diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
index 6833b6a24e..eb9df91de7 100755
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ export QT_SELECT=qt5
 DEB_HOST_ARCH ?= $(shell dpkg-architecture -qDEB_HOST_ARCH)
 
 # Skip tests on the archs they are known to be flaky  with current configuration
-testskip_architectures := arm64 powerpc ppc64el s390x
+testskip_architectures := powerpc ppc64el s390x
 
 %:
 	dh $@ --parallel --fail-missing --with python3
diff --git a/qml/Greeter/Greeter.qml b/qml/Greeter/Greeter.qml
index cdea9d618e..f154198f9c 100644
--- a/qml/Greeter/Greeter.qml
+++ b/qml/Greeter/Greeter.qml
@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@ Showable {
 
     property int failedLoginsDelayAttempts: 7 // number of failed logins
     property real failedLoginsDelayMinutes: 5 // minutes of forced waiting
-    property int failedFingerprintLoginsDisableAttempts: 3 // number of failed fingerprint logins
+    property int failedFingerprintLoginsDisableAttempts: 5 // number of failed fingerprint logins
+    property int failedFingerprintReaderRetryDelay: 250 // time to wait before retrying a failed fingerprint read [ms]
 
     readonly property bool animating: loader.item ? loader.item.animating : false
 
@@ -559,6 +560,14 @@ Showable {
         onLanguageChanged: LightDMService.infographic.readyForDataChange()
     }
 
+    Timer {
+        id: fpRetryTimer
+        running: false
+        repeat: false
+        onTriggered: biometryd.startOperation()
+        interval: failedFingerprintReaderRetryDelay
+    }
+
     Observer {
         id: biometryd
         objectName: "biometryd"
@@ -570,6 +579,14 @@ Showable {
                                           Biometryd.available &&
                                           AccountsService.enableFingerprintIdentification
 
+        function startOperation() {
+            if (idEnabled) {
+                var identifier = Biometryd.defaultDevice.identifier;
+                operation = identifier.identifyUser();
+                operation.start(biometryd);
+            }
+        }
+
         function cancelOperation() {
             if (operation) {
                 operation.cancel();
@@ -579,27 +596,23 @@ Showable {
 
         function restartOperation() {
             cancelOperation();
-
-            if (idEnabled) {
-                var identifier = Biometryd.defaultDevice.identifier;
-                operation = identifier.identifyUser();
-                operation.start(biometryd);
+            if (failedFingerprintReaderRetryDelay > 0) {
+                fpRetryTimer.running = true;
+            } else {
+                startOperation();
             }
         }
 
         function failOperation(reason) {
             console.log("Failed to identify user by fingerprint:", reason);
             restartOperation();
-            if (!d.secureFingerprint) {
-                d.startUnlock(false /* toTheRight */); // use normal login instead
-            }
             var msg = d.secureFingerprint ? i18n.tr("Try again") :
                       d.alphanumeric ? i18n.tr("Enter passphrase to unlock") :
                                        i18n.tr("Enter passcode to unlock");
             d.showFingerprintMessage(msg);
         }
 
-        Component.onCompleted: restartOperation()
+        Component.onCompleted: startOperation()
         Component.onDestruction: cancelOperation()
         onIdEnabledChanged: restartOperation()
 
@@ -623,7 +636,7 @@ Showable {
         onFailed: {
             if (!d.secureFingerprint) {
                 failOperation("fingerprint reader is locked");
-            } else {
+            } else if (reason !== "ERROR_CANCELED") {
                 AccountsService.failedFingerprintLogins++;
                 failOperation(reason);
             }
diff --git a/tests/qmltests/Greeter/tst_Greeter.qml b/tests/qmltests/Greeter/tst_Greeter.qml
index 44bdb744be..6dd72396b0 100644
--- a/tests/qmltests/Greeter/tst_Greeter.qml
+++ b/tests/qmltests/Greeter/tst_Greeter.qml
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ Item {
                 height: loader.height
                 background: defaultBackground
                 viewSource: Qt.resolvedUrl("TestView.qml")
-
+                failedFingerprintReaderRetryDelay: 0
                 Component.onDestruction: {
                     loader.itemDestroyed = true;
                 }
@@ -548,7 +548,8 @@ Item {
             verify(biometryd.operation.running);
 
             biometryd.operation.mockSuccess(LightDM.Users.data(index, LightDM.UserRoles.UidRole));
-            viewTryToUnlockSpy.wait();
+            viewShowErrorMessageSpy.wait();
+            compare(viewShowErrorMessageSpy.signalArguments[0][0], i18n.tr("Enter passphrase to unlock"));
             verify(greeter.locked);
         }
 
@@ -577,22 +578,29 @@ Item {
             compare(viewShowErrorMessageSpy.signalArguments[0][0], i18n.tr("Try again"));
         }
 
+        function repeatBiometrydMockFailure(operationHost, count) {
+            for (var i = 0; i < count; i++) {
+                operationHost.operation.mockFailure("error");
+            }
+        }
+
         function test_fingerprintTooManyFailures() {
             var index = selectUser("has-password");
             unlockAndShowGreeter(); // turn on lockscreen mode
 
             var biometryd = findInvisibleChild(greeter, "biometryd");
-            biometryd.operation.mockFailure("error");
-            biometryd.operation.mockFailure("error");
+            repeatBiometrydMockFailure(biometryd, 4);
             compare(viewTryToUnlockSpy.count, 0);
 
-            biometryd.operation.mockFailure("error");
-            viewTryToUnlockSpy.wait();
-            viewTryToUnlockSpy.clear();
+            repeatBiometrydMockFailure(biometryd, 1);
+            viewShowErrorMessageSpy.wait();
+            compare(viewShowErrorMessageSpy.signalArguments[0][0], i18n.tr("Try again"));
+            viewShowErrorMessageSpy.clear();
 
             // Confirm that we are stuck in this mode until next login
             biometryd.operation.mockSuccess(LightDM.Users.data(index, LightDM.UserRoles.UidRole));
-            viewTryToUnlockSpy.wait();
+            viewShowErrorMessageSpy.wait();
+            compare(viewShowErrorMessageSpy.signalArguments[0][0], i18n.tr("Enter passphrase to unlock"));
 
             unlockAndShowGreeter();
 
@@ -605,17 +613,16 @@ Item {
             unlockAndShowGreeter(); // turn on lockscreen mode
 
             var biometryd = findInvisibleChild(greeter, "biometryd");
-            biometryd.operation.mockFailure("error");
-            biometryd.operation.mockFailure("error");
+            repeatBiometrydMockFailure(biometryd, 4);
             compare(viewTryToUnlockSpy.count, 0);
 
             unlockAndShowGreeter();
-            biometryd.operation.mockFailure("error");
-            biometryd.operation.mockFailure("error");
+            repeatBiometrydMockFailure(biometryd, 4);
             compare(viewTryToUnlockSpy.count, 0);
 
-            biometryd.operation.mockFailure("error");
-            viewTryToUnlockSpy.wait();
+            repeatBiometrydMockFailure(biometryd, 1);
+            viewShowErrorMessageSpy.wait();
+            compare(viewShowErrorMessageSpy.signalArguments[0][0], i18n.tr("Try again"));
         }
 
         function test_fingerprintWrongUid() {