diff --git a/src/cli_common.c b/src/cli_common.c
index 7d98addfc9b..772de78bf79 100644
--- a/src/cli_common.c
+++ b/src/cli_common.c
@@ -424,3 +424,21 @@ sds cliVersion(void) {
     }
     return version;
 }
+
+/* This is a wrapper to call redisConnect or redisConnectWithTimeout. */
+redisContext *redisConnectWrapper(const char *ip, int port, const struct timeval *tv) {
+    if (tv == NULL) {
+        return redisConnect(ip, port);
+    } else {
+        return redisConnectWithTimeout(ip, port, *tv);
+    }
+}
+
+/* This is a wrapper to call redisConnectUnix or redisConnectUnixWithTimeout. */
+redisContext *redisConnectUnixWrapper(const char *path, const struct timeval *tv) {
+    if (tv == NULL) {
+        return redisConnectUnix(path);
+    } else {
+        return redisConnectUnixWithTimeout(path, *tv);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/cli_common.h b/src/cli_common.h
index 3377eaf3a8f..a425dd3a0ab 100644
--- a/src/cli_common.h
+++ b/src/cli_common.h
@@ -53,4 +53,7 @@ sds escapeJsonString(sds s, const char *p, size_t len);
 
 sds cliVersion(void);
 
+redisContext *redisConnectWrapper(const char *ip, int port, const struct timeval *tv);
+redisContext *redisConnectUnixWrapper(const char *path, const struct timeval *tv);
+
 #endif /* __CLICOMMON_H */
diff --git a/src/redis-cli.c b/src/redis-cli.c
index 8ecc8d90773..85dd0b43c01 100644
--- a/src/redis-cli.c
+++ b/src/redis-cli.c
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ static int createClusterManagerCommand(char *cmdname, int argc, char **argv);
 static redisContext *context;
 static struct config {
     cliConnInfo conn_info;
-    struct timeval connect_timeout;
+    struct timeval *connect_timeout;
     char *hostsocket;
     int tls;
     cliSSLconfig sslconfig;
@@ -1649,10 +1649,10 @@ static int cliConnect(int flags) {
         /* Do not use hostsocket when we got redirected in cluster mode */
         if (config.hostsocket == NULL ||
             (config.cluster_mode && config.cluster_reissue_command)) {
-            context = redisConnectWithTimeout(config.conn_info.hostip, config.conn_info.hostport,
-                                              config.connect_timeout);
+            context = redisConnectWrapper(config.conn_info.hostip, config.conn_info.hostport,
+                                          config.connect_timeout);
         } else {
-            context = redisConnectUnixWithTimeout(config.hostsocket, config.connect_timeout);
+            context = redisConnectUnixWrapper(config.hostsocket, config.connect_timeout);
         }
 
         if (!context->err && config.tls) {
@@ -2595,8 +2595,8 @@ static redisReply *reconnectingRedisCommand(redisContext *c, const char *fmt, ..
             fflush(stdout);
 
             redisFree(c);
-            c = redisConnectWithTimeout(config.conn_info.hostip, config.conn_info.hostport,
-                                        config.connect_timeout);
+            c = redisConnectWrapper(config.conn_info.hostip, config.conn_info.hostport,
+                                    config.connect_timeout);
             if (!c->err && config.tls) {
                 const char *err = NULL;
                 if (cliSecureConnection(c, config.sslconfig, &err) == REDIS_ERR && err) {
@@ -2658,8 +2658,10 @@ static int parseOptions(int argc, char **argv) {
                 fprintf(stderr, "Invalid connection timeout for -t.\n");
                 exit(1);
             }
-            config.connect_timeout.tv_sec = (long long)seconds;
-            config.connect_timeout.tv_usec = ((long long)(seconds * 1000000)) % 1000000;
+            if (config.connect_timeout == NULL)
+                config.connect_timeout = zmalloc(sizeof(*config.connect_timeout));
+            config.connect_timeout->tv_sec = (long long)seconds;
+            config.connect_timeout->tv_usec = ((long long)(seconds * 1000000)) % 1000000;
         } else if (!strcmp(argv[i],"-s") && !lastarg) {
             config.hostsocket = argv[++i];
         } else if (!strcmp(argv[i],"-r") && !lastarg) {
@@ -4085,7 +4087,7 @@ static int clusterManagerExecTransaction(clusterManagerNode *node,
 
 static int clusterManagerNodeConnect(clusterManagerNode *node) {
     if (node->context) redisFree(node->context);
-    node->context = redisConnectWithTimeout(node->ip, node->port, config.connect_timeout);
+    node->context = redisConnectWrapper(node->ip, node->port, config.connect_timeout);
     if (!node->context->err && config.tls) {
         const char *err = NULL;
         if (cliSecureConnection(node->context, config.sslconfig, &err) == REDIS_ERR && err) {
@@ -7910,7 +7912,7 @@ static int clusterManagerCommandImport(int argc, char **argv) {
     char *reply_err = NULL;
     redisReply *src_reply = NULL;
     // Connect to the source node.
-    redisContext *src_ctx = redisConnectWithTimeout(src_ip, src_port, config.connect_timeout);
+    redisContext *src_ctx = redisConnectWrapper(src_ip, src_port, config.connect_timeout);
     if (src_ctx->err) {
         success = 0;
         fprintf(stderr,"Could not connect to Redis at %s:%d: %s.\n", src_ip,
@@ -9845,8 +9847,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     memset(&config.sslconfig, 0, sizeof(config.sslconfig));
     config.conn_info.hostip = sdsnew("127.0.0.1");
     config.conn_info.hostport = 6379;
-    config.connect_timeout.tv_sec = 60;
-    config.connect_timeout.tv_usec = 0;
+    config.connect_timeout = NULL;
     config.hostsocket = NULL;
     config.repeat = 1;
     config.interval = 0;