diff --git a/test/functional/p2p_time_offset.py b/test/functional/p2p_time_offset.py
index 2ace694ec7e48..98ff17d91d97d 100755
--- a/test/functional/p2p_time_offset.py
+++ b/test/functional/p2p_time_offset.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 from test_framework.util import (
     assert_equal,
     set_node_times,
+    wait_until,
 )
 
 
@@ -22,9 +23,9 @@ def setup_network(self):
         # don't connect nodes yet
         self.setup_nodes()
 
-    def connect_nodes_bi(self, a, b):
-        self.connect_nodes(a, b)
-        self.connect_nodes(b, a)
+    def connect_nodes_bi(self, a, b, wait_for_connect = True):
+        self.connect_nodes(a, b, wait_for_connect)
+        self.connect_nodes(b, a, wait_for_connect)
 
     def check_connected_nodes(self):
         ni = [node.getnetworkinfo() for node in self.connected_nodes]
@@ -96,9 +97,9 @@ def run_test(self):
 
         # try to connect node 5 and check that it can't
         self.log.info("Trying to connect with node-5 (+30 s)...")
-        self.connect_nodes_bi(0, 5)
-        ni = self.nodes[0].getnetworkinfo()
-        assert_equal(ni['connections'], 10)
+        # Don't wait for a connection that will never be established.
+        self.connect_nodes_bi(0, 5, False)
+        wait_until(lambda: self.nodes[0].getnetworkinfo()['connections'] == 10)
         assert_equal(ni['timeoffset'], 15)
         self.log.info("Not connected.")
         self.log.info("Node-0 nTimeOffset: +%d seconds" % ni['timeoffset'])
diff --git a/test/functional/test_framework/test_framework.py b/test/functional/test_framework/test_framework.py
index dc812f174e1c5..e737d80c982b3 100755
--- a/test/functional/test_framework/test_framework.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_framework/test_framework.py
@@ -340,12 +340,15 @@ def restart_node(self, i, extra_args=None):
     def wait_for_node_exit(self, i, timeout):
         self.nodes[i].process.wait(timeout)
 
-    def connect_nodes(self, a, b):
+    def connect_nodes(self, a, b, wait_for_connect = True):
         from_connection = self.nodes[a]
         to_connection = self.nodes[b]
         ip_port = "127.0.0.1:" + str(p2p_port(b))
         from_connection.addnode(ip_port, "onetry")
 
+        if not wait_for_connect:
+            return
+
         # Use subversion as peer id. Test nodes have their node number appended to the user agent string
         from_connection_subver = from_connection.getnetworkinfo()['subversion']
         to_connection_subver = to_connection.getnetworkinfo()['subversion']