diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 8bc6495..eca4b28 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
     "mafmt": "^8.0.1",
     "multiaddr": "^8.1.1",
     "multiaddr-to-uri": "^6.0.0",
+    "p-defer": "^3.0.0",
     "p-timeout": "^3.2.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 3d985ae..26c550c 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -4,8 +4,11 @@ const connect = require('it-ws/client')
 const withIs = require('class-is')
 const toUri = require('multiaddr-to-uri')
 const { AbortError } = require('abortable-iterator')
+const pDefer = require('p-defer')
 
-const log = require('debug')('libp2p:websockets')
+const debug = require('debug')
+const log = debug('libp2p:websockets')
+log.error = debug('libp2p:websockets:error')
 const env = require('ipfs-utils/src/env')
 
 const createListener = require('./listener')
@@ -63,10 +66,24 @@ class WebSockets {
     const cOpts = ma.toOptions()
     log('dialing %s:%s', cOpts.host, cOpts.port)
 
+    const errorPromise = pDefer()
+    const errfn = (err) => {
+      const msg = `connection error: ${err.message}`
+      log.error(msg)
+
+      errorPromise.reject(err)
+    }
+
     const rawSocket = connect(toUri(ma), Object.assign({ binary: true }, options))
 
+    if (rawSocket.socket.on) {
+      rawSocket.socket.on('error', errfn)
+    } else {
+      rawSocket.socket.onerror = errfn
+    }
+
     if (!options.signal) {
-      await rawSocket.connected()
+      await Promise.race([rawSocket.connected(), errorPromise.promise])
 
       log('connected %s', ma)
       return rawSocket
@@ -77,7 +94,10 @@ class WebSockets {
     const abort = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
       onAbort = () => {
         reject(new AbortError())
-        rawSocket.close()
+        // FIXME: https://github.com/libp2p/js-libp2p-websockets/issues/121
+        setTimeout(() => {
+          rawSocket.close()
+        })
       }
 
       // Already aborted?
@@ -86,7 +106,7 @@ class WebSockets {
     })
 
     try {
-      await Promise.race([abort, rawSocket.connected()])
+      await Promise.race([abort, errorPromise.promise, rawSocket.connected()])
     } finally {
       options.signal.removeEventListener('abort', onAbort)
     }
diff --git a/test/node.js b/test/node.js
index 83bcd8f..e7eadd9 100644
--- a/test/node.js
+++ b/test/node.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 const https = require('https')
 const fs = require('fs')
 
+const AbortController = require('abort-controller').default
 const { expect } = require('aegir/utils/chai')
 const multiaddr = require('multiaddr')
 const goodbye = require('it-goodbye')
@@ -224,6 +225,16 @@ describe('dial', () => {
       expect(result).to.be.eql([uint8ArrayFromString('hey')])
     })
 
+    it('dial should throw on immediate abort', async () => {
+      const ma = multiaddr('/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/0/ws')
+      const controller = new AbortController()
+
+      const conn = ws.dial(ma, { signal: controller.signal })
+      controller.abort()
+
+      await expect(conn).to.eventually.be.rejected()
+    })
+
     it('should resolve port 0', async () => {
       const ma = multiaddr('/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/0/ws')
       const ws = new WS({ upgrader: mockUpgrader })