diff --git a/nx/source/runtime/nxlink_stdio.c b/nx/source/runtime/nxlink_stdio.c
index aedd4c5c..265294c7 100644
--- a/nx/source/runtime/nxlink_stdio.c
+++ b/nx/source/runtime/nxlink_stdio.c
@@ -1,22 +1,41 @@
 #include "runtime/nxlink.h"
 
-#include <string.h>
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <sys/socket.h>
-#include <sys/errno.h>
 #include <arpa/inet.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <poll.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <sys/errno.h>
+#include <sys/socket.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
 static int sock = -1;
 
 int nxlinkConnectToHost(bool redirStdout, bool redirStderr)
 {
-    int ret = -1;
+    if (!__nxlink_host.s_addr) {
+        errno = ENETUNREACH;
+        return -1;
+    }
+
     struct sockaddr_in srv_addr;
 
     sock = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
-    if (!sock) {
-        return ret;
+    if (sock < 0) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    // set to non-blocking
+    int flags = fcntl(sock, F_GETFL, 0);
+    if (flags == -1) {
+        close(sock);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    if (fcntl(sock, F_SETFL, flags | O_NONBLOCK) != 0) {
+        close(sock);
+        return -1;
     }
 
     bzero(&srv_addr, sizeof srv_addr);
@@ -24,8 +43,36 @@ int nxlinkConnectToHost(bool redirStdout, bool redirStderr)
     srv_addr.sin_addr = __nxlink_host;
     srv_addr.sin_port = htons(NXLINK_CLIENT_PORT);
 
-    ret = connect(sock, (struct sockaddr *) &srv_addr, sizeof(srv_addr));
-    if (ret != 0) {
+    int ret = connect(sock, (struct sockaddr *) &srv_addr, sizeof(srv_addr));
+    if (ret != 0 && errno != EINPROGRESS) {
+        int err = errno;
+        close(sock);
+        close(err);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    if (ret != 0) { // EINPROGRESS
+        struct pollfd pfd;
+
+        pfd.fd      = sock;
+        pfd.events  = POLLOUT;
+        pfd.revents = 0;
+
+        int n = poll(&pfd, 1, 1000); // only wait up to 1s to connect
+        if (n < 0) {
+            close(sock);
+            return -1;
+        }
+
+        if (n == 0 || !(pfd.revents & POLLOUT)) {
+            close(sock);
+            errno = ETIMEDOUT;
+            return -1;
+        }
+    }
+
+    // reset back to blocking
+    if (fcntl(sock, F_SETFL, flags & ~O_NONBLOCK) != 0) {
         close(sock);
         return -1;
     }