diff --git a/doc/Changelog b/doc/Changelog
index 3aaa19338..af111d8a0 100644
--- a/doc/Changelog
+++ b/doc/Changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+11 December 2020: Wouter
+	- Fix #371: unbound-control timeout when Unbound is not running.
+
 3 December 2020: Wouter
 	- make depend.
 	- iana portlist updated.
diff --git a/smallapp/unbound-control.c b/smallapp/unbound-control.c
index 842dbe0d8..93281736a 100644
--- a/smallapp/unbound-control.c
+++ b/smallapp/unbound-control.c
@@ -82,6 +82,9 @@ static void usage(void) ATTR_NORETURN;
 static void ssl_err(const char* s) ATTR_NORETURN;
 static void ssl_path_err(const char* s, const char *path) ATTR_NORETURN;
 
+/** timeout to wait for connection over stream, in msec */
+#define UNBOUND_CONTROL_CONNECT_TIMEOUT 5000
+
 /** Give unbound-control usage, and exit (1). */
 static void
 usage(void)
@@ -545,6 +548,30 @@ setup_ctx(struct config_file* cfg)
 	return ctx;
 }
 
+/** check connect error */
+static void
+checkconnecterr(int err, const char* svr, struct sockaddr_storage* addr,
+	socklen_t addrlen, int statuscmd, int useport)
+{
+#ifndef USE_WINSOCK
+	if(!useport) log_err("connect: %s for %s", strerror(err), svr);
+	else log_err_addr("connect", strerror(err), addr, addrlen);
+	if(err == ECONNREFUSED && statuscmd) {
+		printf("unbound is stopped\n");
+		exit(3);
+	}
+#else
+	int wsaerr = err;
+	if(!useport) log_err("connect: %s for %s", wsa_strerror(wsaerr), svr);
+	else log_err_addr("connect", wsa_strerror(wsaerr), addr, addrlen);
+	if(wsaerr == WSAECONNREFUSED && statuscmd) {
+		printf("unbound is stopped\n");
+		exit(3);
+	}
+#endif
+	exit(1);
+}
+
 /** contact the server with TCP connect */
 static int
 contact_server(const char* svr, struct config_file* cfg, int statuscmd)
@@ -598,26 +625,75 @@ contact_server(const char* svr, struct config_file* cfg, int statuscmd)
 	if(fd == -1) {
 		fatal_exit("socket: %s", sock_strerror(errno));
 	}
+	fd_set_nonblock(fd);
 	if(connect(fd, (struct sockaddr*)&addr, addrlen) < 0) {
 #ifndef USE_WINSOCK
-		int err = errno;
-		if(!useport) log_err("connect: %s for %s", strerror(err), svr);
-		else log_err_addr("connect", strerror(err), &addr, addrlen);
-		if(err == ECONNREFUSED && statuscmd) {
-			printf("unbound is stopped\n");
-			exit(3);
-		}
-#else
-		int wsaerr = WSAGetLastError();
-		if(!useport) log_err("connect: %s for %s", wsa_strerror(wsaerr), svr);
-		else log_err_addr("connect", wsa_strerror(wsaerr), &addr, addrlen);
-		if(wsaerr == WSAECONNREFUSED && statuscmd) {
-			printf("unbound is stopped\n");
-			exit(3);
+#ifdef EINPROGRESS
+		if(errno != EINPROGRESS) {
+			checkconnecterr(errno, svr, &addr,
+				addrlen, statuscmd, useport);
+		}
+#endif
+#else
+		if(WSAGetLastError() != WSAEINPROGRESS &&
+			WSAGetLastError() != WSAEWOULDBLOCK) {
+			checkconnecterr(WSAGetLastError(), svr, &addr,
+				addrlen, statuscmd, useport);
 		}
 #endif
-		exit(1);
 	}
+	while(1) {
+		fd_set rset, wset, eset;
+		struct timeval tv;
+		FD_ZERO(&rset);
+		FD_SET(FD_SET_T fd, &rset);
+		FD_ZERO(&wset);
+		FD_SET(FD_SET_T fd, &wset);
+		FD_ZERO(&eset);
+		FD_SET(FD_SET_T fd, &eset);
+		tv.tv_sec = UNBOUND_CONTROL_CONNECT_TIMEOUT/1000;
+		tv.tv_usec= (UNBOUND_CONTROL_CONNECT_TIMEOUT%1000)*1000;
+		if(select(fd+1, &rset, &wset, &eset, &tv) == -1) {
+			fatal_exit("select: %s", sock_strerror(errno));
+		}
+		if(!FD_ISSET(fd, &rset) && !FD_ISSET(fd, &wset) &&
+			!FD_ISSET(fd, &eset)) {
+			fatal_exit("timeout: could not connect to server");
+		} else {
+			/* check nonblocking connect error */
+			int error = 0;
+			socklen_t len = (socklen_t)sizeof(error);
+			if(getsockopt(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_ERROR, (void*)&error,
+				&len) < 0) {
+#ifndef USE_WINSOCK
+				error = errno; /* on solaris errno is error */
+#else
+				error = WSAGetLastError();
+#endif
+			}
+			if(error != 0) {
+#ifndef USE_WINSOCK
+#ifdef EINPROGRESS
+				if(error == EINPROGRESS)
+					continue; /* try again later */
+#endif
+#ifdef EWOULDBLOCK
+				if(error == EWOULDBLOCK)
+					continue; /* try again later */
+#endif
+#else
+				if(error == WSAEINPROGRESS)
+					continue; /* try again later */
+				if(error == WSAEWOULDBLOCK)
+					continue; /* try again later */
+#endif
+				checkconnecterr(error, svr, &addr, addrlen,
+					statuscmd, useport);
+			}
+		}
+		break;
+	}
+	fd_set_block(fd);
 	return fd;
 }