diff --git a/testnet/stacks-node/src/event_dispatcher.rs b/testnet/stacks-node/src/event_dispatcher.rs
index 5a72e4ca0a..58f567b4b7 100644
--- a/testnet/stacks-node/src/event_dispatcher.rs
+++ b/testnet/stacks-node/src/event_dispatcher.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ use std::thread::sleep;
 use std::time::Duration;
 
 use async_h1::client;
+use async_std::future::timeout;
 use async_std::net::TcpStream;
+use async_std::task;
 use clarity::vm::analysis::contract_interface_builder::build_contract_interface;
 use clarity::vm::costs::ExecutionCost;
 use clarity::vm::events::{FTEventType, NFTEventType, STXEventType};
@@ -318,6 +320,7 @@ impl EventObserver {
         };
 
         let backoff = Duration::from_millis((1.0 * 1_000.0) as u64);
+        let connection_timeout = Duration::from_secs(5);
 
         loop {
             let body = body.clone();
@@ -325,20 +328,25 @@ impl EventObserver {
             req.append_header("Content-Type", "application/json");
             req.set_body(body);
 
-            let response = async_std::task::block_on(async {
-                let stream = match TcpStream::connect(self.endpoint.clone()).await {
-                    Ok(stream) => stream,
-                    Err(err) => {
-                        warn!("Event dispatcher: connection failed  - {:?}", err);
-                        return None;
-                    }
-                };
+            let response = task::block_on(async {
+                let stream =
+                    match timeout(connection_timeout, TcpStream::connect(&self.endpoint)).await {
+                        Ok(Ok(stream)) => stream,
+                        Ok(Err(err)) => {
+                            warn!("Event dispatcher: connection failed  - {:?}", err);
+                            return None;
+                        }
+                        Err(_) => {
+                            error!("Event dispatcher: connection attempt timed out");
+                            return None;
+                        }
+                    };
 
                 match client::connect(stream, req).await {
                     Ok(response) => Some(response),
                     Err(err) => {
                         warn!("Event dispatcher: rpc invocation failed  - {:?}", err);
-                        return None;
+                        None
                     }
                 }
             });