diff --git a/src/WAConnection/0.Base.ts b/src/WAConnection/0.Base.ts
index 3deaa22..a5ddb7f 100644
--- a/src/WAConnection/0.Base.ts
+++ b/src/WAConnection/0.Base.ts
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ export class WAConnection extends EventEmitter {
     regenerateQRIntervalMs = 30*1000
     connectOptions: WAConnectOptions = {
         timeoutMs: 60*1000,
+        maxIdleTimeMs: 10*1000,
         waitForChats: true,
         maxRetries: 5,
         connectCooldownMs: 2250,
@@ -80,6 +81,7 @@ export class WAConnection extends EventEmitter {
     protected lastDisconnectReason: DisconnectReason 
 
     protected mediaConn: MediaConnInfo
+    protected debounceTimeout: NodeJS.Timeout
 
     constructor () {
         super ()
@@ -101,7 +103,10 @@ export class WAConnection extends EventEmitter {
             error !== DisconnectReason.invalidSession // do not reconnect if credentials have been invalidated
         
         this.closeInternal(error, willReconnect)
-        willReconnect && this.connect ()
+        willReconnect && (
+            this.connect ()
+            .catch(err => {}) // prevent unhandled exeception
+        ) 
     }
     /**
      * base 64 encode the authentication credentials and return them
@@ -316,6 +321,7 @@ export class WAConnection extends EventEmitter {
 
         this.qrTimeout && clearTimeout (this.qrTimeout)
         this.keepAliveReq && clearInterval(this.keepAliveReq)
+        this.debounceTimeout && clearTimeout (this.debounceTimeout)
         
         this.state = 'close'
         this.msgCount = 0
diff --git a/src/WAConnection/1.Validation.ts b/src/WAConnection/1.Validation.ts
index 0205265..26d0cc4 100644
--- a/src/WAConnection/1.Validation.ts
+++ b/src/WAConnection/1.Validation.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { MessageLogLevel, WAMetric, WAFlag, BaileysError, Presence, WAUser } fro
 export class WAConnection extends Base {
     
     /** Authenticate the connection */
-    protected async authenticate (reconnect?: string) {
+    protected async authenticate (onConnectionValidated: () => void, reconnect?: string) {
         // if no auth info is present, that is, a new session has to be established
         // generate a client ID
         if (!this.authInfo?.clientID) {
@@ -56,9 +56,9 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {
         }
 
         const validationJSON = (await Promise.all (initQueries)).slice(-1)[0] // get the last result
-
         this.user = await this.validateNewConnection(validationJSON[1]) // validate the connection
         
+        onConnectionValidated ()
         this.log('validated connection successfully', MessageLogLevel.info)
 
         const response = await this.query({ json: ['query', 'ProfilePicThumb', this.user.jid], waitForOpen: false, expect200: false })
diff --git a/src/WAConnection/3.Connect.ts b/src/WAConnection/3.Connect.ts
index 93a80d8..35be5a7 100644
--- a/src/WAConnection/3.Connect.ts
+++ b/src/WAConnection/3.Connect.ts
@@ -68,13 +68,18 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {
             let cancel: () => void
             const task = Utils.promiseTimeout(timeoutMs, (resolve, reject) => {
                 let task: Promise<any> = Promise.resolve ()
+                const checkIdleTime = () => {
+                    this.debounceTimeout && clearTimeout (this.debounceTimeout)
+                    this.debounceTimeout = setTimeout (() => rejectSafe (TimedOutError()), this.connectOptions.maxIdleTimeMs)
+                }
+                const debouncedTimeout = () => this.connectOptions.maxIdleTimeMs && this.conn.addEventListener ('message', checkIdleTime)
+                
                 // add wait for chats promise if required
                 if (typeof options?.waitForChats === 'undefined' ? true : options?.waitForChats) {
                     const {waitForChats, cancelChats} = this.receiveChatsAndContacts()
                     task = waitForChats
                     cancel = cancelChats
                 }
-
                 // determine whether reconnect should be used or not
                 const shouldUseReconnect = this.lastDisconnectReason !== DisconnectReason.replaced && 
                                             this.lastDisconnectReason !== DisconnectReason.unknown &&
@@ -83,16 +88,17 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {
                 
                 const reconnectID = shouldUseReconnect ? this.user.jid.replace ('@s.whatsapp.net', '@c.us') : null
 
-                this.conn = new WS(WS_URL, null, { origin: DEFAULT_ORIGIN, timeout: timeoutMs, agent: options.agent })
-                this.conn.on('message', data => this.onMessageRecieved(data as any))
-
+                this.conn = new WS(WS_URL, null, { origin: DEFAULT_ORIGIN, timeout: this.connectOptions.maxIdleTimeMs, agent: options.agent })
+                this.conn.addEventListener('message', ({data}) => this.onMessageRecieved(data as any))
+                
                 this.conn.on ('open', async () => {
                     this.log(`connected to WhatsApp Web server, authenticating via ${reconnectID ? 'reconnect' : 'takeover'}`, MessageLogLevel.info)
                     
                     try {
                         task = Promise.all ([
                             task,
-                            this.authenticate (reconnectID)
+                            // debounce the timeout once validated
+                            this.authenticate (debouncedTimeout, reconnectID)
                             .then (
                                 () => {
                                     this.conn
@@ -102,12 +108,14 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {
                             )
                         ])
                         const [result] = await task
+                        
+                        this.conn.removeEventListener ('message', checkIdleTime)
+                        
                         resolve (result)
                     } catch (error) {
                         reject (error)
                     }
                 })
-
                 const rejectSafe = error => {
                     task = task.catch (() => {})
                     reject (error)
@@ -138,7 +146,7 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {
             const result = connect ()
             cancellations.push (result.cancel)
 
-            const final = await result.promise
+            const final = await result.promise            
             return final
         } catch (error) {
             this.endConnection ()
diff --git a/src/WAConnection/Constants.ts b/src/WAConnection/Constants.ts
index e98928f..1a106a4 100644
--- a/src/WAConnection/Constants.ts
+++ b/src/WAConnection/Constants.ts
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ export enum ReconnectMode {
 export type WAConnectOptions = {
     /** timeout after which the connect attempt will fail, set to null for default timeout value */
     timeoutMs?: number
+    /**  */
+    maxIdleTimeMs?: number
     /** maximum attempts to connect */
     maxRetries?: number
     /** should the chats be waited for */