diff --git a/roborock/devices/device.py b/roborock/devices/device.py
index 87814391..dfb924e3 100644
--- a/roborock/devices/device.py
+++ b/roborock/devices/device.py
@@ -147,34 +147,45 @@ async def start_connect(self) -> None:
         called. The device will automatically attempt to reconnect if the connection
         is lost.
         """
-        start_attempt: asyncio.Event = asyncio.Event()
+        # The future will be set to True if the first attempt succeeds, False if
+        # it fails, or an exception if an unexpected error occurs.
+        # We use this to wait a short time for the first attempt to complete. We
+        # don't actually care about the result, just that we waited long enough.
+        start_attempt: asyncio.Future[bool] = asyncio.Future()
 
         async def connect_loop() -> None:
-            backoff = MIN_BACKOFF_INTERVAL
             try:
+                backoff = MIN_BACKOFF_INTERVAL
                 while True:
                     try:
                         await self.connect()
-                        start_attempt.set()
+                        if not start_attempt.done():
+                            start_attempt.set_result(True)
                         self._has_connected = True
                         self._ready_callbacks(self)
                         return
                     except RoborockException as e:
-                        start_attempt.set()
+                        if not start_attempt.done():
+                            start_attempt.set_result(False)
                         self._logger.info("Failed to connect (retry %s): %s", backoff.total_seconds(), e)
                         await asyncio.sleep(backoff.total_seconds())
                         backoff = min(backoff * BACKOFF_MULTIPLIER, MAX_BACKOFF_INTERVAL)
+                    except Exception as e:  # pylint: disable=broad-except
+                        if not start_attempt.done():
+                            start_attempt.set_exception(e)
+                        self._logger.exception("Uncaught error during connect: %s", e)
+                        return
             except asyncio.CancelledError:
                 self._logger.debug("connect_loop was cancelled for device %s", self.duid)
-                # Clean exit on cancellation
-                return
             finally:
-                start_attempt.set()
+                if not start_attempt.done():
+                    start_attempt.set_result(False)
 
         self._connect_task = asyncio.create_task(connect_loop())
 
         try:
-            await asyncio.wait_for(start_attempt.wait(), timeout=START_ATTEMPT_TIMEOUT.total_seconds())
+            async with asyncio.timeout(START_ATTEMPT_TIMEOUT.total_seconds()):
+                await start_attempt
         except TimeoutError:
             self._logger.debug("Initial connection attempt took longer than expected, will keep trying in background")
 
@@ -190,6 +201,7 @@ async def connect(self) -> None:
             except RoborockException:
                 unsub()
                 raise
+        self._logger.info("Connected to device")
         self._unsub = unsub
 
     async def close(self) -> None:
diff --git a/tests/devices/test_device_manager.py b/tests/devices/test_device_manager.py
index 239762bb..85696df2 100644
--- a/tests/devices/test_device_manager.py
+++ b/tests/devices/test_device_manager.py
@@ -66,11 +66,17 @@ def mock_sleep() -> Generator[None, None, None]:
         yield
 
 
+@pytest.fixture(name="channel_exception")
+def channel_failure_exception_fixture(mock_rpc_channel: AsyncMock) -> Exception:
+    """Fixture that provides the exception to be raised by the failing channel."""
+    return RoborockException("Connection failed")
+
+
 @pytest.fixture(name="channel_failure")
-def channel_failure_fixture(mock_rpc_channel: AsyncMock) -> Generator[Mock, None, None]:
+def channel_failure_fixture(mock_rpc_channel: AsyncMock, channel_exception: Exception) -> Generator[Mock, None, None]:
     """Fixture that makes channel subscribe fail."""
     with patch("roborock.devices.device_manager.create_v1_channel") as mock_channel:
-        mock_channel.return_value.subscribe = AsyncMock(side_effect=RoborockException("Connection failed"))
+        mock_channel.return_value.subscribe = AsyncMock(side_effect=channel_exception)
         mock_channel.return_value.is_connected = False
         mock_channel.return_value.rpc_channel = mock_rpc_channel
         yield mock_channel
@@ -192,6 +198,12 @@ async def test_ready_callback(home_data: HomeData) -> None:
     await device_manager.close()
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("channel_exception"),
+    [
+        RoborockException("Connection failed"),
+    ],
+)
 async def test_start_connect_failure(home_data: HomeData, channel_failure: Mock, mock_sleep: Mock) -> None:
     """Test that start_connect retries when connection fails."""
     ready_devices: list[RoborockDevice] = []
@@ -231,3 +243,15 @@ async def test_start_connect_failure(home_data: HomeData, channel_failure: Mock,
 
     await device_manager.close()
     assert mock_unsub.call_count == 1
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("channel_exception"),
+    [
+        Exception("Unexpected error"),
+    ],
+)
+async def test_start_connect_unexpected_error(home_data: HomeData, channel_failure: Mock, mock_sleep: Mock) -> None:
+    """Test that some unexpected errors from start_connect are propagated."""
+    with pytest.raises(Exception, match="Unexpected error"):
+        await create_device_manager(USER_PARAMS)