diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Chrome.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Chrome.cs
index b45eb6b6a6..3ec1c36fb1 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Chrome.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Chrome.cs
@@ -210,6 +210,15 @@ namespace OpenRa
 			lineRenderer.Flush();
 		}
 
+		public void DrawDialog(string text)
+		{
+			var w = renderer.MeasureText(text).X + 120;
+			var h = 100;
+			var r = new Rectangle((Game.viewport.Width - w) / 2, (Game.viewport.Height - h) / 2, w, h);
+			DrawDialogBackground(r, optionsSprites, true);
+			DrawCentered(text, new int2(Game.viewport.Width / 2, Game.viewport.Height / 2 - 8), Color.White);
+		}
+
 		public void DrawLobby()
 		{
 			DrawDownloadBar();
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Graphics/Viewport.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Graphics/Viewport.cs
index ca6a1546aa..14e080b2a1 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Graphics/Viewport.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Graphics/Viewport.cs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Windows.Forms;
 using OpenRa.Traits;
+using OpenRa.Orders;
 
 namespace OpenRa.Graphics
 {
@@ -55,7 +56,24 @@ namespace OpenRa.Graphics
 			}
 			else
 			{
-				Game.chrome.DrawLobby();
+				if (Game.orderManager.IsNetplay)
+				{
+					var nos = Game.orderManager.Sources.OfType<NetworkOrderSource>().First();
+					switch (nos.State)
+					{
+						case ConnectionState.Connecting:
+							Game.chrome.DrawDialog("Connecting to server...");
+							break;
+						case ConnectionState.NotConnected:
+							Game.chrome.DrawDialog("Connection failed.");
+							break;
+						case ConnectionState.Connected:
+							Game.chrome.DrawLobby();
+							break;
+					}
+				}
+				else
+					Game.chrome.DrawLobby();
 			}
 
 			var c = Game.chrome.HitTest(mousePos) ? Cursor.Default : Game.controller.ChooseCursor();
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Orders/NetworkOrderSource.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Orders/NetworkOrderSource.cs
index 052bd3643c..0065dc0a0b 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Orders/NetworkOrderSource.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Orders/NetworkOrderSource.cs
@@ -3,9 +3,17 @@ using System.IO;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Net.Sockets;
 using System.Threading;
+using System;
 
 namespace OpenRa.Orders
 {
+	enum ConnectionState
+	{
+		NotConnected,
+		Connecting,
+		Connected,
+	}
+
 	class NetworkOrderSource : IOrderSource
 	{
 		TcpClient socket;
@@ -13,35 +21,53 @@ namespace OpenRa.Orders
 		Dictionary<int, List<byte[]>> orderBuffers = new Dictionary<int, List<byte[]>>();
 		Dictionary<int, bool> gotEverything = new Dictionary<int, bool>();
 
+		public ConnectionState State { get; private set; }
+
 		public NetworkOrderSource(string host, int port)
 		{
-			socket = new TcpClient(host, port);
-			this.socket.NoDelay = true;
-			var reader = new BinaryReader(socket.GetStream());
+			State = ConnectionState.Connecting;
 
-			new Thread(() =>
+			socket = new TcpClient();
+			socket.BeginConnect(host, port, OnConnected, null);
+			socket.NoDelay = true;
+		}
+
+		void OnConnected(IAsyncResult r)
+		{
+			try
 			{
-				for (; ; )
+				socket.EndConnect(r);
+				State = ConnectionState.Connected;
+				new Thread(() =>
 				{
-					var len = reader.ReadInt32();
-					var frame = reader.ReadInt32();
-					var buf = reader.ReadBytes(len - 4);
-
-					lock (orderBuffers)
+					for (; ; )
 					{
-						if (len == 5 && buf[0] == 0xef)	/* got everything marker */
-							gotEverything[frame] = true;
-						else
+						var reader = new BinaryReader(socket.GetStream());
+
+						var len = reader.ReadInt32();
+						var frame = reader.ReadInt32();
+						var buf = reader.ReadBytes(len - 4);
+
+						lock (orderBuffers)
 						{
-							/* accumulate this chunk */
-							if (!orderBuffers.ContainsKey(frame))
-								orderBuffers[frame] = new List<byte[]> { buf };
+							if (len == 5 && buf[0] == 0xef)	/* got everything marker */
+								gotEverything[frame] = true;
 							else
-								orderBuffers[frame].Add(buf);
+							{
+								/* accumulate this chunk */
+								if (!orderBuffers.ContainsKey(frame))
+									orderBuffers[frame] = new List<byte[]> { buf };
+								else
+									orderBuffers[frame].Add(buf);
+							}
 						}
 					}
-				}
-			}) { IsBackground = true }.Start();
+				}) { IsBackground = true }.Start();
+			}
+			catch
+			{
+				State = ConnectionState.NotConnected;
+			}
 		}
 
 		static List<byte[]> NoOrders = new List<byte[]>();
@@ -66,7 +92,8 @@ namespace OpenRa.Orders
 
 		public void SendLocalOrders(int localFrame, List<Order> localOrders)
 		{
-			socket.GetStream().WriteFrameData(localOrders, localFrame);
+			if (socket.Connected)
+				socket.GetStream().WriteFrameData(localOrders, localFrame);
 		}
 
 		public bool IsReadyForFrame(int frameNumber)
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Orders/OrderManager.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Orders/OrderManager.cs
index d149ec15e2..1a5dfd1d2d 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Orders/OrderManager.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Orders/OrderManager.cs
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ namespace OpenRa.Orders
 					p.SendLocalOrders(i, new List<Order>());
 		}
 
+		public IEnumerable<IOrderSource> Sources { get { return sources; } }
+
 		public int FrameNumber { get { return frameNumber; } }
 
 		public OrderManager( IEnumerable<IOrderSource> sources )