--- a/testing/marionette/client/marionette_driver/transport.py
+++ b/testing/marionette/client/marionette_driver/transport.py
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 # This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
 # License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
 # file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
 
 import json
 import socket
+import sys
 import time
 
 
 class SocketTimeout(object):
     def __init__(self, socket, timeout):
         self.sock = socket
         self.timeout = timeout
         self.old_timeout = None
@@ -191,20 +192,27 @@ class TcpTransport(object):
 
             self.sock.connect((self.addr, self.port))
         except:
             # Unset self.sock so that the next attempt to send will cause
             # another connection attempt.
             self.sock = None
             raise
 
-        with SocketTimeout(self.sock, 60.0):
-            # first packet is always a JSON Object
-            # which we can use to tell which protocol level we are at
-            raw = self.receive(unmarshal=False)
+        try:
+            with SocketTimeout(self.sock, 60.0):
+                # first packet is always a JSON Object
+                # which we can use to tell which protocol level we are at
+                raw = self.receive(unmarshal=False)
+        except socket.timeout:
+            msg = "Connection attempt failed because no data has been received over the socket: {}"
+            exc, val, tb = sys.exc_info()
+
+            raise exc, msg.format(val), tb
+
         hello = json.loads(raw)
         self.protocol = hello.get("marionetteProtocol", self.min_protocol_level)
         self.application_type = hello.get("applicationType")
 
         return (self.protocol, self.application_type)
 
     def send(self, obj):
         """Send message to the remote server.  Allowed input is a