diff --git a/main.qml b/main.qml
index 553c9521..8b7c079d 100644
--- a/main.qml
+++ b/main.qml
@@ -380,6 +380,9 @@ ApplicationWindow {
     }
 
     function startDaemon(flags){
+        // Pause refresh while starting daemon
+        currentWallet.pauseRefresh();
+
         appWindow.showProcessingSplash(qsTr("Waiting for daemon to start..."))
         daemonManager.start(flags, persistentSettings.testnet);
         persistentSettings.daemonFlags = flags
@@ -395,6 +398,8 @@ ApplicationWindow {
         daemonRunning = true;
         hideProcessingSplash();
         currentWallet.connected(true);
+        // resume refresh
+        currentWallet.startRefresh();
     }
     function onDaemonStopped(){
         console.log("daemon stopped");
@@ -403,6 +408,19 @@ ApplicationWindow {
         currentWallet.connected(true);
     }
 
+    function onDaemonStartFailure(){
+        console.log("daemon start failed");
+        hideProcessingSplash();
+        // resume refresh
+        currentWallet.startRefresh();
+        daemonRunning = false;
+        informationPopup.title = qsTr("Daemon failed to start") + translationManager.emptyString;
+        informationPopup.text  = qsTr("Please check your wallet and daemon log for errors. You can also try to start %1 manually.").arg((isWindows)? "monerod.exe" : "monerod")
+        informationPopup.icon  = StandardIcon.Critical
+        informationPopup.onCloseCallback = null
+        informationPopup.open();
+    }
+
     function onWalletNewBlock(blockHeight, targetHeight) {
         // Update progress bar
         leftPanel.progressBar.updateProgress(blockHeight,targetHeight);
@@ -760,6 +778,7 @@ ApplicationWindow {
         walletManager.walletClosed.connect(onWalletClosed);
 
         daemonManager.daemonStarted.connect(onDaemonStarted);
+        daemonManager.daemonStartFailure.connect(onDaemonStartFailure);
         daemonManager.daemonStopped.connect(onDaemonStopped);
 
         if(!walletsFound()) {
diff --git a/src/daemon/DaemonManager.cpp b/src/daemon/DaemonManager.cpp
index 855058eb..47ad10cf 100644
--- a/src/daemon/DaemonManager.cpp
+++ b/src/daemon/DaemonManager.cpp
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@
 #include <QtConcurrent/QtConcurrent>
 #include <QApplication>
 #include <QProcess>
+#include <QTime>
+
+namespace {
+    static const int DAEMON_START_TIMEOUT_SECONDS = 30;
+}
 
 DaemonManager * DaemonManager::m_instance = nullptr;
 QStringList DaemonManager::m_clArgs;
@@ -67,8 +72,11 @@ bool DaemonManager::start(const QString &flags, bool testnet)
     // add state changed listener
     connect(m_daemon,SIGNAL(stateChanged(QProcess::ProcessState)),this,SLOT(stateChanged(QProcess::ProcessState)));
 
-    if (!started)
+    if (!started) {
         qDebug() << "Daemon start error: " + m_daemon->errorString();
+        emit daemonStartFailure();
+        return false;
+    }
 
     // Start start watcher
     QFuture<bool> future = QtConcurrent::run(this, &DaemonManager::startWatcher, testnet);
@@ -77,14 +85,15 @@ bool DaemonManager::start(const QString &flags, bool testnet)
             this, [this, watcher]() {
         QFuture<bool> future = watcher->future();
         watcher->deleteLater();
-        if(future.result()) {
+        if(future.result())
             emit daemonStarted();
-        }
+        else
+            emit daemonStartFailure();
     });
     watcher->setFuture(future);
 
 
-    return started;
+    return true;
 }
 
 bool DaemonManager::stop(bool testnet)
@@ -112,12 +121,17 @@ bool DaemonManager::stop(bool testnet)
 bool DaemonManager::startWatcher(bool testnet) const
 {
     // Check if daemon is started every 2 seconds
-    while(true && !m_app_exit) {
+    QTime timer;
+    timer.restart();
+    while(true && !m_app_exit && timer.elapsed() / 1000 < DAEMON_START_TIMEOUT_SECONDS  ) {
         QThread::sleep(2);
         if(!running(testnet)) {
             qDebug() << "daemon not running. checking again in 2 seconds.";
-        } else
+        } else {
+            qDebug() << "daemon is started. Waiting 5 seconds to let daemon catch up";
+            QThread::sleep(5);
             return true;
+        }
     }
     return false;
 }
diff --git a/src/daemon/DaemonManager.h b/src/daemon/DaemonManager.h
index b45b369f..428630e1 100644
--- a/src/daemon/DaemonManager.h
+++ b/src/daemon/DaemonManager.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ private:
 signals:
     void daemonStarted() const;
     void daemonStopped() const;
+    void daemonStartFailure() const;
     void daemonConsoleUpdated(QString message) const;
 
 public slots: