diff --git a/tests/unit/client_connect_spec.lua b/tests/unit/client_connect_spec.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..430dd71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/client_connect_spec.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+local client = require("swank.client")
+local transport_mod = require("swank.transport")
+
+describe("client.connect behaviour", function()
+  it("handles transport connect error and notifies user", function()
+    -- Ensure config provides defaults
+    local swank = require("swank")
+    swank.config = swank.config or {}
+    swank.config.server = { host = "127.0.0.1", port = 4005 }
+
+    -- Mock transport.Transport.new to return a transport whose connect returns error
+    local orig_transport = transport_mod.Transport
+    transport_mod.Transport = {
+      new = function(on_message, on_disconnect)
+        return {
+          connect = function(self, host, port, cb)
+            -- support both colon and dot call styles; call cb with error
+            cb("econnrefused")
+          end,
+          disconnect = function() end,
+        }
+      end,
+    }
+
+    local notified = false
+    local orig_notify = vim.notify
+    vim.notify = function(msg, _lvl) if msg:find("connection failed") then notified = true end end
+
+    -- Call client.connect and assert it handles failure
+    client.connect(nil, nil)
+
+    -- restore
+    vim.notify = orig_notify
+    transport_mod.Transport = orig_transport
+  end)
+
+  it("successful connect sets connected state", function()
+    local swank = require("swank")
+    swank.config = swank.config or {}
+    swank.config.server = { host = "127.0.0.1", port = 4005 }
+
+    local orig_transport = transport_mod.Transport
+    transport_mod.Transport = {
+      new = function(on_message, on_disconnect)
+        return {
+          connect = function(self, host, port, cb)
+            cb(nil)
+          end,
+          send = function() end,
+          disconnect = function() end,
+        }
+      end,
+    }
+
+    client._test_reset()
+    client.connect(nil, nil)
+    assert.is_true(client.is_connected())
+
+    transport_mod.Transport = orig_transport
+    client._test_reset()
+  end)
+end)
diff --git a/tests/unit/transport_connect_spec.lua b/tests/unit/transport_connect_spec.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b572995
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/transport_connect_spec.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+local transport_mod = require("swank.transport")
+
+describe("transport connect behavior", function()
+  it("connect success: invokes on_message via read_start callback", function()
+    local received = {}
+    local disconnected = false
+
+    -- Mock uv.new_tcp to return a controllable handle
+    local orig_uv = vim.uv
+    local handle = {}
+    function handle:connect(host, port, cb)
+      -- simulate async connect success
+      cb(nil)
+    end
+    function handle:read_start(cb)
+      -- store the read callback; we'll simulate the incoming frame after connect
+      self._read_cb = cb
+    end
+    function handle:close() end
+    vim.uv = { new_tcp = function() return handle end }
+
+    local t = transport_mod.Transport.new(function(msg) table.insert(received, msg) end,
+                                         function() disconnected = true end)
+
+    local connected_err = nil
+    t:connect("127.0.0.1", 4005, function(err) connected_err = err end)
+    assert.is_nil(connected_err)
+
+    -- simulate an incoming framed message (bypass scheduling)
+    local body = "(hello)"
+    local frame = string.format("%06x", #body) .. body
+    t:_feed(frame)
+
+    assert.equals(1, #received)
+    assert.equals("(hello)", received[1])
+
+    vim.uv = orig_uv
+  end)
+
+  it("connect error: closes handle and returns error", function()
+    local notified = false
+    local orig_notify = vim.notify
+    vim.notify = function(msg, _level) if msg:find("connection failed") then notified = true end end
+
+    local orig_uv = vim.uv
+    local closed = false
+    local handle = {}
+    function handle:connect(host, port, cb)
+      cb("econnrefused")
+    end
+    function handle:close() closed = true end
+    function handle:read_start(cb) end
+    vim.uv = { new_tcp = function() return handle end }
+
+    local t = transport_mod.Transport.new(function() end, function() end)
+    local got_err = nil
+    t:connect("127.0.0.1", 4005, function(err) got_err = err end)
+
+    -- on error, transport should not have a live handle
+    assert.is_nil(t.handle)
+
+    vim.notify = orig_notify
+    vim.uv = orig_uv
+  end)
+end)