diff --git a/tcp_tests/managers/envmanager_devops.py b/tcp_tests/managers/envmanager_devops.py
index 80818cf..1e7f66c 100644
--- a/tcp_tests/managers/envmanager_devops.py
+++ b/tcp_tests/managers/envmanager_devops.py
@@ -16,16 +16,21 @@
 
 from devops import error
 from devops.helpers import helpers
+from devops.helpers.helpers import ssh_client
 from devops import models
 from django import db
 from oslo_config import cfg
 
+from paramiko.ssh_exception import (
+    AuthenticationException,
+    BadAuthenticationType)
+
+from tcp_tests.helpers import env_config
+from tcp_tests.helpers import exceptions
+from tcp_tests.helpers import ext
+from tcp_tests import logger
 from tcp_tests import settings
 from tcp_tests import settings_oslo
-from tcp_tests.helpers import env_config
-from tcp_tests.helpers import ext
-from tcp_tests.helpers import exceptions
-from tcp_tests import logger
 
 LOG = logger.logger
 
@@ -305,8 +310,29 @@
         for node in self.__env.get_nodes(role__in=underlay_node_roles):
             LOG.info("Waiting for SSH on node '{0}' / {1} ...".format(
                 node.name, self.node_ip(node)))
+
+            def _ssh_wait(host,
+                          port,
+                          username=settings.SSH_NODE_CREDENTIALS['login'],
+                          password=settings.SSH_NODE_CREDENTIALS['password'],
+                          timeout=0):
+                try:
+                    ssh = ssh_client.SSHClient(
+                        host=host, port=port,
+                        auth=ssh_client.SSHAuth(
+                            username=username,
+                            password=password))
+                except AuthenticationException:
+                    return True
+                except BadAuthenticationType:
+                    return True
+                except Exception:
+                    return False
+
+                return ssh.execute('echo ok')['exit_code'] == 0
+
             helpers.wait(
-                lambda: helpers.tcp_ping(self.node_ip(node), 22),
+                lambda: _ssh_wait(self.node_ip(node), 22),
                 timeout=timeout,
                 timeout_msg="Node '{}' didn't open SSH in {} sec".format(
                     node.name, timeout