diff --git a/cmd/machine-healthcheck/main.go b/cmd/machine-healthcheck/main.go
index 812f8b61fb..ded2554d13 100644
--- a/cmd/machine-healthcheck/main.go
+++ b/cmd/machine-healthcheck/main.go
@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@ import (
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/runtime/signals"
 )
 
+// The default durations for the leader electrion operations.
+var (
+	leaseDuration = 120 * time.Second
+	renewDealine  = 110 * time.Second
+	retryPeriod   = 90 * time.Second
+)
+
 func printVersion() {
 	glog.Infof("Go Version: %s", runtime.Version())
 	glog.Infof("Go OS/Arch: %s/%s", runtime.GOOS, runtime.GOARCH)
@@ -59,7 +66,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	leaderElectLeaseDuration := flag.Duration(
 		"leader-elect-lease-duration",
-		90*time.Second,
+		leaseDuration,
 		"The duration that non-leader candidates will wait after observing a leadership renewal until attempting to acquire leadership of a led but unrenewed leader slot. This is effectively the maximum duration that a leader can be stopped before it is replaced by another candidate. This is only applicable if leader election is enabled.",
 	)
 
@@ -79,6 +86,9 @@ func main() {
 		LeaderElectionNamespace: *leaderElectResourceNamespace,
 		LeaderElectionID:        "cluster-api-provider-healthcheck-leader",
 		LeaseDuration:           leaderElectLeaseDuration,
+		// Slow the default retry and renew election rate to reduce etcd writes at idle: BZ 1858400
+		RetryPeriod:   &retryPeriod,
+		RenewDeadline: &renewDealine,
 	}
 
 	if *watchNamespace != "" {
diff --git a/cmd/machineset/main.go b/cmd/machineset/main.go
index 109b306bbb..a975fb2474 100644
--- a/cmd/machineset/main.go
+++ b/cmd/machineset/main.go
@@ -39,6 +39,13 @@ const (
 	defaultWebhookCertdir = "/etc/machine-api-operator/tls"
 )
 
+// The default durations for the leader electrion operations.
+var (
+	leaseDuration = 120 * time.Second
+	renewDealine  = 110 * time.Second
+	retryPeriod   = 90 * time.Second
+)
+
 func main() {
 	flag.Set("logtostderr", "true")
 	klog.InitFlags(nil)
@@ -75,7 +82,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	leaderElectLeaseDuration := flag.Duration(
 		"leader-elect-lease-duration",
-		90*time.Second,
+		leaseDuration,
 		"The duration that non-leader candidates will wait after observing a leadership renewal until attempting to acquire leadership of a led but unrenewed leader slot. This is effectively the maximum duration that a leader can be stopped before it is replaced by another candidate. This is only applicable if leader election is enabled.",
 	)
 
@@ -102,6 +109,9 @@ func main() {
 		LeaderElectionNamespace: *leaderElectResourceNamespace,
 		LeaderElectionID:        "cluster-api-provider-machineset-leader",
 		LeaseDuration:           leaderElectLeaseDuration,
+		// Slow the default retry and renew election rate to reduce etcd writes at idle: BZ 1858400
+		RetryPeriod:   &retryPeriod,
+		RenewDeadline: &renewDealine,
 	}
 
 	mgr, err := manager.New(cfg, opts)
diff --git a/cmd/nodelink-controller/main.go b/cmd/nodelink-controller/main.go
index 99572c5a54..28367dc825 100644
--- a/cmd/nodelink-controller/main.go
+++ b/cmd/nodelink-controller/main.go
@@ -15,6 +15,13 @@ import (
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/runtime/signals"
 )
 
+// The default durations for the leader electrion operations.
+var (
+	leaseDuration = 120 * time.Second
+	renewDealine  = 110 * time.Second
+	retryPeriod   = 90 * time.Second
+)
+
 func printVersion() {
 	klog.Infof("Go Version: %s", runtime.Version())
 	klog.Infof("Go OS/Arch: %s/%s", runtime.GOOS, runtime.GOARCH)
@@ -44,7 +51,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	leaderElectLeaseDuration := flag.Duration(
 		"leader-elect-lease-duration",
-		90*time.Second,
+		leaseDuration,
 		"The duration that non-leader candidates will wait after observing a leadership renewal until attempting to acquire leadership of a led but unrenewed leader slot. This is effectively the maximum duration that a leader can be stopped before it is replaced by another candidate. This is only applicable if leader election is enabled.",
 	)
 
@@ -65,6 +72,9 @@ func main() {
 		LeaderElectionNamespace: *leaderElectResourceNamespace,
 		LeaderElectionID:        "cluster-api-provider-nodelink-leader",
 		LeaseDuration:           leaderElectLeaseDuration,
+		// Slow the default retry and renew election rate to reduce etcd writes at idle: BZ 1858400
+		RetryPeriod:   &retryPeriod,
+		RenewDeadline: &renewDealine,
 	}
 	if *watchNamespace != "" {
 		opts.Namespace = *watchNamespace
diff --git a/cmd/vsphere/main.go b/cmd/vsphere/main.go
index 89d3e767f6..f44807572a 100644
--- a/cmd/vsphere/main.go
+++ b/cmd/vsphere/main.go
@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@ import (
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/runtime/signals"
 )
 
+// The default durations for the leader electrion operations.
+var (
+	leaseDuration = 120 * time.Second
+	renewDealine  = 110 * time.Second
+	retryPeriod   = 90 * time.Second
+)
+
 func main() {
 	var printVersion bool
 	flag.BoolVar(&printVersion, "version", false, "print version and exit")
@@ -45,7 +52,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	leaderElectLeaseDuration := flag.Duration(
 		"leader-elect-lease-duration",
-		90*time.Second,
+		leaseDuration,
 		"The duration that non-leader candidates will wait after observing a leadership renewal until attempting to acquire leadership of a led but unrenewed leader slot. This is effectively the maximum duration that a leader can be stopped before it is replaced by another candidate. This is only applicable if leader election is enabled.",
 	)
 
@@ -79,6 +86,9 @@ func main() {
 		LeaderElectionNamespace: *leaderElectResourceNamespace,
 		LeaderElectionID:        "cluster-api-provider-vsphere-leader",
 		LeaseDuration:           leaderElectLeaseDuration,
+		// Slow the default retry and renew election rate to reduce etcd writes at idle: BZ 1858400
+		RetryPeriod:   &retryPeriod,
+		RenewDeadline: &renewDealine,
 	}
 
 	if *watchNamespace != "" {
diff --git a/pkg/operator/sync.go b/pkg/operator/sync.go
index 02b5d75c88..b4c455dcbd 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/sync.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/sync.go
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ func newContainers(config *OperatorConfig, features map[string]bool) []corev1.Co
 		"--logtostderr=true",
 		"--v=3",
 		"--leader-elect=true",
-		"--leader-elect-lease-duration=90s",
+		"--leader-elect-lease-duration=120s",
 		fmt.Sprintf("--namespace=%s", config.TargetNamespace),
 	}