diff --git a/packages/status-js/src/client/client.ts b/packages/status-js/src/client/client.ts
index 3caa9ac..d9cbaff 100644
--- a/packages/status-js/src/client/client.ts
+++ b/packages/status-js/src/client/client.ts
@@ -87,52 +87,65 @@ class Client {
     }
   }
 
-  static async start(options: ClientOptions) {
-    // Waku
+  static async start(options: ClientOptions): Promise<Client> {
     const { environment = 'production' } = options
 
-    const waku = await createLightNode({
-      defaultBootstrap: false,
-      // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/ban-ts-comment
-      // @ts-ignore
-      emitSelf: true,
-      pingKeepAlive: 15,
-      relayKeepAlive: 0,
-      libp2p: {
-        peerDiscovery: [
-          /**
-           * >only connects to 1 remote node because of the limited number of nodes
-           * >run by Status and the limited number of connections provided by these nodes
-           * >
-           * >@see https://forum.vac.dev/t/waku-v2-scalability-studies/142/2
-           */
-          new PeerDiscoveryStaticPeers(peers[environment], { maxPeers: 1 }),
-        ],
-      },
-    })
-    await waku.start()
-    await waitForRemotePeer(
-      waku,
-      [Protocols.Store, Protocols.Filter, Protocols.LightPush],
-      10 * 1000
-    )
-    const wakuDisconnectionTimer = setInterval(async () => {
-      const connectionsToClose: Promise<void>[] = []
+    let waku: WakuLight | undefined
+    let client: Client | undefined
 
-      for (const connection of waku.libp2p.connectionManager.getConnections()) {
-        if (!connection.streams.length) {
-          connectionsToClose.push(connection.close())
+    try {
+      // Waku
+      waku = await createLightNode({
+        defaultBootstrap: false,
+        // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/ban-ts-comment
+        // @ts-ignore
+        emitSelf: true,
+        pingKeepAlive: 15,
+        relayKeepAlive: 0,
+        libp2p: {
+          peerDiscovery: [
+            /**
+             * >only connects to 1 remote node because of the limited number of nodes
+             * >run by Status and the limited number of connections provided by these nodes
+             * >
+             * >@see https://forum.vac.dev/t/waku-v2-scalability-studies/142/2
+             */
+            new PeerDiscoveryStaticPeers(peers[environment], { maxPeers: 1 }),
+          ],
+        },
+      })
+      await waku.start()
+      await waitForRemotePeer(
+        waku,
+        [Protocols.Store, Protocols.Filter, Protocols.LightPush],
+        10 * 1000
+      )
+      const wakuDisconnectionTimer = setInterval(async () => {
+        const connectionsToClose: Promise<void>[] = []
+
+        for (const connection of waku!.libp2p.connectionManager.getConnections()) {
+          if (!connection.streams.length) {
+            connectionsToClose.push(connection.close())
+          }
         }
+
+        await Promise.allSettled(connectionsToClose)
+      }, 10 * 1000)
+
+      // Client
+      client = new Client(waku, wakuDisconnectionTimer, options)
+
+      // Community
+      await client.community.start()
+    } catch (error) {
+      if (client) {
+        await client.stop()
+      } else if (waku) {
+        await waku.stop()
       }
 
-      await Promise.allSettled(connectionsToClose)
-    }, 10 * 1000)
-
-    // Client
-    const client = new Client(waku, wakuDisconnectionTimer, options)
-
-    // Community
-    await client.community.start()
+      throw error
+    }
 
     return client
   }
diff --git a/packages/status-react/src/components/failed/index.tsx b/packages/status-react/src/components/failed/index.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6892cef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/status-react/src/components/failed/index.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import React from 'react'
+
+import { Text } from '../../system'
+
+export const Failed = () => {
+  return (
+    <Text
+      size="15"
+      color="gray"
+      weight="400"
+      align="center"
+      css={{
+        margin: 'auto',
+        position: 'relative',
+        top: '50%',
+        transform: 'translateY(-50%)',
+      }}
+    >
+      Failed to connect. Try reloading.
+    </Text>
+  )
+}
diff --git a/packages/status-react/src/protocol/provider.tsx b/packages/status-react/src/protocol/provider.tsx
index a751751..59b6205 100644
--- a/packages/status-react/src/protocol/provider.tsx
+++ b/packages/status-react/src/protocol/provider.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import React, { createContext, useEffect, useReducer } from 'react'
 
 import { createClient } from '@status-im/js'
 
+import { Failed } from '../components/failed'
 import { Loading } from '../components/loading'
 
 import type { Account, Client, ClientOptions, Community } from '@status-im/js'
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@ export const Context = createContext<State | undefined>(undefined)
 
 export type State = {
   loading: boolean
+  failed: boolean
   client: Client | undefined
   community: Community['description'] | undefined
   account: Account | undefined
@@ -20,6 +22,7 @@ export type Action =
   | { type: 'INIT'; client: Client }
   | { type: 'UPDATE_COMMUNITY'; community: Community['description'] }
   | { type: 'SET_ACCOUNT'; account: Account | undefined }
+  | { type: 'FAIL' }
 
 interface Props {
   options: ClientOptions
@@ -44,6 +47,9 @@ const reducer = (state: State, action: Action): State => {
     case 'SET_ACCOUNT': {
       return { ...state, account: action.account }
     }
+    case 'FAIL': {
+      return { ...state, failed: true, loading: false }
+    }
   }
 }
 
@@ -56,15 +62,22 @@ export const ProtocolProvider = (props: Props) => {
     community: undefined,
     account: undefined,
     dispatch: undefined,
+    failed: false,
   })
 
-  const { client, loading } = state
+  const { client, loading, failed } = state
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const loadClient = async () => {
-      const client = await createClient(options)
+      try {
+        const client = await createClient(options)
 
-      dispatch({ type: 'INIT', client })
+        dispatch({ type: 'INIT', client })
+      } catch (error) {
+        console.error(error)
+
+        dispatch({ type: 'FAIL' })
+      }
     }
 
     loadClient()
@@ -89,6 +102,10 @@ export const ProtocolProvider = (props: Props) => {
     }
   }, [client])
 
+  if (failed) {
+    return <Failed />
+  }
+
   if (loading) {
     return <Loading />
   }