diff --git a/packages/livedata/livedata_connection.js b/packages/livedata/livedata_connection.js
index b9474a1746..725e4c534d 100644
--- a/packages/livedata/livedata_connection.js
+++ b/packages/livedata/livedata_connection.js
@@ -58,7 +58,8 @@ var Connection = function (url, options) {
       // fail (e.g. sending package usage stats). At some point we
       // should have a real API for handling client-stream-level
       // errors.
-      _dontPrintErrors: options._dontPrintErrors
+      _dontPrintErrors: options._dontPrintErrors,
+      connectTimeoutMs: options.connectTimeoutMs
     });
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/livedata/stream_client_common.js b/packages/livedata/stream_client_common.js
index b8812874a1..46110506f4 100644
--- a/packages/livedata/stream_client_common.js
+++ b/packages/livedata/stream_client_common.js
@@ -96,13 +96,13 @@ _.extend(LivedataTest.ClientStream.prototype, {
   },
 
 
-  _initCommon: function () {
+  _initCommon: function (options) {
     var self = this;
     //// Constants
 
     // how long to wait until we declare the connection attempt
     // failed.
-    self.CONNECT_TIMEOUT = 10000;
+    self.CONNECT_TIMEOUT = options.connectTimeoutMs || 10000;
 
     self.eventCallbacks = {}; // name -> [callback]
 
diff --git a/packages/livedata/stream_client_nodejs.js b/packages/livedata/stream_client_nodejs.js
index d5cff1640d..3204056e95 100644
--- a/packages/livedata/stream_client_nodejs.js
+++ b/packages/livedata/stream_client_nodejs.js
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ LivedataTest.ClientStream = function (endpoint, options) {
 
   self.headers = self.options.headers || {};
 
-  self._initCommon();
+  self._initCommon(options);
 
   //// Kickoff!
   self._launchConnection();
diff --git a/packages/livedata/stream_client_sockjs.js b/packages/livedata/stream_client_sockjs.js
index b7e39a13a4..8742f299a0 100644
--- a/packages/livedata/stream_client_sockjs.js
+++ b/packages/livedata/stream_client_sockjs.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ LivedataTest.ClientStream = function (url, options) {
   self.options = _.extend({
     retry: true
   }, options);
-  self._initCommon();
+  self._initCommon(options);
 
   //// Constants
 
diff --git a/tools/service-connection.js b/tools/service-connection.js
index c290ec98ee..877a46e03e 100644
--- a/tools/service-connection.js
+++ b/tools/service-connection.js
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ var ServiceConnection = function (Package, endpointUrl, options) {
   // ServiceConnection never should retry connections: just one TCP connection
   // is enough, and any errors on it should be detected promptly.
   options = _.extend({}, options, {
+    // We found that this was likely to time out with the DDP default of 10s,
+    // especially if the CPU is churning on bundling (eg, for the stats
+    // connection which we start in parallel with bundling).
+    connectTimeoutMs: 15000,
     retry: false,
     onConnected: function () {
       if (!self.currentFuture)