diff --git a/files/libvirt-guests.confd b/files/libvirt-guests.confd
index ed2ce58..d794e85 100644
--- a/files/libvirt-guests.confd
+++ b/files/libvirt-guests.confd
@@ -66,3 +66,12 @@
 # NATed network for you. Valid values: 'yes' or 'no'
 
 #LIBVIRT_NET_SHUTDOWN="yes"
+
+
+# LIBVIRT_CONWAIT
+# The timeout, in seconds, to wait for a connection to LIBVIRT_URIS
+# Valid values are any integer greater than or equal to 0
+# 0 means there will be no wait
+#
+#LIBVIRT_CONWAIT=5
+
diff --git a/files/libvirt-guests.init-r4 b/files/libvirt-guests.init-r4
index b29f04c..e672ad9 100644
--- a/files/libvirt-guests.init-r4
+++ b/files/libvirt-guests.init-r4
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ esac
 # default to 500 seconds
 [ -z ${LIBVIRT_MAXWAIT} ] && LIBVIRT_MAXWAIT=500
 
+# default to 5 seconds
+[ -z ${LIBVIRT_CONWAIT} ] && LIBVIRT_CONWAIT=5
+
+
 gueststatefile="/var/lib/libvirt/libvirt-guests.state"
 netstatefile="/var/lib/libvirt/libvirt-net.state"
 
@@ -165,16 +169,47 @@ libvirtd_net_stop() {
 	fi
 }
 
+libvirtd_connect_wait() {
+	# Does up to LIBVIRT_CONWAIT connect attempts
+	# Fails if cannot connect
+	# Exits as soon as a successful connection is made
+
+	local hvuri=$1
+	local counter=${LIBVIRT_CONWAIT}
+
+	# Since we call virsh directly, repeat the do_virsh check
+	# if unset, default to qemu
+	[ -z ${hvuri} ] && hvuri="qemu:///system"
+	# if only qemu was supplied then correct the value
+	[ "xqemu" = x${hvuri} ] && hvuri="qemu:///system"
+
+	einfo " Checking connection to ${hvuri} ..."
+
+	while [ ${counter} -gt 0 ]; do
+		virsh -c ${hvuri} connect &>/dev/null
+		if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+			counter=$((${counter} - 1))
+			printf "."
+			sleep 1
+		else
+			counter=0
+		fi
+	done
+	virsh -c ${hvuri} connect &>/dev/null
+	if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+		eerror "Failed to connect to '${hvuri}'. Domains may not start."
+	else
+		einfo " Connection to ${hvuri} OK"
+	fi
+}
+
 start() {
 	local uri=
 	local uuid=
 	local name=
 
 	for uri in ${LIBVIRT_URIS}; do
-		do_virsh "${uri}" connect
-		if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
-			eerror "Failed to connect to '${uri}'. Domains may not start."
-		fi
+		libvirtd_connect_wait ${uri}
 	done
 
 	[ ! -e "${netstatefile}" ] && touch "${netstatefile}"