diff --git a/python/ray/util/client/__init__.py b/python/ray/util/client/__init__.py
index 22cf0af5b..02aab93ff 100644
--- a/python/ray/util/client/__init__.py
+++ b/python/ray/util/client/__init__.py
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ class RayAPIStub:
     def connect(self,
                 conn_str: str,
                 secure: bool = False,
-                metadata: List[Tuple[str, str]] = None) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+                metadata: List[Tuple[str, str]] = None,
+                connection_retries: int = 3) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         """Connect the Ray Client to a server.
 
         Args:
@@ -50,7 +51,10 @@ class RayAPIStub:
 
         try:
             self.client_worker = Worker(
-                conn_str, secure=secure, metadata=metadata)
+                conn_str,
+                secure=secure,
+                metadata=metadata,
+                connection_retries=connection_retries)
             self.api.worker = self.client_worker
             return self.client_worker.connection_info()
         except Exception:
diff --git a/python/ray/util/client/worker.py b/python/ray/util/client/worker.py
index 2c6c50fe4..94e6d1cd7 100644
--- a/python/ray/util/client/worker.py
+++ b/python/ray/util/client/worker.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class Worker:
                  conn_str: str = "",
                  secure: bool = False,
                  metadata: List[Tuple[str, str]] = None,
-                 connection_retries=3):
+                 connection_retries: int = 3):
         """Initializes the worker side grpc client.
 
         Args:
diff --git a/python/ray/util/client_connect.py b/python/ray/util/client_connect.py
index 3f33933c4..0ff88408d 100644
--- a/python/ray/util/client_connect.py
+++ b/python/ray/util/client_connect.py
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ from typing import List, Tuple, Dict, Any
 
 def connect(conn_str: str,
             secure: bool = False,
-            metadata: List[Tuple[str, str]] = None) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+            metadata: List[Tuple[str, str]] = None,
+            connection_retries: int = 3) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     if ray.is_connected():
         raise RuntimeError("Ray Client is already connected. "
                            "Maybe you called ray.util.connect twice by "
@@ -21,7 +22,8 @@ def connect(conn_str: str,
     # TODO(barakmich): https://github.com/ray-project/ray/issues/13274
     # for supporting things like cert_path, ca_path, etc and creating
     # the correct metadata
-    return ray.connect(conn_str, secure=secure, metadata=metadata)
+    return ray.connect(
+        conn_str, secure=secure, metadata=metadata, connection_retries=3)
 
 
 def disconnect():