diff --git a/zio-http/jvm/src/main/scala/zio/http/netty/client/NettyConnectionPool.scala b/zio-http/jvm/src/main/scala/zio/http/netty/client/NettyConnectionPool.scala
index e657fe7c01..df52b52479 100644
--- a/zio-http/jvm/src/main/scala/zio/http/netty/client/NettyConnectionPool.scala
+++ b/zio-http/jvm/src/main/scala/zio/http/netty/client/NettyConnectionPool.scala
@@ -120,9 +120,14 @@ object NettyConnectionPool {
           case _          => bootstrap
         }).connect()
       }
-      _             <- NettyFutureExecutor.executed(channelFuture)
       ch            <- ZIO.attempt(channelFuture.channel())
-      _             <- Scope.addFinalizer(NettyFutureExecutor.executed(ch.close()).when(ch.isOpen).ignoreLogged)
+      _             <- Scope.addFinalizer {
+        NettyFutureExecutor.executed {
+          channelFuture.cancel(true)
+          ch.close()
+        }.when(ch.isOpen).ignoreLogged
+      }
+      _             <- NettyFutureExecutor.executed(channelFuture)
     } yield ch
   }
 
diff --git a/zio-http/jvm/src/test/scala/zio/http/ClientSpec.scala b/zio-http/jvm/src/test/scala/zio/http/ClientSpec.scala
index cdc23e1ece..9b4252270b 100644
--- a/zio-http/jvm/src/test/scala/zio/http/ClientSpec.scala
+++ b/zio-http/jvm/src/test/scala/zio/http/ClientSpec.scala
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import scala.annotation.nowarn
 
 import zio._
 import zio.test.Assertion._
-import zio.test.TestAspect.{sequential, timeout, withLiveClock}
+import zio.test.TestAspect.{flaky, sequential, timeout, withLiveClock}
 import zio.test._
 
 import zio.stream.ZStream
@@ -100,6 +100,12 @@ object ClientSpec extends HttpRunnableSpec {
       val effect = app.deployAndRequest(requestCode).runZIO(())
       assertZIO(effect)(isTrue)
     },
+    test("request can be timed out manually while awaiting connection") {
+      // Unfortunately we have to use a real URL here, as we can't really simulate a long connection time
+      val url  = URL.decode("https://test.com").toOption.get
+      val resp = ZIO.scoped(ZClient.request(Request.get(url))).timeout(500.millis)
+      assertZIO(resp)(isNone)
+    } @@ timeout(5.seconds) @@ flaky(5),
   )
 
   override def spec = {
diff --git a/zio-http/shared/src/main/scala/zio/http/ZClient.scala b/zio-http/shared/src/main/scala/zio/http/ZClient.scala
index a10e613ebf..6d207a9986 100644
--- a/zio-http/shared/src/main/scala/zio/http/ZClient.scala
+++ b/zio-http/shared/src/main/scala/zio/http/ZClient.scala
@@ -682,26 +682,30 @@ object ZClient extends ZClientPlatformSpecific {
         case location: Location.Absolute =>
           ZIO.uninterruptibleMask { restore =>
             for {
-              onComplete <- Promise.make[Throwable, ChannelState]
-              onResponse <- Promise.make[Throwable, Response]
+              connectionAcquired <- Ref.make(false)
+              onComplete         <- Promise.make[Throwable, ChannelState]
+              onResponse         <- Promise.make[Throwable, Response]
               inChannelScope = outerScope match {
                 case Some(scope) => (zio: ZIO[Scope, Throwable, Unit]) => scope.extend(zio)
                 case None        => (zio: ZIO[Scope, Throwable, Unit]) => ZIO.scoped(zio)
               }
               channelFiber <- inChannelScope {
                 for {
-                  connection       <- connectionPool
-                    .get(
-                      location,
-                      clientConfig.proxy,
-                      clientConfig.ssl.getOrElse(ClientSSLConfig.Default),
-                      clientConfig.maxInitialLineLength,
-                      clientConfig.maxHeaderSize,
-                      clientConfig.requestDecompression,
-                      clientConfig.idleTimeout,
-                      clientConfig.connectionTimeout,
-                      clientConfig.localAddress,
-                    )
+                  connection       <- restore(
+                    connectionPool
+                      .get(
+                        location,
+                        clientConfig.proxy,
+                        clientConfig.ssl.getOrElse(ClientSSLConfig.Default),
+                        clientConfig.maxInitialLineLength,
+                        clientConfig.maxHeaderSize,
+                        clientConfig.requestDecompression,
+                        clientConfig.idleTimeout,
+                        clientConfig.connectionTimeout,
+                        clientConfig.localAddress,
+                      ),
+                  )
+                    .zipLeft(connectionAcquired.set(true))
                     .tapErrorCause(cause => onResponse.failCause(cause))
                     .map(_.asInstanceOf[driver.Connection])
                   channelInterface <-
@@ -742,7 +746,9 @@ object ZClient extends ZClientPlatformSpecific {
               }.forkDaemon // Needs to live as long as the channel is alive, as the response body may be streaming
               _ <- ZIO.addFinalizer(onComplete.interrupt)
               response <- restore(onResponse.await.onInterrupt {
-                onComplete.interrupt *> channelFiber.join.orDie
+                ZIO.unlessZIO(connectionAcquired.get)(channelFiber.interrupt) *>
+                  onComplete.interrupt *>
+                  channelFiber.await
               })
             } yield response
           }