diff --git a/TestON/drivers/common/cli/onosclidriver.py b/TestON/drivers/common/cli/onosclidriver.py
index a06a511..feca717 100644
--- a/TestON/drivers/common/cli/onosclidriver.py
+++ b/TestON/drivers/common/cli/onosclidriver.py
@@ -195,10 +195,18 @@
                 #If failed, send ctrl+c to process and try again
                 main.log.info("Starting CLI failed. Retrying...")
                 self.handle.sendline("\x03")
+                i = self.handle.expect(["onos>",pexpect.TIMEOUT],
+                        timeout=30)
+                #Send ctrl+d to exit the onos> prompt that was
+                #not successful
+                self.handle.sendline("\x04")
+                self.handle.expect("\$")
                 self.handle.sendline("onos -w "+str(ONOS_ip))
                 i = self.handle.expect(["onos>",pexpect.TIMEOUT],
                         timeout=30)
                 if i == 0:
+                    main.log.info(str(ONOS_ip)+" CLI Started "+
+                        "successfully after retry attempt")
                     return main.TRUE
                 else:
                     main.log.error("Connection to CLI "+\