diff --git a/pyghthouse/connection/wsconnector.py b/pyghthouse/connection/wsconnector.py
index d451f0a..e9ca550 100644
--- a/pyghthouse/connection/wsconnector.py
+++ b/pyghthouse/connection/wsconnector.py
@@ -1,9 +1,15 @@
+from enum import Enum
 from threading import Thread, Lock
 from websocket import WebSocketApp, setdefaulttimeout, ABNF
 from msgpack import packb, unpackb
 from ssl import CERT_NONE
 
 
+class ConnectionState(Enum):
+    NONE=0
+    CONNECTING=1
+    CONNECTED=2
+    FAILED=3
 class WSConnector:
 
     class REID:
@@ -26,7 +32,7 @@ def __init__(self, username: str, token: str, address: str, on_msg=None, ignore_
         self.ws = None
         self.lock = Lock()
         self.reid = self.REID()
-        self.running = False
+        self.__connection_state = ConnectionState.NONE
         self.ignore_ssl_cert = ignore_ssl_cert
         setdefaulttimeout(60)
 
@@ -39,13 +45,14 @@ def start(self):
         self.ws = WebSocketApp(self.address,
                                on_message=None if self.on_msg is None else self._handle_msg,
                                on_open=self._ready, on_error=self._fail)
-        self.lock.acquire()
-        kwargs = {"sslopt": {"cert_reqs": CERT_NONE}} if self.ignore_ssl_cert else None
-        Thread(target=self.ws.run_forever, kwargs=kwargs).start()
         self.lock.acquire() # wait for connection to be established
-        self.lock.release()
+        self.__connection_state = ConnectionState.CONNECTING
+        kwargs = {"sslopt": {"cert_reqs": CERT_NONE}} if self.ignore_ssl_cert else None
+        Thread(target=self.ws.run_forever, name="Websocket Thread", kwargs=kwargs).start()
+
 
     def _fail(self, ws, err):
+        self.__connection_state = ConnectionState.FAILED
         self.lock.release()
         raise err
 
@@ -53,15 +60,19 @@ def stop(self):
         if self.ws is not None:
             with self.lock:
                 print("Closing the connection.")
-                self.running = False
+                self.__connection_state = ConnectionState.NONE
                 self.ws.close()
                 self.ws = None
 
     def _ready(self, ws):
         print(f"Connected to {self.address}.")
-        self.running = True
+        self.__connection_state = ConnectionState.CONNECTED
         self.lock.release()
 
+    @property
+    def connection_state(self):
+        return self.__connection_state
+
     def _handle_msg(self, ws, msg):
         if isinstance(msg, bytes):
             msg = unpackb(msg)
diff --git a/pyghthouse/ph.py b/pyghthouse/ph.py
index 62f92ea..06d755c 100644
--- a/pyghthouse/ph.py
+++ b/pyghthouse/ph.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 import numpy as np
 
 from pyghthouse.data.canvas import PyghthouseCanvas
-from pyghthouse.connection.wsconnector import WSConnector
+from pyghthouse.connection.wsconnector import WSConnector,ConnectionState
 
 
 class VerbosityLevel(Enum):
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ def print_warning(msg):
     class PHThread(Thread):
 
         def __init__(self, parent):
-            super().__init__()
+            super().__init__(name = "PHThread")
             self.parent = parent
             self._stop_event = Event()
 
@@ -208,10 +208,19 @@ def connect(self):
         self.connector.start()
 
     def start(self):
-        if not self.connector.running:
+        if not self.connector.connection_state==ConnectionState.CONNECTED:
             self.connect()
         self.stop()
         self.msg_handler.reset()
+        while True:
+            state=self.connector.connection_state
+            if state==ConnectionState.CONNECTED:
+                # Connected
+                break
+            elif state==ConnectionState.FAILED:
+                # Connection failed
+                raise ConnectionError("Failed to connect")
+            sleep(100)
         self.ph_thread = self.PHThread(self)
         self.ph_thread.start()