diff --git a/react-packager/src/SocketInterface/SocketClient.js b/react-packager/src/SocketInterface/SocketClient.js
index 6ccfd481..32e3b25d 100644
--- a/react-packager/src/SocketInterface/SocketClient.js
+++ b/react-packager/src/SocketInterface/SocketClient.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ const Bundle = require('../Bundler/Bundle');
 const Promise = require('promise');
 const bser = require('bser');
 const debug = require('debug')('ReactPackager:SocketClient');
+const fs = require('fs');
 const net = require('net');
 const path  = require('path');
 const tmpdir = require('os').tmpdir();
@@ -30,8 +31,13 @@ class SocketClient {
     this._ready = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
       this._sock.on('connect', () => resolve(this));
       this._sock.on('error', (e) => {
-        e.message = `Error connecting to server on ${sockPath}` +
+        e.message = `Error connecting to server on ${sockPath} ` +
                     `with error: ${e.message}`;
+
+        if (fs.existsSync(LOG_PATH)) {
+          e.message += '\nServer logs:\n' + fs.readFileSync(LOG_PATH, 'utf8');
+        }
+
         reject(e);
       });
     });
diff --git a/react-packager/src/SocketInterface/SocketServer.js b/react-packager/src/SocketInterface/SocketServer.js
index abdc094b..888dcf78 100644
--- a/react-packager/src/SocketInterface/SocketServer.js
+++ b/react-packager/src/SocketInterface/SocketServer.js
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ const fs = require('fs');
 const net = require('net');
 
 const MAX_IDLE_TIME = 30 * 1000;
+const MAX_STARTUP_TIME = 5 * 60 * 1000;
 
 class SocketServer {
   constructor(sockPath, options) {
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@ class SocketServer {
     options.nonPersistent = true;
     this._packagerServer = new Server(options);
     this._jobs = 0;
-    this._dieEventually();
+    this._dieEventually(MAX_STARTUP_TIME);
   }
 
   onReady() {
@@ -118,7 +119,7 @@ class SocketServer {
     }));
   }
 
-  _dieEventually() {
+  _dieEventually(delay = MAX_IDLE_TIME) {
     clearTimeout(this._deathTimer);
     this._deathTimer = setTimeout(() => {
       if (this._jobs <= 0 && this._numConnections <= 0) {
@@ -126,7 +127,7 @@ class SocketServer {
         process.exit();
       }
       this._dieEventually();
-    }, MAX_IDLE_TIME);
+    }, delay);
   }
 
   static listenOnServerIPCMessages() {