diff --git a/src/com/intelligt/modbus/jlibmodbus/net/ModbusMasterConnectionTCP.java b/src/com/intelligt/modbus/jlibmodbus/net/ModbusMasterConnectionTCP.java
index 7d2c2e9..acf58f9 100644
--- a/src/com/intelligt/modbus/jlibmodbus/net/ModbusMasterConnectionTCP.java
+++ b/src/com/intelligt/modbus/jlibmodbus/net/ModbusMasterConnectionTCP.java
@@ -61,15 +61,20 @@ public ModbusTransport getTransport() {
     protected void openImpl() throws ModbusIOException {
         if (!isOpened()) {
             if (parameters != null) {
-                Socket socket = new Socket();
                 InetSocketAddress isa = new InetSocketAddress(parameters.getHost(), parameters.getPort());
+                Socket socket = new Socket();
                 try {
-                    socket.connect(isa, Modbus.MAX_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT);
+                    socket.connect(isa, parameters.getConnectionTimeout());
                     socket.setKeepAlive(parameters.isKeepAlive());
 
                     transport = ModbusTransportFactory.createTCP(socket);
                     setReadTimeout(getReadTimeout());
                 } catch (Exception e) {
+                    try {
+                        socket.close();
+                    } catch (IOException e1) {
+                        // ignored
+                    }
                     throw new ModbusIOException(e);
                 }
             } else {
diff --git a/src/com/intelligt/modbus/jlibmodbus/tcp/TcpParameters.java b/src/com/intelligt/modbus/jlibmodbus/tcp/TcpParameters.java
index 40321b8..fe37eae 100644
--- a/src/com/intelligt/modbus/jlibmodbus/tcp/TcpParameters.java
+++ b/src/com/intelligt/modbus/jlibmodbus/tcp/TcpParameters.java
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ public class TcpParameters {
     private InetAddress host = null;
     private int port;
     private boolean keepAlive;
+    private int connectionTimeout = Modbus.MAX_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT;
 
     public TcpParameters() {
         try {
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ public TcpParameters() {
 
     public TcpParameters(TcpParameters p) {
         this(p.getHost(), p.getPort(), p.isKeepAlive());
+        setConnectionTimeout(p.getConnectionTimeout());
     }
 
     public TcpParameters(InetAddress host, int port, boolean keepAlive) {
@@ -84,4 +86,12 @@ public boolean isKeepAlive() {
     public void setKeepAlive(boolean keepAlive) {
         this.keepAlive = keepAlive;
     }
+    
+    public int getConnectionTimeout() {
+        return connectionTimeout;
+    }
+    
+    public void setConnectionTimeout(int connectionTimeout) {
+        this.connectionTimeout = connectionTimeout;
+    }
 }