diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/google/bitcoin/core/PeerGroup.java b/core/src/main/java/com/google/bitcoin/core/PeerGroup.java
index 5cb0f0b4..c091aee9 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/google/bitcoin/core/PeerGroup.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/google/bitcoin/core/PeerGroup.java
@@ -691,7 +691,13 @@ public class PeerGroup extends AbstractIdleService implements TransactionBroadca
         peer.setMinProtocolVersion(vMinRequiredProtocolVersion);
         pendingPeers.add(peer);
 
-        channels.openConnection(address, peer);
+        try {
+            channels.openConnection(address, peer);
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            log.warn("Failed to connect to " + address + ": " + e.getMessage());
+            handlePeerDeath(peer);
+            return null;
+        }
         peer.setSocketTimeout(vConnectTimeoutMillis);
         // When the channel has connected and version negotiated successfully, handleNewPeer will end up being called on
         // a worker thread.
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/google/bitcoin/networkabstraction/ConnectionHandler.java b/core/src/main/java/com/google/bitcoin/networkabstraction/ConnectionHandler.java
index b8c72128..eb1fa522 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/google/bitcoin/networkabstraction/ConnectionHandler.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/google/bitcoin/networkabstraction/ConnectionHandler.java
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ class ConnectionHandler implements MessageWriteTarget {
         } catch (Exception e) {
             // This can happen eg if the channel closes while the thread is about to get killed
             // (ClosedByInterruptException), or if handler.parser.receiveBytes throws something
-            log.error("Error handling SelectionKey", e);
+            log.error("Error handling SelectionKey: " + e.getMessage());
             if (handler != null)
                 handler.closeConnection();
         }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/google/bitcoin/networkabstraction/NioClientManager.java b/core/src/main/java/com/google/bitcoin/networkabstraction/NioClientManager.java
index 1ade70df..55bfc3ec 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/google/bitcoin/networkabstraction/NioClientManager.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/google/bitcoin/networkabstraction/NioClientManager.java
@@ -64,11 +64,11 @@ public class NioClientManager extends AbstractExecutionThreadService implements
                 }
             } catch (IOException e) {
                 // Calling sc.socket().getRemoteSocketAddress() here throws an exception, so we can only log the error itself
-                log.error("Failed to connect with exception", e);
+                log.error("Failed to connect with exception: {}", e.getMessage());
                 handler.closeConnection();
             } catch (CancelledKeyException e) { // There is a race to get to interestOps after finishConnect() which may cause this
                 // Calling sc.socket().getRemoteSocketAddress() here throws an exception, so we can only log the error itself
-                log.error("Failed to connect with exception", e);
+                log.error("Failed to connect with exception: {}", e.getMessage());
                 handler.closeConnection();
             }
         } else // Process bytes read