diff --git a/CHANGELOG.rst b/CHANGELOG.rst
index c261fc68e2..98867d9069 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.rst
+++ b/CHANGELOG.rst
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ Fixed
   (``False``, ``None``, ``0``, etc.) (bug-fix) #3504 #3531
 
   Reported by Simas Čepaitis.
+* Fix ``st2ctl register`` failure to register rules in some race conditions.
+  ``st2-register-content`` will now register internal trigger types by default. (bug-fix) #3542
 
 2.3.0 - June 19, 2017
 ---------------------
diff --git a/st2common/st2common/content/bootstrap.py b/st2common/st2common/content/bootstrap.py
index 0160648e09..1221590a63 100644
--- a/st2common/st2common/content/bootstrap.py
+++ b/st2common/st2common/content/bootstrap.py
@@ -375,7 +375,8 @@ def register_content():
 
 
 def setup(argv):
-    common_setup(config=config, setup_db=True, register_mq_exchanges=True)
+    common_setup(config=config, setup_db=True, register_mq_exchanges=True,
+                 register_internal_trigger_types=True)
 
 
 def teardown():
diff --git a/st2common/st2common/script_setup.py b/st2common/st2common/script_setup.py
index 1e540158e7..1b6458b62a 100644
--- a/st2common/st2common/script_setup.py
+++ b/st2common/st2common/script_setup.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 from st2common import log as logging
 from st2common.database_setup import db_setup
 from st2common.database_setup import db_teardown
+from st2common import triggers
 from st2common.logging.filters import LogLevelFilter
 from st2common.transport.bootstrap_utils import register_exchanges_with_retry
 
@@ -50,7 +51,8 @@ def register_common_cli_options():
     cfg.CONF.register_cli_opt(cfg.BoolOpt('verbose', short='v', default=False))
 
 
-def setup(config, setup_db=True, register_mq_exchanges=True):
+def setup(config, setup_db=True, register_mq_exchanges=True,
+          register_internal_trigger_types=False):
     """
     Common setup function.
 
@@ -60,6 +62,7 @@ def setup(config, setup_db=True, register_mq_exchanges=True):
     2. Establishes DB connection
     3. Suppress DEBUG log level if --verbose flag is not used
     4. Registers RabbitMQ exchanges
+    5. Registers internal trigger types (optional, disabled by default)
 
     :param config: Config object to use to parse args.
     """
@@ -91,6 +94,9 @@ def setup(config, setup_db=True, register_mq_exchanges=True):
     if register_mq_exchanges:
         register_exchanges_with_retry()
 
+    if register_internal_trigger_types:
+        triggers.register_internal_trigger_types()
+
 
 def teardown():
     """
diff --git a/st2common/st2common/triggers.py b/st2common/st2common/triggers.py
index 834c706ecc..38e38c6d50 100644
--- a/st2common/st2common/triggers.py
+++ b/st2common/st2common/triggers.py
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@
 from st2common.constants.triggers import (INTERNAL_TRIGGER_TYPES, ACTION_SENSOR_TRIGGER)
 from st2common.exceptions.db import StackStormDBObjectConflictError
 from st2common.services.triggers import create_trigger_type_db, create_shadow_trigger
+from st2common.services.triggers import get_trigger_type_db
+from st2common.models.system.common import ResourceReference
 
 __all__ = [
     'register_internal_trigger_types'
@@ -35,19 +37,24 @@ def _register_internal_trigger_type(trigger_definition):
     try:
         trigger_type_db = create_trigger_type_db(trigger_type=trigger_definition)
     except (NotUniqueError, StackStormDBObjectConflictError):
-        # We ignore conflict error since this operation is idempodent and race is not an
-        # issue
-        LOG.debug('Trigger type "%s" already exists, ignoring...' %
+        # We ignore conflict error since this operation is idempotent and race is not an issue
+        LOG.debug('Internal trigger type "%s" already exists, ignoring...' %
                   (trigger_definition['name']), exc_info=True)
 
+        ref = ResourceReference.to_string_reference(name=trigger_definition['name'],
+                                                    pack=trigger_definition['pack'])
+        trigger_type_db = get_trigger_type_db(ref)
+
+    if trigger_type_db:
+        LOG.debug('Registered internal trigger: %s.', trigger_definition['name'])
+
     # trigger types with parameters do no require a shadow trigger.
-    if not trigger_type_db.parameters_schema:
-        LOG.info('Registered trigger: %s.', trigger_definition['name'])
+    if trigger_type_db and not trigger_type_db.parameters_schema:
         try:
             trigger_db = create_shadow_trigger(trigger_type_db)
 
             extra = {'trigger_db': trigger_db}
-            LOG.audit('Trigger created for parameter-less TriggerType. Trigger.id=%s' %
+            LOG.audit('Trigger created for parameter-less internal TriggerType. Trigger.id=%s' %
                       (trigger_db.id), extra=extra)
         except StackStormDBObjectConflictError:
             LOG.debug('Shadow trigger "%s" already exists. Ignoring.',