diff --git a/packager/react-packager/src/SocketInterface/SocketClient.js b/packager/react-packager/src/SocketInterface/SocketClient.js
index e20e5b896..6ccfd4819 100644
--- a/packager/react-packager/src/SocketInterface/SocketClient.js
+++ b/packager/react-packager/src/SocketInterface/SocketClient.js
@@ -29,7 +29,11 @@ class SocketClient {
     this._sock = net.connect(sockPath);
     this._ready = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
       this._sock.on('connect', () => resolve(this));
-      this._sock.on('error', (e) => reject(e));
+      this._sock.on('error', (e) => {
+        e.message = `Error connecting to server on ${sockPath}` +
+                    `with error: ${e.message}`;
+        reject(e);
+      });
     });
 
     this._resolvers = Object.create(null);
diff --git a/packager/react-packager/src/SocketInterface/SocketServer.js b/packager/react-packager/src/SocketInterface/SocketServer.js
index b292b2bfa..abdc094b7 100644
--- a/packager/react-packager/src/SocketInterface/SocketServer.js
+++ b/packager/react-packager/src/SocketInterface/SocketServer.js
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ class SocketServer {
         process.on('exit', () => fs.unlinkSync(sockPath));
       });
     });
+
+    this._numConnections = 0;
     this._server.on('connection', (sock) => this._handleConnection(sock));
 
     // Disable the file watcher.
@@ -50,10 +52,13 @@ class SocketServer {
 
   _handleConnection(sock) {
     debug('connection to server', process.pid);
+    this._numConnections++;
+    sock.on('close', () => this._numConnections--);
 
     const bunser = new bser.BunserBuf();
     sock.on('data', (buf) => bunser.append(buf));
     bunser.on('value', (m) => this._handleMessage(sock, m));
+    bunser.on('error', (e) => console.error(e));
   }
 
   _handleMessage(sock, m) {
@@ -116,7 +121,7 @@ class SocketServer {
   _dieEventually() {
     clearTimeout(this._deathTimer);
     this._deathTimer = setTimeout(() => {
-      if (this._jobs <= 0) {
+      if (this._jobs <= 0 && this._numConnections <= 0) {
         debug('server dying', process.pid);
         process.exit();
       }
diff --git a/packager/react-packager/src/SocketInterface/index.js b/packager/react-packager/src/SocketInterface/index.js
index 19b39bf09..f3dce21a0 100644
--- a/packager/react-packager/src/SocketInterface/index.js
+++ b/packager/react-packager/src/SocketInterface/index.js
@@ -42,8 +42,16 @@ const SocketInterface = {
       if (fs.existsSync(sockPath)) {
         var sock = net.connect(sockPath);
         sock.on('connect', () => {
-          sock.end();
-          resolve(SocketClient.create(sockPath));
+          SocketClient.create(sockPath).then(
+            client => {
+              sock.end();
+              resolve(client);
+            },
+            error => {
+              sock.end();
+              reject(error);
+            }
+          );
         });
         sock.on('error', (e) => {
           try {