diff --git a/src/main/java/jenkins/plugins/jclouds/compute/JCloudsSlaveTemplate.java b/src/main/java/jenkins/plugins/jclouds/compute/JCloudsSlaveTemplate.java
index 2d32108..0de7859 100644
--- a/src/main/java/jenkins/plugins/jclouds/compute/JCloudsSlaveTemplate.java
+++ b/src/main/java/jenkins/plugins/jclouds/compute/JCloudsSlaveTemplate.java
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ public class JCloudsSlaveTemplate implements Describable<JCloudsSlaveTemplate>,
    private final String fsRoot;
    public final boolean allowSudo;
    public final int overrideRetentionTime;
+   public final int spoolDelayMs;
+   private final Object delayLockObject = new Object();
    
    private transient Set<LabelAtom> labelSet;
 
@@ -97,7 +99,9 @@ public class JCloudsSlaveTemplate implements Describable<JCloudsSlaveTemplate>,
                                final boolean preExistingJenkinsUser,
                                final String fsRoot,
                                final boolean allowSudo,
-                               final int overrideRetentionTime) {
+                               final int overrideRetentionTime,
+                               final int spoolDelayMs
+                               ) {
 
        this.name = Util.fixEmptyAndTrim(name);
        this.imageId = Util.fixEmptyAndTrim(imageId);
@@ -119,6 +123,7 @@ public class JCloudsSlaveTemplate implements Describable<JCloudsSlaveTemplate>,
        this.fsRoot = Util.fixEmptyAndTrim(fsRoot);
        this.allowSudo = allowSudo;
        this.overrideRetentionTime = overrideRetentionTime;
+       this.spoolDelayMs = spoolDelayMs;
        readResolve();
    }
 
@@ -200,6 +205,21 @@ public class JCloudsSlaveTemplate implements Describable<JCloudsSlaveTemplate>,
           template.getOptions().overrideLoginCredentials(lc);
       }
 
+      if (spoolDelayMs > 0)
+      {
+          // (JENKINS-15970) Add optional delay before spooling. Author: Adam Rofer
+          synchronized(delayLockObject)
+          {
+              LOGGER.info("Delaying " + spoolDelayMs + " milliseconds. Current ms -> " + System.currentTimeMillis());
+              try
+              {
+                  Thread.sleep(spoolDelayMs);
+              }
+              catch (InterruptedException e)
+              {
+              }
+          }
+      }
 
       Statement initStatement = null;
       Statement bootstrap = null;
diff --git a/src/main/resources/jenkins/plugins/jclouds/compute/JCloudsSlaveTemplate/config.jelly b/src/main/resources/jenkins/plugins/jclouds/compute/JCloudsSlaveTemplate/config.jelly
index d751b31..9ece377 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/jenkins/plugins/jclouds/compute/JCloudsSlaveTemplate/config.jelly
+++ b/src/main/resources/jenkins/plugins/jclouds/compute/JCloudsSlaveTemplate/config.jelly
@@ -65,6 +65,11 @@
       <f:entry title="Override Retention Time" field="overrideRetentionTime">
         <f:textbox />
       </f:entry>
+      
+      <f:entry title="Delay before spooling up (ms)" field="spoolDelayMs">
+        <f:textbox />
+      </f:entry>
+      
       <f:entry title="Init Script" field="initScript">
         <f:textarea />
       </f:entry>
diff --git a/src/main/resources/jenkins/plugins/jclouds/compute/JCloudsSlaveTemplate/help-spoolDelayMs.html b/src/main/resources/jenkins/plugins/jclouds/compute/JCloudsSlaveTemplate/help-spoolDelayMs.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..571480d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/resources/jenkins/plugins/jclouds/compute/JCloudsSlaveTemplate/help-spoolDelayMs.html
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+<div>
+  Optional delay before spooling up a VM instance (in milliseconds).
+</div>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/java/jenkins/plugins/jclouds/compute/JCloudsSlaveTemplateTest.java b/src/test/java/jenkins/plugins/jclouds/compute/JCloudsSlaveTemplateTest.java
index 159c1d4..c7c2e5c 100644
--- a/src/test/java/jenkins/plugins/jclouds/compute/JCloudsSlaveTemplateTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/jenkins/plugins/jclouds/compute/JCloudsSlaveTemplateTest.java
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ public class JCloudsSlaveTemplateTest extends HudsonTestCase {
       String name = "testSlave";
       JCloudsSlaveTemplate originalTemplate = new JCloudsSlaveTemplate(name, "imageId", "hardwareId", 1, 512, "osFamily",
                                                                        "osVersion", "jclouds-slave-type1 jclouds-type2", "Description",
-                                                                       "initScript", "1", false, null, null, true, "jenkins", false, null, false, 5);
+                                                                       "initScript", "1", false, null, null, true, "jenkins", false, null, false, 5, 0);
 
       List<JCloudsSlaveTemplate> templates = new ArrayList<JCloudsSlaveTemplate>();
       templates.add(originalTemplate);