diff --git a/src/invitation.c b/src/invitation.c
index e068ae89..46891a3c 100644
--- a/src/invitation.c
+++ b/src/invitation.c
@@ -1196,6 +1196,21 @@ static bool invitation_receive(void *handle, uint8_t type, const void *msg, uint
 	return true;
 }
 
+bool wait_socket_recv(int fd) {
+	fd_set fds;
+	FD_ZERO(&fds);
+	FD_SET(fd, &fds);
+
+	struct timeval tv = {.tv_sec = 5};
+
+	if(select(fd + 1, &fds, NULL, NULL, &tv) != 1) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Timed out waiting for the server to reply.\n");
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	return true;
+}
+
 int cmd_join(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 	free(data);
 	data = NULL;
@@ -1320,6 +1335,7 @@ int cmd_join(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 			freeaddrinfo(ai);
 			free(b64_pubkey);
 			ecdsa_free(key);
+			fprintf(stderr, "Could not connect to inviter. Please make sure the URL you entered is valid.\n");
 			return 1;
 		}
 	}
@@ -1383,7 +1399,7 @@ int cmd_join(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 	}
 
 	if(memcmp(hishash, hash, 18)) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "Peer has an invalid key!\n%s\n", line + 2);
+		fprintf(stderr, "Peer has an invalid key. Please make sure you're using the correct URL.\n%s\n", line + 2);
 		ecdsa_free(key);
 		return 1;
 
@@ -1409,7 +1425,7 @@ int cmd_join(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 		goto exit;
 	}
 
-	while((len = recv(sock, line, sizeof(line), 0))) {
+	while(wait_socket_recv(sock) && (len = recv(sock, line, sizeof(line), 0))) {
 		if(len < 0) {
 			if(sockwouldblock(sockerrno)) {
 				continue;
@@ -1452,7 +1468,7 @@ int cmd_join(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 	closesocket(sock);
 
 	if(!success) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "Invitation cancelled.\n");
+		fprintf(stderr, "Invitation cancelled. Please try again and contact the inviter for assistance if this error persists.\n");
 		return 1;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/invitation.h b/src/invitation.h
index e176c4da..c637fa9c 100644
--- a/src/invitation.h
+++ b/src/invitation.h
@@ -23,4 +23,8 @@
 int cmd_invite(int argc, char *argv[]);
 int cmd_join(int argc, char *argv[]);
 
+// Wait until data can be read from socket, or a timeout occurs.
+// true if socket is ready, false on timeout.
+bool wait_socket_recv(int fd);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/src/tincctl.c b/src/tincctl.c
index 2ed286a6..3b7efd4e 100644
--- a/src/tincctl.c
+++ b/src/tincctl.c
@@ -495,6 +495,10 @@ bool recvline(int fd, char *line, size_t len) {
 	}
 
 	while(!(newline = memchr(buffer, '\n', blen))) {
+		if(!wait_socket_recv(fd)) {
+			return false;
+		}
+
 		ssize_t nrecv = recv(fd, buffer + blen, sizeof(buffer) - blen, 0);
 
 		if(nrecv == -1 && sockerrno == EINTR) {
diff --git a/test/integration/cmd_join.py b/test/integration/cmd_join.py
index 0db0ffe8..2a9f5581 100755
--- a/test/integration/cmd_join.py
+++ b/test/integration/cmd_join.py
@@ -4,11 +4,12 @@
 
 import os
 import shutil
+import socket
 
 from testlib import check, util
 from testlib.log import log
 from testlib.const import RUN_ACCESS_CHECKS
-from testlib.proc import Tinc
+from testlib.proc import Tinc, Script
 from testlib.test import Test
 
 FAKE_INVITE = "localhost:65535/pVOZMJGm3MqTvTu0UnhMGb2cfuqygiu79MdnERnGYdga5v8C"
@@ -117,6 +118,73 @@ def test_join_errors(foo: Tinc) -> None:
         check.true(os.access(work_dir, mode=os.W_OK))
 
 
+def resolve(address: str) -> bool:
+    """Try to resolve domain and return True if successful."""
+    try:
+        return len(socket.gethostbyname(address)) > 0
+    except socket.gaierror:
+        return False
+
+
+def test_broken_invite(ctx: Test) -> None:
+    """Test joining using a broken invitation."""
+
+    foo, bar = ctx.node(init="set Address 127.0.0.1"), ctx.node()
+    foo.start()
+
+    for url in (
+        "localhost",
+        "localhost/" + ("x" * 47),
+        "localhost/" + ("x" * 49),
+        "[::1/QWNVAevHNSHyMk1qarlZAQOB5swl3Ptu1yGCMSZrzKWpBUMv",
+    ):
+        _, err = bar.cmd("join", url, code=1)
+        check.is_in("Invalid invitation URL", err)
+
+    # This can fail for those with braindead DNS servers that resolve
+    # everything to show spam search results.
+    # https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6761#section-6.4
+    if not resolve("tinc.invalid"):
+        log.info("test invitation with an invalid domain")
+        url = "tinc.invalid/QWNVAevHNSHyMk1qarlZAQOB5swl3Ptu1yGCMSZrzKWpBUMv"
+        _, err = bar.cmd("join", url, code=1)
+        check.is_in("Error looking up tinc.invalid", err)
+
+    timeout_err = "Timed out waiting for the server"
+    conn_err = "Could not connect to inviter"
+    server_err = "Please try again"
+
+    bad_url = f"127.0.0.1:{foo.port}/jkhjAi0LGVP0o6TN7aa_7xjqM9qTb_DUxBpk6UuLEF4ubDLX"
+
+    log.info("test invitation created by another server before invite is created")
+    _, err = bar.cmd("join", bad_url, code=1, timeout=10)
+    check.is_in(timeout_err, err)
+    check.is_in(conn_err, err)
+
+    url, _ = foo.cmd("invite", "bar")
+    url = url.strip()
+
+    log.info("test invitation created by another server after invite is created")
+    _, err = bar.cmd("join", bad_url, code=1)
+    check.is_in("Peer has an invalid key", err)
+
+    log.info("remove invitation directory")
+    shutil.rmtree(foo.sub("invitations"))
+
+    log.info("test when invitation file is missing")
+    _, err = bar.cmd("join", url, code=1, timeout=10)
+    check.is_in(timeout_err, err)
+    check.is_in(server_err, err)
+
+    foo.add_script(Script.TINC_DOWN)
+    foo.cmd("stop")
+    foo[Script.TINC_DOWN].wait()
+
+    foo_log = util.read_text(foo.sub("log"))
+    check.is_in("we don't have an invitation key", foo_log)
+    check.is_in("tried to use non-existing invitation", foo_log)
+
+
 with Test("run invite success tests") as context:
     test_invite(context.node(init=True))
 
@@ -125,3 +193,6 @@ def test_join_errors(foo: Tinc) -> None:
 
 with Test("run join tests") as context:
     test_join_errors(context.node(init=True))
+
+with Test("broken invitation") as context:
+    test_broken_invite(context)