 +0100
 
 nut (2.6.5-4) unstable; urgency=low
 
diff --git a/debian/patches/0005-Provide-retry-options-for-upsdrvctl-and-drivers.patch b/debian/patches/0005-Provide-retry-options-for-upsdrvctl-and-drivers.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ee3cb8f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/patches/0005-Provide-retry-options-for-upsdrvctl-and-drivers.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+From ad1e78a22dc91b70bee871425cd5f74bb3c34c9f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Laurent Bigonville <bigon@bigon.be>
+Date: Thu, 21 Nov 2013 17:52:16 +0100
+Subject: [PATCH] Provide retry options for upsdrvctl and driver(s)
+
+As recently seen in Debian (bugs #694717 and #677143), it may be required to
+have upsdrvctl retrying to start the driver in case of failure.  More
+specifically, a mix of init system (V and systemd), udev and USB device(s) can
+result in the /dev entry not being available at driver startup, thus resulting
+in a general failure to start NUT.  This commit provides at least a way to
+overcome this issue. A more suitable  solution will require more work on NUT
+design.
+
+This patch if based on Arnaud Quette proposal
+---
+ docs/man/ups.conf.txt  | 15 +++++++++++++++
+ docs/man/upsdrvctl.txt |  3 ++-
+ drivers/upsdrvctl.c    | 37 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++---
+ 3 files changed, 51 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)
+
+diff --git a/docs/man/ups.conf.txt b/docs/man/ups.conf.txt
+index 8a72a83..4877852 100644
+--- a/docs/man/ups.conf.txt
++++ b/docs/man/ups.conf.txt
+@@ -58,6 +58,21 @@ directory, which is often /usr/local/ups/bin.
+ Optional.  Same as the UPS field of the same name, but this is the
+ default for UPSes that don't have the field.
+ 
++*maxretry*::
++Optional.  Specify the number of attempts to start the driver(s), in case of
++failure, before giving up. A delay of 'retrydelay' is inserted between each
++attempt. Caution should be taken when using this option, since it can
++impact the time taken by your system to start.
+++
++The default is 1 attempt.
++
++*retrydelay*::
++Optional.  Specify the delay between each restart attempt of the driver(s),
++as specified by 'maxretry'. Caution should be taken when using this option,
++since it can impact the time taken by your system to start.
+++
++The default is 5 seconds.
++
+ *pollinterval*::
+ 
+ Optional.  The status of the UPS will be refreshed after a maximum
+diff --git a/docs/man/upsdrvctl.txt b/docs/man/upsdrvctl.txt
+index f19fd77..52e5509 100644
+--- a/docs/man/upsdrvctl.txt
++++ b/docs/man/upsdrvctl.txt
+@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@ Without that argument, they operate on every UPS that is currently
+ configured.
+ 
+ *start*::
+-Start the UPS driver(s).
++Start the UPS driver(s). In case of failure, further attempts may be executed
++by using the 'maxretry' and 'retrydelay' options - see linkman:ups.conf[5].
+ 
+ *stop*::
+ Stop the UPS driver(s).
+diff --git a/drivers/upsdrvctl.c b/drivers/upsdrvctl.c
+index 623f753..0cdaa2c 100644
+--- a/drivers/upsdrvctl.c
++++ b/drivers/upsdrvctl.c
+@@ -45,6 +45,12 @@
+ 	/* timer - keeps us from getting stuck if a driver hangs */
+ static int	maxstartdelay = 45;
+ 
++	/* counter - retry that many time(s) to start the driver if it fails to */
++static int	maxretry = 1;
++
++	/* timer - delay between each restart attempt of the driver(s) */
++static int	retrydelay = 5;
++
+ 	/* Directory where driver executables live */
+ static char	*driverpath = NULL;
+ 
+@@ -65,6 +71,12 @@ void do_upsconf_args(char *upsname, char *var, char *val)
+ 			driverpath = xstrdup(val);
+ 		}
+ 
++		if (!strcmp(var, "maxretry"))
++			maxretry = atoi(val);
++
++		if (!strcmp(var, "retrydelay"))
++			retrydelay = atoi(val);
++
+ 		/* ignore anything else - it's probably for main */
+ 
+ 		return;
+@@ -248,6 +260,7 @@ static void start_driver(const ups_t *ups)
+ 	char	*argv[8];
+ 	char	dfn[SMALLBUF];
+ 	int	ret, arg = 0;
++	int	initial_exec_error = exec_error, drv_maxretry = maxretry;
+ 	struct stat	fs;
+ 
+ 	upsdebugx(1, "Starting UPS: %s", ups->upsname);
+@@ -276,10 +289,28 @@ static void start_driver(const ups_t *ups)
+ 	/* tie it off */
+ 	argv[arg++] = NULL;
+ 
+-	debugcmdline(2, "exec: ", argv);
+ 
+-	if (!testmode) {
+-		forkexec(argv, ups);
++	while (drv_maxretry > 0) {
++		int cur_exec_error = exec_error;
++
++		upsdebugx(2, "%i remaining attempts", drv_maxretry);
++		debugcmdline(2, "exec: ", argv);
++		drv_maxretry--;
++
++		if (!testmode) {
++			forkexec(argv, ups);
++		}
++
++		/* driver command succeeded */
++		if (cur_exec_error == exec_error) {
++			drv_maxretry = 0;
++			exec_error = initial_exec_error;
++		}
++		else {
++		/* otherwise, retry if still needed */
++			if (drv_maxretry > 0)
++				sleep (retrydelay);
++		}
+ 	}
+ }
+ 
+-- 
+1.8.4
+
diff --git a/debian/patches/0006-ups-conf-maxretry.patch b/debian/patches/0006-ups-conf-maxretry.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dd8ef93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/patches/0006-ups-conf-maxretry.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+--- a/conf/ups.conf.sample
++++ b/conf/ups.conf.sample
+@@ -40,6 +40,24 @@
+ #
+ # Configuration directives
+ # ------------------------
++#
++# These directives are used by upsdrvctl only and should be specified outside
++# of a driver definition:
++#
++#    maxretry: Optional.  Specify the number of attempts to start the driver(s),
++#              in case of failure, before giving up. A delay of 'retrydelay' is
++#              inserted between each attempt. Caution should be taken when using
++#              this option, since it can impact the time taken by your system to
++#              start.
++#
++#              The default is 1 attempt.
++#
++#  retrydelay: Optional.  Specify the delay between each restart attempt of the
++#              driver(s), as specified by 'maxretry'. Caution should be taken
++#              when using this option, since it can impact the time taken by your
++#              system to start.
++#
++#              The default is 5 seconds.
+ # 
+ # These directives are common to all drivers that support ups.conf:
+ #
+@@ -102,3 +120,6 @@
+ #
+ # To find out if your driver supports any extra settings, start it with
+ # the -h option and/or read the driver's documentation.
++
++# Set maxretry to 3 by default, this should mitigate race with slow devices:
++maxretry = 3
diff --git a/debian/patches/series b/debian/patches/series
index 540178d..aaccd1f 100644
--- a/debian/patches/series
+++ b/debian/patches/series
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 0003-install-dev-files-in-usr.patch
 0002-nut-monitor-paths.patch
 0004-fix-systemd-service.patch
+0005-Provide-retry-options-for-upsdrvctl-and-drivers.patch
+0006-ups-conf-maxretry.patch