diff --git a/coriolis/tests/transfer_cron/rpc/test_server.py b/coriolis/tests/transfer_cron/rpc/test_server.py
index 15c2fce47..d89b08926 100644
--- a/coriolis/tests/transfer_cron/rpc/test_server.py
+++ b/coriolis/tests/transfer_cron/rpc/test_server.py
@@ -90,10 +90,43 @@ def test_init_defers_cron_to_after_fork(
     @mock.patch.object(server.TransferCronServerEndpoint, '_init_cron')
     def test_ensure_cron_started_is_idempotent(self, mock_init_cron):
         self.server._cron_started = False
-        self.server._ensure_cron_started()
-        self.server._ensure_cron_started()
+        self.server._loader_started = False
+
+        def _run_inline(target, args=(), kwargs=None, daemon=True):
+            target(*(args or ()), **(kwargs or {}))
+
+        with mock.patch.object(server.utils, 'start_thread', side_effect=_run_inline):
+            self.server._ensure_cron_started()
+            self.server._ensure_cron_started()
 
         mock_init_cron.assert_called_once()
+        self.assertTrue(self.server._cron_started)
+
+    @mock.patch.object(server.time, 'sleep')
+    def test_load_schedules_retries_after_conductor_timeout(self, mock_sleep):
+        self.server._cron_started = False
+        self.server._init_cron = mock.Mock(side_effect=[Exception('timeout'), None])
+
+        with self.assertLogs('coriolis.transfer_cron.rpc.server', level=logging.ERROR):
+            self.server._load_schedules_until_started()
+
+        self.assertEqual(self.server._init_cron.call_count, 2)
+        mock_sleep.assert_called_once_with(60)
+        self.assertTrue(self.server._cron_started)
+
+    def test_ensure_cron_started_does_not_raise(self):
+        self.server._cron_started = False
+        self.server._loader_started = False
+
+        with mock.patch.object(
+            server.utils, 'start_thread', side_effect=RuntimeError('boom')
+        ):
+            with self.assertLogs(
+                'coriolis.transfer_cron.rpc.server', level=logging.ERROR
+            ):
+                self.server._ensure_cron_started()
+
+        self.assertFalse(self.server._loader_started)
 
     @ddt.data(
         {
diff --git a/coriolis/transfer_cron/rpc/server.py b/coriolis/transfer_cron/rpc/server.py
index c02383816..bc0ef886c 100644
--- a/coriolis/transfer_cron/rpc/server.py
+++ b/coriolis/transfer_cron/rpc/server.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import json
 import os
 import threading
+import time
 
 from oslo_log import log as logging
 from oslo_utils import timeutils
@@ -44,19 +45,57 @@ def __init__(self):
         self._admin_ctx = context.get_admin_context()
         self._cron_lock = threading.Lock()
         self._cron_started = False
+        self._cron_loop_started = False
+        self._loader_started = False
         # NOTE (fabi200123): oslo_service forks worker processes even when
         # workers=1. The cron loop must run in the same process as the RPC
         # handlers that register/unregister jobs, otherwise the loop checks
         # a job registry in the parent process while registrations land in
         # the forked child. Defer cron startup until after the fork.
+        #
+        # The callback itself must not raise. CPython ignores exceptions
+        # from after_in_child ("Exception ignored in: ..."), so a
+        # MessagingTimeout while the conductor is still starting used to
+        # leave this process up with the schedule loop never started.
         os.register_at_fork(after_in_child=self._ensure_cron_started)
 
     def _ensure_cron_started(self):
+        try:
+            with self._cron_lock:
+                if self._cron_started or self._loader_started:
+                    return
+                self._loader_started = True
+            self._loader_thread = utils.start_thread(self._load_schedules_until_started)
+        except Exception:
+            LOG.exception("Failed to start the transfer schedule loader")
+            with self._cron_lock:
+                if not self._cron_started:
+                    self._loader_started = False
+
+    def _load_schedules_until_started(self):
+        delay = 60
+        while True:
+            try:
+                self._init_cron()
+            except Exception:
+                LOG.exception(
+                    "Failed to load transfer schedules from the conductor. "
+                    "Retrying in %s seconds",
+                    delay,
+                )
+                time.sleep(delay)
+                continue
+            with self._cron_lock:
+                self._cron_started = True
+            LOG.info("Transfer schedules loaded, cron loop started")
+            return
+
+    def _start_cron_loop(self):
         with self._cron_lock:
-            if self._cron_started:
+            if self._cron_loop_started:
                 return
-            self._init_cron()
-            self._cron_started = True
+            self._cron.start()
+            self._cron_loop_started = True
 
     def _deserialize_schedule(self, sched):
         expires = sched.get("expiration_date")
@@ -107,7 +146,7 @@ def _init_cron(self):
                 # of an invalid schedule that managed to creep its
                 # way into the DB, or just ignore that one schedule?
                 LOG.exception(err)
-        self._cron.start()
+        self._start_cron_loop()
 
     def _get_all_schedules(self):
         schedules = self._rpc_client.get_transfer_schedules(