diff --git a/implementations/Crafter.Network-ClientQUIC.cpp b/implementations/Crafter.Network-ClientQUIC.cpp
index dbe16df..1857f59 100644
--- a/implementations/Crafter.Network-ClientQUIC.cpp
+++ b/implementations/Crafter.Network-ClientQUIC.cpp
@@ -555,6 +555,12 @@ static HQUIC OpenClientConfiguration(const std::string& alpn, const QUICClientCr
     QUIC_SETTINGS settings{};
     settings.IsSet.IdleTimeoutMs = 1;
     settings.IdleTimeoutMs = 120'000;
+    // Bound the handshake separately from the (much longer) idle timeout.
+    // The constructor blocks until msquic reports the connection either up or
+    // shut down; without this, dialling a host that never answers leaves it
+    // waiting for the idle timeout — minutes rather than seconds.
+    settings.IsSet.HandshakeIdleTimeoutMs = 1;
+    settings.HandshakeIdleTimeoutMs = 10'000;
     // Keep the connection alive across long idle gaps. msquic sends PING frames
     // on its own timer thread (independent of the app), so a request/response
     // connection survives even while the app is blocked for a long time between
@@ -618,6 +624,8 @@ ClientQUIC::ClientQUIC(const char* host, std::uint16_t port, std::string alpnIn,
     QUIC_STATUS handshakeStatus = QUIC_STATUS_SUCCESS;
     {
         std::unique_lock lk(impl->mtx);
+        // Bounded by HandshakeIdleTimeoutMs above: an unreachable peer ends in
+        // SHUTDOWN_INITIATED_BY_TRANSPORT rather than waiting here forever.
         impl->cv.wait(lk, [&]{ return impl->connected || impl->closed; });
         if (impl->connected) return;
         handshakeStatus = impl->shutdownStatus;
diff --git a/interfaces/Crafter.Network-ClientQUIC.cppm b/interfaces/Crafter.Network-ClientQUIC.cppm
index 6068922..d93c5e0 100644
--- a/interfaces/Crafter.Network-ClientQUIC.cppm
+++ b/interfaces/Crafter.Network-ClientQUIC.cppm
@@ -180,6 +180,8 @@ namespace Crafter {
 
         // Client constructor: connects to host:port using QUIC. ALPN must
         // match the listener. Throws QUICException on connect failure.
+        // Blocks for at most the handshake idle timeout (10s), so a host that
+        // never answers fails in seconds rather than at the idle timeout.
         ClientQUIC(const char* host, std::uint16_t port, std::string alpn,
                    QUICClientCredentials creds = {});
         ClientQUIC(std::string host, std::uint16_t port, std::string alpn,