diff --git a/core/pv-pva/src/main/java/org/phoebus/pv/pva/PVA_Preferences.java b/core/pv-pva/src/main/java/org/phoebus/pv/pva/PVA_Preferences.java
index a0c6f28412..3a68de5c42 100644
--- a/core/pv-pva/src/main/java/org/phoebus/pv/pva/PVA_Preferences.java
+++ b/core/pv-pva/src/main/java/org/phoebus/pv/pva/PVA_Preferences.java
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ public void installPreferences() throws Exception
                                 "epics_pva_server_port",
                                 "epics_pva_broadcast_port",
                                 "epics_pva_conn_tmo",
+                                "epics_pva_tcp_socket_tmo",
                                 "epics_pva_max_array_formatting",
                                 "epics_pva_send_buffer_size"
                             })
diff --git a/core/pv-pva/src/main/resources/pv_pva_preferences.properties b/core/pv-pva/src/main/resources/pv_pva_preferences.properties
index 2be095c556..5a62ac2f95 100644
--- a/core/pv-pva/src/main/resources/pv_pva_preferences.properties
+++ b/core/pv-pva/src/main/resources/pv_pva_preferences.properties
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ epics_pva_server_port
 # Connection timeout in seconds
 epics_pva_conn_tmo
 
+# TCP socket creation timeout in seconds
+epics_pva_tcp_socket_tmo
+
 # Maximum number of array elements shown when printing data
 epics_pva_max_array_formatting
 
diff --git a/core/pva/src/main/java/org/epics/pva/PVASettings.java b/core/pva/src/main/java/org/epics/pva/PVASettings.java
index 1876e3170c..0d60a3fa2e 100644
--- a/core/pva/src/main/java/org/epics/pva/PVASettings.java
+++ b/core/pva/src/main/java/org/epics/pva/PVASettings.java
@@ -212,6 +212,12 @@ public class PVASettings
      */
     public static int EPICS_PVA_CONN_TMO = 30;
 
+    /** Socket timeout for TCP connections
+     *
+     * TCP socket creation timeout in seconds
+     */
+    public static int EPICS_PVA_TCP_SOCKET_TMO = 5;
+
     /** Maximum number of array elements shown when printing data */
     public static int EPICS_PVA_MAX_ARRAY_FORMATTING = 256;
 
@@ -263,6 +269,7 @@ public class PVASettings
         EPICS_PVA_BROADCAST_PORT = get("EPICS_PVA_BROADCAST_PORT", EPICS_PVA_BROADCAST_PORT);
         EPICS_PVAS_BROADCAST_PORT = get("EPICS_PVAS_BROADCAST_PORT", EPICS_PVAS_BROADCAST_PORT);
         EPICS_PVA_CONN_TMO = get("EPICS_PVA_CONN_TMO", EPICS_PVA_CONN_TMO);
+        EPICS_PVA_TCP_SOCKET_TMO = get("EPICS_PVA_TCP_SOCKET_TMO", EPICS_PVA_TCP_SOCKET_TMO);
         EPICS_PVA_MAX_ARRAY_FORMATTING = get("EPICS_PVA_MAX_ARRAY_FORMATTING", EPICS_PVA_MAX_ARRAY_FORMATTING);
         EPICS_PVAS_TLS_KEYCHAIN = get("EPICS_PVAS_TLS_KEYCHAIN", EPICS_PVAS_TLS_KEYCHAIN);
         EPICS_PVAS_TLS_OPTIONS = get("EPICS_PVAS_TLS_OPTIONS", EPICS_PVAS_TLS_OPTIONS);
diff --git a/core/pva/src/main/java/org/epics/pva/common/SecureSockets.java b/core/pva/src/main/java/org/epics/pva/common/SecureSockets.java
index 7179d677ca..65959f2667 100644
--- a/core/pva/src/main/java/org/epics/pva/common/SecureSockets.java
+++ b/core/pva/src/main/java/org/epics/pva/common/SecureSockets.java
@@ -160,12 +160,18 @@ public static ServerSocket createServerSocket(final InetSocketAddress address, f
     public static Socket createClientSocket(final InetSocketAddress address, final boolean tls) throws Exception
     {
         initialize();
-        if (! tls)
-            return new Socket(address.getAddress(), address.getPort());
+        int connection_timeout = Math.max(1, PVASettings.EPICS_PVA_TCP_SOCKET_TMO) * 1000; // Use EPICS_PVA_TCP_SOCKET_TMO for socket connection timeout, but at least 1 second
+
+        if (!tls) {
+            Socket socket = new Socket();
+            socket.connect(address, connection_timeout);
+            return socket;
+        }
 
         if (tls_client_sockets == null)
             throw new Exception("TLS is not supported. Configure EPICS_PVA_TLS_KEYCHAIN");
-        final SSLSocket socket = (SSLSocket) tls_client_sockets.createSocket(address.getAddress(), address.getPort());
+        final SSLSocket socket = (SSLSocket) tls_client_sockets.createSocket();
+        socket.connect(address, connection_timeout);
         socket.setEnabledProtocols(PROTOCOLS);
         // Handshake starts when first writing, but that might delay SSL errors, so force handshake before we use the socket
         socket.startHandshake();