diff --git a/scheme/lib/nettime.scm b/scheme/lib/nettime.scm
index 92c619f..aa2228f 100644
--- a/scheme/lib/nettime.scm
+++ b/scheme/lib/nettime.scm
@@ -46,10 +46,18 @@
 		     (car (host-info:addresses hst-info))
 		     (service-info:port srvc-info)))
     (send-message socket "")
-    (select-ports timeout (socket:inport socket))
-    (let ((result (read-integer (socket:inport socket))))
-      (close-socket socket)
-      (- result 2208988800))))
+    (if (null? (select-ports timeout (socket:inport socket)))
+	(begin
+	  (close-socket socket)
+	  #f)
+	(with-fatal-error-handler*
+	 (lambda (result punt)
+	   ;; we may see a "connection refused" error here
+	   #f)
+	 (lambda ()
+	   (let ((result (read-integer (socket:inport socket))))
+	     (close-socket socket)
+	     (- result 2208988800)))))))
 
 (define (rfc867-daytime/tcp host)
   (let* ((hst-info (host-info host))
@@ -74,10 +82,20 @@
 		     (car (host-info:addresses hst-info))
 		     (service-info:port srvc-info)))
     (send-message socket "")
-    (select-ports timeout (socket:inport socket))
-    (let ((result (read-string 20 (socket:inport socket))))
-      (close-socket socket)
-      result)))
+    (if (null? (select-ports timeout (socket:inport socket)))
+	(begin
+	  (close-socket socket)
+	  #f)
+	(with-fatal-error-handler*
+	 (lambda (result punt)
+	   ;; we may see a "connection refused" error here
+	   #f)
+	 (lambda ()
+	   (call-with-values
+	    (lambda () (receive-message socket 20))
+	    (lambda (result socket-address)
+	      (close-socket socket)
+	      result)))))))
 
 ;; read 4 bytes from fd and build an integer from them
 (define (read-integer fd)
diff --git a/scheme/packages.scm b/scheme/packages.scm
index a80a127..6a7afd0 100644
--- a/scheme/packages.scm
+++ b/scheme/packages.scm
@@ -453,7 +453,8 @@
 
 (define-structures ((rfc867 rfc867-interface)
 		    (rfc868 rfc868-interface))
-  (open scheme-with-scsh)
+  (open scheme-with-scsh
+	handle-fatal-error)
   (files (lib nettime)))
 
 (define-structure dns dns-interface