diff --git a/lib/ZwaveClient.js b/lib/ZwaveClient.js
index b472dca20b0..e4b2ab9e614 100644
--- a/lib/ZwaveClient.js
+++ b/lib/ZwaveClient.js
@@ -1296,26 +1296,30 @@ ZwaveClient.prototype.connect = async function () {
       networkKey = undefined
     }
 
-    // init driver here because if connect fails the driver is destroyed
-    this.driver = new Driver(this.cfg.port, {
-      cacheDir: storeDir,
-      networkKey: networkKey
-    })
-    this.driver.on('error', driverError.bind(this))
-    this.driver.once('driver ready', driverReady.bind(this))
-    this.driver.on('all nodes ready', scanComplete.bind(this))
+    try {
+      // init driver here because if connect fails the driver is destroyed
+      // this could throw so include in the try/catch
+      this.driver = new Driver(this.cfg.port, {
+        cacheDir: storeDir,
+        networkKey: networkKey
+      })
 
-    debug('Connecting to', this.cfg.port)
+      this.driver.on('error', driverError.bind(this))
+      this.driver.once('driver ready', driverReady.bind(this))
+      this.driver.on('all nodes ready', scanComplete.bind(this))
+
+      debug('Connecting to', this.cfg.port)
 
-    try {
       await this.driver.start()
       this.status = ZWAVE_STATUS.connected
       this.connected = true
     } catch (error) {
       // destroy diver instance when it fails
-      this.driver.destroy().catch(err => {
-        debug('Error while destroing driver ' + err.message)
-      })
+      if (this.driver) {
+        this.driver.destroy().catch(err => {
+          debug('Error while destroing driver ' + err.message)
+        })
+      }
       driverError.call(this, error)
       debug('Retry connection in 3 seconds...')
       this.reconnectTimeout = setTimeout(this.connect.bind(this), 3000)