diff --git a/lib/cmap/connection.js b/lib/cmap/connection.js
index d4f9a54f31..81925b9621 100644
--- a/lib/cmap/connection.js
+++ b/lib/cmap/connection.js
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ class Connection extends EventEmitter {
       if (issue.isTimeout) {
         op.cb(
           new MongoNetworkTimeoutError(`connection ${this.id} to ${this.address} timed out`, {
-            beforeHandshake: !!this[kIsMaster]
+            beforeHandshake: this.ismaster == null
           })
         );
       } else if (issue.isClose) {
diff --git a/lib/core/error.js b/lib/core/error.js
index b4816e6017..702e3cecde 100644
--- a/lib/core/error.js
+++ b/lib/core/error.js
@@ -102,8 +102,8 @@ class MongoNetworkError extends MongoError {
     super(message);
     this.name = 'MongoNetworkError';
 
-    if (options && options.beforeHandshake === true) {
-      this[kBeforeHandshake] = true;
+    if (options && typeof options.beforeHandshake === 'boolean') {
+      this[kBeforeHandshake] = options.beforeHandshake;
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/unit/cmap/connection.test.js b/test/unit/cmap/connection.test.js
index 1dac1e35ee..39be21dc35 100644
--- a/test/unit/cmap/connection.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/cmap/connection.test.js
@@ -66,4 +66,62 @@ describe('Connection', function() {
       }
     );
   });
+
+  it('should throw a network error with kBeforeHandshake set to false on timeout after hand shake', function(done) {
+    server.setMessageHandler(request => {
+      const doc = request.document;
+      if (doc.ismaster) {
+        request.reply(mock.DEFAULT_ISMASTER_36);
+      }
+      // respond to no other requests to trigger timeout event
+    });
+
+    const address = server.address();
+    const options = {
+      bson: new BSON(),
+      connectionType: Connection,
+      host: address.host,
+      port: address.port
+    };
+
+    connect(options, (err, conn) => {
+      expect(err).to.be.a('undefined');
+      expect(conn).to.be.instanceOf(Connection);
+      expect(conn)
+        .to.have.property('ismaster')
+        .that.is.a('object');
+
+      conn.command('$admin.cmd', { ping: 1 }, { socketTimeout: 50 }, err => {
+        const beforeHandshakeSymbol = Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(err)[0];
+        expect(beforeHandshakeSymbol).to.be.a('symbol');
+        expect(err).to.have.property(beforeHandshakeSymbol, false);
+
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('should throw a network error with kBeforeHandshake set to true on timeout before hand shake', function(done) {
+    // respond to no requests to trigger timeout event
+    server.setMessageHandler(() => {});
+
+    const address = server.address();
+    const options = {
+      bson: new BSON(),
+      connectionType: Connection,
+      host: address.host,
+      port: address.port,
+      socketTimeout: 50
+    };
+
+    connect(options, (err, conn) => {
+      expect(conn).to.be.a('undefined');
+
+      const beforeHandshakeSymbol = Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(err)[0];
+      expect(beforeHandshakeSymbol).to.be.a('symbol');
+      expect(err).to.have.property(beforeHandshakeSymbol, true);
+
+      done();
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/test/unit/error.test.js b/test/unit/error.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fd173d308c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/error.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const expect = require('chai').expect;
+const MongoNetworkError = require('../../lib/core/error').MongoNetworkError;
+
+describe('MongoErrors', function() {
+  describe('MongoNetworkError', function() {
+    it('should only define beforeHandshake symbol if boolean option passed in', function() {
+      const errorWithOptionTrue = new MongoNetworkError('', { beforeHandshake: true });
+      expect(Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(errorWithOptionTrue).length).to.equal(1);
+
+      const errorWithOptionFalse = new MongoNetworkError('', { beforeHandshake: false });
+      expect(Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(errorWithOptionFalse).length).to.equal(1);
+
+      const errorWithBadOption = new MongoNetworkError('', { beforeHandshake: 'not boolean' });
+      expect(Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(errorWithBadOption).length).to.equal(0);
+
+      const errorWithoutOption = new MongoNetworkError('');
+      expect(Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(errorWithoutOption).length).to.equal(0);
+    });
+  });
+});