diff --git a/ctdb/tcp/tcp_connect.c b/ctdb/tcp/tcp_connect.c
index 4732a8d612b..6576f3362cd 100644
--- a/ctdb/tcp/tcp_connect.c
+++ b/ctdb/tcp/tcp_connect.c
@@ -162,11 +162,8 @@ static void ctdb_node_connect_write(struct tevent_context *ev,
 /*
   called when we should try and establish a tcp connection to a node
 */
-void ctdb_tcp_node_connect(struct tevent_context *ev, struct tevent_timer *te,
-			   struct timeval t, void *private_data)
+static void ctdb_tcp_start_outgoing(struct ctdb_node *node)
 {
-	struct ctdb_node *node = talloc_get_type(private_data,
-						 struct ctdb_node);
 	struct ctdb_tcp_node *tnode = talloc_get_type(node->transport_data,
 						      struct ctdb_tcp_node);
 	struct ctdb_context *ctdb = node->ctdb;
@@ -176,8 +173,6 @@ void ctdb_tcp_node_connect(struct tevent_context *ev, struct tevent_timer *te,
         ctdb_sock_addr sock_out;
 	int ret;
 
-	ctdb_tcp_stop_outgoing(node);
-
 	sock_out = node->address;
 
 	tnode->out_fd = socket(sock_out.sa.sa_family, SOCK_STREAM, IPPROTO_TCP);
@@ -268,6 +263,18 @@ failed:
 					     node);
 }
 
+void ctdb_tcp_node_connect(struct tevent_context *ev,
+			   struct tevent_timer *te,
+			   struct timeval t,
+			   void *private_data)
+{
+	struct ctdb_node *node = talloc_get_type_abort(private_data,
+						       struct ctdb_node);
+
+	ctdb_tcp_stop_outgoing(node);
+	ctdb_tcp_start_outgoing(node);
+}
+
 /*
   called when we get contacted by another node
   currently makes no attempt to check if the connection is really from a ctdb