diff --git a/weed/command/shell.go b/weed/command/shell.go
index 0162d15015..f0aa1a30a7 100644
--- a/weed/command/shell.go
+++ b/weed/command/shell.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package command
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/pb"
 
@@ -12,10 +13,11 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	shellOptions      shell.ShellOptions
-	shellInitialFiler *string
-	shellCluster      *string
-	shellDebug        *bool
+	shellOptions        shell.ShellOptions
+	shellInitialFiler   *string
+	shellCluster        *string
+	shellDebug          *bool
+	shellConnectTimeout *time.Duration
 )
 
 func init() {
@@ -25,6 +27,7 @@ func init() {
 	shellInitialFiler = cmdShell.Flag.String("filer", "", "filer host and port for initial connection, e.g. localhost:8888")
 	shellCluster = cmdShell.Flag.String("cluster", "", "cluster defined in shell.toml")
 	shellDebug = cmdShell.Flag.Bool("debug", false, "print informational logs to stderr")
+	shellConnectTimeout = cmdShell.Flag.Duration("connectTimeout", 30*time.Second, "timeout for the initial master connection and filer discovery")
 }
 
 var cmdShell = &Command{
@@ -64,6 +67,7 @@ func runShell(command *Command, args []string) bool {
 	}
 	shellOptions.FilerAddress = pb.ServerAddress(filerAddress)
 	shellOptions.Debug = *shellDebug
+	shellOptions.ConnectTimeout = *shellConnectTimeout
 	if shellOptions.Debug {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "master: %s filer: %s\n", *shellOptions.Masters, shellOptions.FilerAddress)
 	}
diff --git a/weed/shell/commands.go b/weed/shell/commands.go
index 315dbcb585..3bbb363b18 100644
--- a/weed/shell/commands.go
+++ b/weed/shell/commands.go
@@ -26,12 +26,13 @@ type ShellOptions struct {
 	Masters        *string
 	GrpcDialOption grpc.DialOption
 	// shell transient context
-	FilerHost    string
-	FilerPort    int64
-	FilerGroup   *string
-	FilerAddress pb.ServerAddress
-	Directory    string
-	Debug        bool
+	FilerHost      string
+	FilerPort      int64
+	FilerGroup     *string
+	FilerAddress   pb.ServerAddress
+	Directory      string
+	Debug          bool
+	ConnectTimeout time.Duration
 }
 
 type CommandEnv struct {
diff --git a/weed/shell/shell_liner.go b/weed/shell/shell_liner.go
index c3e0d86d7f..6aae477b0f 100644
--- a/weed/shell/shell_liner.go
+++ b/weed/shell/shell_liner.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"path"
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/cluster"
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/pb"
@@ -57,14 +58,28 @@ func RunShell(options ShellOptions) error {
 
 	commandEnv := NewCommandEnv(&options)
 
+	connectTimeout := options.ConnectTimeout
+	if connectTimeout <= 0 {
+		connectTimeout = 30 * time.Second
+	}
 	ctx := context.Background()
-	go commandEnv.MasterClient.KeepConnectedToMaster(ctx)
-	commandEnv.MasterClient.WaitUntilConnected(ctx)
+	connectCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, connectTimeout)
+	defer cancel()
+	reconnectCtx, cancelReconnect := context.WithCancel(ctx)
+	defer cancelReconnect()
+	go commandEnv.MasterClient.KeepConnectedToMaster(reconnectCtx)
+	if commandEnv.MasterClient.GetMaster(connectCtx) == "" {
+		err := fmt.Errorf("cannot connect to master %s within %s", *options.Masters, connectTimeout)
+		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, err)
+		return err
+	}
 
 	if commandEnv.option.FilerAddress == "" {
 		var filers []pb.ServerAddress
-		commandEnv.MasterClient.WithClient(ctx, false, func(client master_pb.SeaweedClient) error {
-			resp, err := client.ListClusterNodes(context.Background(), &master_pb.ListClusterNodesRequest{
+		discoverCtx, cancelDiscover := context.WithTimeout(ctx, connectTimeout)
+		defer cancelDiscover()
+		listErr := commandEnv.MasterClient.WithClient(discoverCtx, false, func(client master_pb.SeaweedClient) error {
+			resp, err := client.ListClusterNodes(discoverCtx, &master_pb.ListClusterNodesRequest{
 				ClientType: cluster.FilerType,
 				FilerGroup: *options.FilerGroup,
 			})
@@ -79,6 +94,8 @@ func RunShell(options ShellOptions) error {
 		})
 		if len(filers) > 0 {
 			commandEnv.option.FilerAddress = filers[rand.IntN(len(filers))]
+		} else if listErr != nil {
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "cannot list filers from master %s: %v\n", *options.Masters, listErr)
 		}
 		if options.Debug {
 			if len(filers) > 0 {
diff --git a/weed/shell/shell_liner_test.go b/weed/shell/shell_liner_test.go
index 6d9bda9e7c..21a707ac8a 100644
--- a/weed/shell/shell_liner_test.go
+++ b/weed/shell/shell_liner_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 )
 
 type fakeCommand struct {
@@ -44,6 +45,24 @@ func TestProcessEachCmdReturnsErrors(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestRunShellConnectTimeout(t *testing.T) {
+	masters := "127.0.0.1:1"
+	filerGroup := ""
+
+	start := time.Now()
+	err := RunShell(ShellOptions{
+		Masters:        &masters,
+		FilerGroup:     &filerGroup,
+		ConnectTimeout: 200 * time.Millisecond,
+	})
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "cannot connect to master") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected a master connection timeout, got: %v", err)
+	}
+	if elapsed := time.Since(start); elapsed > 10*time.Second {
+		t.Fatalf("RunShell should give up near the connect timeout, took %v", elapsed)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestProcessEachCmdPreservesRegisteredCommandError(t *testing.T) {
 	doErr := errors.New("daily_run: shard=3: recovery walk failed")
 	failing := &fakeCommand{name: "test.failing.command", err: doErr}