diff --git a/bliss/comm/rpc.py b/bliss/comm/rpc.py
index 2acd162ab3ab504c2f8ec1a9286b7c9201e11d4d..c60526e14e012b176a7a0f01fe4623834c1ed790 100644
--- a/bliss/comm/rpc.py
+++ b/bliss/comm/rpc.py
@@ -544,6 +544,10 @@ class RpcConnection:
             except socket.gaierror as sockexc:
                 _msg = f"RPC socket.gaierror connecting to {self.host}:{self.port} - ERR no {sockexc.errno} : {sockexc.strerror}"
                 raise CommunicationError(_msg) from sockexc
+            except ConnectionRefusedError as cnx_err:
+                _msg = f"RPC ConnectionRefusedError error connecting to {self.host}:{self.port}"
+                raise CommunicationError(_msg) from cnx_err
+
         else:
             # ??? no  host
             self._socket = socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX, socket.SOCK_STREAM)