diff --git a/transport/cluster.go b/transport/cluster.go
index 15f94530..f7a724b5 100644
--- a/transport/cluster.go
+++ b/transport/cluster.go
@@ -167,14 +167,12 @@ func (c *Cluster) NewControl(ctx context.Context) (*Conn, error) {
 			if err := conn.RegisterEventHandler(ctx, c.handleEvent, c.handledEvents...); err == nil {
 				return conn, nil
 			} else {
+				conn.Close()
 				errs = append(errs, fmt.Sprintf("%s failed to register for events: %s", conn, err))
 			}
 		} else {
 			errs = append(errs, fmt.Sprintf("%s failed to connect: %s", addr, err))
 		}
-		if conn != nil {
-			conn.Close()
-		}
 	}
 
 	return nil, fmt.Errorf("couldn't open control connection to any known host:\n%s", strings.Join(errs, "\n"))
diff --git a/transport/conn.go b/transport/conn.go
index 290fefb1..7792f612 100644
--- a/transport/conn.go
+++ b/transport/conn.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
+	"syscall"
 	"time"
 	"unicode"
 
@@ -377,6 +378,17 @@ const (
 	comprBufferSize      = 64 * 1024 // 64 Kb
 )
 
+/*
+Checks if this error indicates that a chosen source port/address cannot be bound.
+
+This is caused by one of the following:
+  - The source address is already used by another socket,
+  - The source address is reserved and the process does not have sufficient privileges to use it.
+*/
+func isAddrUnavailableForUseErr(err error) bool {
+	return errors.Is(err, syscall.EADDRINUSE) || errors.Is(err, syscall.EPERM)
+}
+
 // OpenShardConn opens connection mapped to a specific shard on Scylla node.
 func OpenShardConn(ctx context.Context, addr string, si ShardInfo, cfg ConnConfig) (*Conn, error) {
 	it := ShardPortIterator(si)
@@ -385,15 +397,16 @@ func OpenShardConn(ctx context.Context, addr string, si ShardInfo, cfg ConnConfi
 		conn, err := OpenLocalPortConn(ctx, addr, it(), cfg)
 		if err != nil {
 			cfg.Logger.Infof("%s dial error: %s (try %d/%d)", addr, err, i, maxTries)
-			if conn != nil {
-				conn.Close()
+			if isAddrUnavailableForUseErr(err) {
+				continue
 			}
-			continue
+
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to open connection to shard: %w", err)
 		}
 		return conn, nil
 	}
 
-	return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to open connection on shard %d: all local ports are busy", si.Shard)
+	return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to open connection on shard %d: all local ports are unavailable for use", si.Shard)
 }
 
 // OpenLocalPortConn opens connection on a given local port.
@@ -506,7 +519,8 @@ func WrapConn(ctx context.Context, conn net.Conn, cfg ConnConfig) (*Conn, error)
 	go c.r.loop(ctx)
 
 	if err := c.init(ctx); err != nil {
-		return c, err
+		c.Close()
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	return c, nil
diff --git a/transport/conn_integration_test.go b/transport/conn_integration_test.go
index a161ca61..875c740a 100644
--- a/transport/conn_integration_test.go
+++ b/transport/conn_integration_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"math/rand"
+	"net"
 	"os/signal"
 	"strconv"
 	"sync"
@@ -278,3 +279,65 @@ func testCompression(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, c frame.Compression, toS
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestConnectedToNonCqlServer(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx, cancel := signal.NotifyContext(context.Background(), syscall.SIGINT, syscall.SIGABRT, syscall.SIGTERM)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	t.Logf("%+v", testingConnConfig)
+	testCases := []struct {
+		name     string
+		response []byte
+	}{
+		{
+			name:     "non-cql response",
+			response: []byte("0"),
+		},
+		{
+			name: "non supported cql response",
+			response: func() []byte {
+				var buf frame.Buffer
+				frame := frame.Header{
+					Version: frame.CQLv4,
+					OpCode:  frame.OpReady,
+				}
+
+				frame.WriteTo(&buf)
+				return buf.Bytes()
+			}(),
+		},
+	}
+
+	for i := 0; i < len(testCases); i++ {
+		tc := testCases[i]
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			server, err := net.Listen("tcp", "127.0.0.1:")
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			defer server.Close()
+			go func() {
+				conn, err := server.Accept()
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Log(err)
+					t.Fail()
+					return
+				}
+				go func(conn net.Conn) {
+					defer conn.Close()
+					conn.Write(tc.response)
+				}(conn)
+			}()
+
+			addr := server.Addr().String()
+			conn, err := OpenConn(ctx, addr, nil, testingConnConfig)
+			if err == nil {
+				t.Fatal("connecting to non-cql server should fail")
+			}
+			t.Log(err)
+			if conn != nil {
+				t.Fatal("connecting to non-cql server should return a nil-conn")
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/transport/pool.go b/transport/pool.go
index b15ec62a..39480551 100644
--- a/transport/pool.go
+++ b/transport/pool.go
@@ -141,9 +141,6 @@ func (r *PoolRefiller) init(ctx context.Context, host string) error {
 	conn, err := OpenConn(ctx, host, nil, r.cfg)
 	span.stop()
 	if err != nil {
-		if conn != nil {
-			conn.Close()
-		}
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -236,7 +233,9 @@ func (r *PoolRefiller) fill(ctx context.Context) {
 		if r.pool.loadConn(i) != nil {
 			continue
 		}
-
+		if ctx.Err() != nil {
+			return
+		}
 		si.Shard = uint16(i)
 		span := startSpan()
 		conn, err := OpenShardConn(ctx, r.addr, si, r.cfg)
@@ -245,9 +244,6 @@ func (r *PoolRefiller) fill(ctx context.Context) {
 			if r.pool.connObs != nil {
 				r.pool.connObs.OnConnect(ConnectEvent{ConnEvent: ConnEvent{Addr: r.addr, Shard: si.Shard}, span: span, Err: err})
 			}
-			if conn != nil {
-				conn.Close()
-			}
 			continue
 		}
 		if r.pool.connObs != nil {