diff --git a/src/net/nl_wifi_sm.c b/src/net/nl_wifi_sm.c
index dd5d38f..930831f 100644
--- a/src/net/nl_wifi_sm.c
+++ b/src/net/nl_wifi_sm.c
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ static void fail_test(nl_wifi_sm_t *sm, nl_wifi_error_t err, uint32_t now, nl_wi
         sm->backoff = NL_WIFI_BACKOFF_MIN_MS;
         sm->retry_armed = false;
         a->connect = true; /* old credentials */
+        sm->awaiting = true;
+        sm->connect_at = now;
     } else {
         sm->state = NL_WIFI_ST_AP_ONBOARDING;
     }
@@ -60,6 +62,8 @@ nl_wifi_actions_t nl_wifi_sm_start(nl_wifi_sm_t *sm, bool have_creds, uint32_t n
     if (have_creds) {
         begin_connecting(sm, now);
         a.connect = true;
+        sm->awaiting = true;
+        sm->connect_at = now;
     } else {
         sm->state = NL_WIFI_ST_AP_ONBOARDING;
         sm->ap_up = true;
@@ -77,6 +81,7 @@ nl_wifi_actions_t nl_wifi_sm_event(nl_wifi_sm_t *sm, nl_wifi_event_t ev, nl_wifi
     switch (sm->state) {
     case NL_WIFI_ST_STA_CONNECTING:
     case NL_WIFI_ST_APSTA_FALLBACK:
+        sm->awaiting = false;
         if (ev == NL_WIFI_EV_CONNECTED) {
             sm->state = NL_WIFI_ST_STA_CONNECTED;
             sm->retry_armed = false;
@@ -131,10 +136,20 @@ nl_wifi_actions_t nl_wifi_sm_tick(nl_wifi_sm_t *sm, uint32_t now)
             a.start_ap = true;
         }
     }
+    if ((sm->state == NL_WIFI_ST_STA_CONNECTING || sm->state == NL_WIFI_ST_APSTA_FALLBACK) && sm->awaiting && !sm->retry_armed &&
+        due(now, sm->connect_at + NL_WIFI_CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MS)) {
+        sm->awaiting = false;
+        uint32_t timeout_at = sm->connect_at + NL_WIFI_CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MS;
+        sm->retry_armed = true;
+        sm->retry_at = timeout_at + sm->backoff;
+        sm->backoff = sm->backoff * 2u > NL_WIFI_BACKOFF_MAX_MS ? NL_WIFI_BACKOFF_MAX_MS : sm->backoff * 2u;
+    }
     if ((sm->state == NL_WIFI_ST_STA_CONNECTING || sm->state == NL_WIFI_ST_APSTA_FALLBACK) && sm->retry_armed &&
         due(now, sm->retry_at)) {
         sm->retry_armed = false;
         a.connect = true;
+        sm->awaiting = true;
+        sm->connect_at = now;
     }
     if (sm->state == NL_WIFI_ST_ONBOARD_TEST && due(now, sm->deadline))
         fail_test(sm, NL_WIFI_ERR_TIMEOUT, now, &a);
diff --git a/src/net/nl_wifi_sm.h b/src/net/nl_wifi_sm.h
index ff6fe65..478d16e 100644
--- a/src/net/nl_wifi_sm.h
+++ b/src/net/nl_wifi_sm.h
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #define NL_WIFI_AP_CLOSE_FALLBACK_MS 10000u
 #define NL_WIFI_BACKOFF_MIN_MS       1000u
 #define NL_WIFI_BACKOFF_MAX_MS       60000u
+#define NL_WIFI_CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MS   30000u /* no event after a connect -> treat as failed */
 
 typedef enum {
     NL_WIFI_ST_AP_ONBOARDING = 0,
@@ -41,11 +42,13 @@ typedef struct {
     bool            pulsing;
     bool            retry_armed;
     bool            ap_stop_armed;
+    bool            awaiting;   /* waiting for response to a connect */
     uint32_t        since;      /* start of the current connecting phase */
     uint32_t        retry_at;
     uint32_t        backoff;
     uint32_t        deadline;   /* onboarding test */
     uint32_t        ap_stop_at;
+    uint32_t        connect_at; /* when the pending connect was issued */
 } nl_wifi_sm_t;
 
 nl_wifi_actions_t nl_wifi_sm_start(nl_wifi_sm_t *sm, bool have_creds, uint32_t now);
diff --git a/test/test_wifi_sm.c b/test/test_wifi_sm.c
index 24ba7d8..b306afd 100644
--- a/test/test_wifi_sm.c
+++ b/test/test_wifi_sm.c
@@ -155,6 +155,25 @@ static void test_error_names(void)
     TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_STRING("not_found", nl_wifi_error_name(NL_WIFI_ERR_NOT_FOUND));
 }
 
+static void test_connect_without_any_event_retries(void)
+{
+    nl_wifi_sm_start(&sm, true, 0);
+    TEST_ASSERT_FALSE(nl_wifi_sm_tick(&sm, 29999).connect);
+    TEST_ASSERT_FALSE(nl_wifi_sm_tick(&sm, 30000).connect); /* retry scheduled at 31000 */
+    TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(nl_wifi_sm_tick(&sm, 31000).connect);
+    /* next timeout: 31000 + 30000 + 2000 backoff = 63000 */
+    TEST_ASSERT_FALSE(nl_wifi_sm_tick(&sm, 62999).connect);
+    TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(nl_wifi_sm_tick(&sm, 63000).connect);
+    /* fallback after 300000 ms, and attempts continue */
+    a = nl_wifi_sm_tick(&sm, 300000);
+    TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(a.start_ap);
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL(NL_WIFI_ST_APSTA_FALLBACK, sm.state);
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_STRING("apsta", nl_wifi_sm_mode(&sm));
+    /* another attempt fires later */
+    a = nl_wifi_sm_tick(&sm, 360000);
+    TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(a.connect);
+}
+
 int main(void)
 {
     UNITY_BEGIN();
@@ -168,5 +187,6 @@ int main(void)
     RUN_TEST(test_onboarding_timeout);
     RUN_TEST(test_onboarding_while_connected_falls_back_to_old_credentials);
     RUN_TEST(test_error_names);
+    RUN_TEST(test_connect_without_any_event_retries);
     return UNITY_END();
 }