diff --git a/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/IMAPInboundProtocol.cpp b/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/IMAPInboundProtocol.cpp
index 8784ba346e..2aa44fad79 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/IMAPInboundProtocol.cpp
+++ b/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/IMAPInboundProtocol.cpp
@@ -345,8 +345,15 @@ IMAPInboundProtocol::Connect(const char* server, const char* username,
 	status_t status = fIMAPMailbox.Connect(server, username, password, useSSL,
 		port);
 	if (status != B_OK) {
-		statusMessage = "Failed to login: ";
-		statusMessage += fIMAPMailbox.CommandError();
+		if (fIMAPMailbox.CommandError().CountChars() > 0) {
+			// This was a IMAP error
+			statusMessage = "Failed to login: ";
+			statusMessage += fIMAPMailbox.CommandError();
+		} else {
+			// Probably a connection error
+			statusMessage = "Connection error: ";
+			statusMessage += strerror(status);
+		}
 		ShowError(statusMessage);
 		ResetProgress();
 		return status;
diff --git a/src/kits/mail/ServerConnection.cpp b/src/kits/mail/ServerConnection.cpp
index f7d34de3f2..819be34721 100644
--- a/src/kits/mail/ServerConnection.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/mail/ServerConnection.cpp
@@ -224,14 +224,19 @@ SocketConnection::Connect(const char* server, uint32 port)
 	if (status != B_OK)
 		return status;
 
+	TRACE("Server resolves to %s\n", address.ToString().String());
+
 	fSocket = socket(address.Family(), SOCK_STREAM, 0);
-	if (fSocket < 0)
+	if (fSocket < 0) {
+		TRACE("%s: Socket Error: %s\n", __func__, strerror(status));
 		return errno;
+	}
 
 	int result = connect(fSocket, address, address.Length());
 	if (result < 0) {
+		TRACE("%s: Connect Error: %s\n", __func__, strerror(result));
 		close(fSocket);
-		return errno;
+		return result;
 	}
 
 	TRACE("SocketConnection: connected\n");