diff --git a/ansible_mitogen/connection.py b/ansible_mitogen/connection.py
index 5baba223..93ad0df6 100644
--- a/ansible_mitogen/connection.py
+++ b/ansible_mitogen/connection.py
@@ -356,7 +356,8 @@ class Connection(ansible.plugins.connection.ConnectionBase):
         executing. We use the opportunity to grab relevant bits from the
         task-specific data.
         """
-        self.ansible_ssh_timeout = task_vars.get('ansible_ssh_timeout')
+        self.ansible_ssh_timeout = task_vars.get('ansible_ssh_timeout',
+                                                 C.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT)
         self.python_path = task_vars.get('ansible_python_interpreter',
                                          '/usr/bin/python')
         self.mitogen_via = task_vars.get('mitogen_via')
diff --git a/mitogen/parent.py b/mitogen/parent.py
index 76ca50bd..7352712e 100644
--- a/mitogen/parent.py
+++ b/mitogen/parent.py
@@ -974,6 +974,8 @@ class Router(mitogen.core.Router):
             self._context_by_id[context_id] = context
         return context
 
+    connection_timeout_msg = "Connection timed out."
+
     def _connect(self, klass, name=None, **kwargs):
         context_id = self.allocate_id()
         context = self.context_class(self, context_id)
@@ -982,7 +984,11 @@ class Router(mitogen.core.Router):
         stream = klass(self, context_id, **kwargs)
         if name is not None:
             stream.name = name
-        stream.connect()
+        try:
+            stream.connect()
+        except mitogen.core.TimeoutError:
+            e = sys.exc_info()[1]
+            raise mitogen.core.StreamError(self.connection_timeout_msg)
         context.name = stream.name
         self.route_monitor.notice_stream(stream)
         self.register(context, stream)