diff --git a/example/src/main/java/io/netty/example/http/websocketx/client/WebSocketClientHandler.java b/example/src/main/java/io/netty/example/http/websocketx/client/WebSocketClientHandler.java
index c36283cd8e..fb10576e2e 100644
--- a/example/src/main/java/io/netty/example/http/websocketx/client/WebSocketClientHandler.java
+++ b/example/src/main/java/io/netty/example/http/websocketx/client/WebSocketClientHandler.java
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ import io.netty.handler.codec.http.websocketx.PongWebSocketFrame;
 import io.netty.handler.codec.http.websocketx.TextWebSocketFrame;
 import io.netty.handler.codec.http.websocketx.WebSocketClientHandshaker;
 import io.netty.handler.codec.http.websocketx.WebSocketFrame;
+import io.netty.handler.codec.http.websocketx.WebSocketHandshakeException;
 import io.netty.util.CharsetUtil;
 
 public class WebSocketClientHandler extends SimpleChannelInboundHandler<Object> {
@@ -82,9 +83,14 @@ public class WebSocketClientHandler extends SimpleChannelInboundHandler<Object>
     public void channelRead0(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Object msg) throws Exception {
         Channel ch = ctx.channel();
         if (!handshaker.isHandshakeComplete()) {
-            handshaker.finishHandshake(ch, (FullHttpResponse) msg);
-            System.out.println("WebSocket Client connected!");
-            handshakeFuture.setSuccess();
+            try {
+                handshaker.finishHandshake(ch, (FullHttpResponse) msg);
+                System.out.println("WebSocket Client connected!");
+                handshakeFuture.setSuccess();
+            } catch (WebSocketHandshakeException e) {
+                System.out.println("WebSocket Client failed to connect");
+                handshakeFuture.setFailure(e);
+            }
             return;
         }