diff --git a/net/smc/af_smc.c b/net/smc/af_smc.c
index 246c874de629..38a406447cd0 100644
--- a/net/smc/af_smc.c
+++ b/net/smc/af_smc.c
@@ -1372,8 +1372,14 @@ static int __smc_connect(struct smc_sock *smc)
 
 	/* perform CLC handshake */
 	rc = smc_connect_clc(smc, aclc2, ini);
-	if (rc)
+	if (rc) {
+		/* -EAGAIN on timeout, see tcp_recvmsg() */
+		if (rc == -EAGAIN) {
+			rc = -ETIMEDOUT;
+			smc->sk.sk_err = ETIMEDOUT;
+		}
 		goto vlan_cleanup;
+	}
 
 	/* check if smc modes and versions of CLC proposal and accept match */
 	rc = smc_connect_check_aclc(ini, aclc);