diff --git a/src/device/connecteddevice.cpp b/src/device/connecteddevice.cpp
index e4963feab..0e9756929 100644
--- a/src/device/connecteddevice.cpp
+++ b/src/device/connecteddevice.cpp
@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@ void ConnectedDevice::InitBackendDirectory(const QString &mount_point, bool firs
 
 }
 
+void ConnectedDevice::ConnectAsync() { emit ConnectFinished(unique_id_, true); }
+
 void ConnectedDevice::Eject() {
 
   DeviceInfo *info = manager_->FindDeviceById(unique_id_);
diff --git a/src/device/connecteddevice.h b/src/device/connecteddevice.h
index 65b5b2535..8648afe28 100644
--- a/src/device/connecteddevice.h
+++ b/src/device/connecteddevice.h
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ class ConnectedDevice : public QObject,
   ~ConnectedDevice();
 
   virtual bool Init() = 0;
+  virtual void ConnectAsync();
   // For some devices (e.g. CD devices) we don't have callbacks to be notified when something change:
   // we can call this method to refresh device's state
   virtual void Refresh() {}
@@ -71,6 +72,7 @@ class ConnectedDevice : public QObject,
  signals:
   void TaskStarted(int id);
   void SongCountUpdated(int count);
+  void ConnectFinished(const QString& id, bool success);
 
  protected:
   void InitBackendDirectory(const QString &mount_point, bool first_time, bool rewrite_path = true);
diff --git a/src/device/devicemanager.cpp b/src/device/devicemanager.cpp
index 1d4bf9e57..e6f3f5cac 100644
--- a/src/device/devicemanager.cpp
+++ b/src/device/devicemanager.cpp
@@ -548,12 +548,29 @@ std::shared_ptr<ConnectedDevice> DeviceManager::Connect(DeviceInfo *info) {
 
   connect(info->device_.get(), SIGNAL(TaskStarted(int)), SLOT(DeviceTaskStarted(int)));
   connect(info->device_.get(), SIGNAL(SongCountUpdated(int)), SLOT(DeviceSongCountUpdated(int)));
-
-  emit DeviceConnected(idx);
+  connect(info->device_.get(), SIGNAL(ConnectFinished(const QString&, bool)), SLOT(DeviceConnectFinished(const QString&, bool)));
+  ret->ConnectAsync();
   return ret;
 
 }
 
+void DeviceManager::DeviceConnectFinished(const QString &id, bool success) {
+
+  DeviceInfo *info = FindDeviceById(id);
+  if (!info) return;
+
+  QModelIndex idx = ItemToIndex(info);
+  if (!idx.isValid()) return;
+
+  if (success) {
+    emit DeviceConnected(idx);
+  }
+  else {
+    info->device_.reset();
+  }
+
+}
+
 DeviceInfo *DeviceManager::GetDevice(QModelIndex idx) const {
 
   DeviceInfo *info = IndexToItem(idx);
diff --git a/src/device/devicemanager.h b/src/device/devicemanager.h
index 8063bf7fe..2404514b7 100644
--- a/src/device/devicemanager.h
+++ b/src/device/devicemanager.h
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ class DeviceManager : public SimpleTreeModel<DeviceInfo> {
   void TasksChanged();
   void DeviceSongCountUpdated(int count);
   void LoadAllDevices();
+  void DeviceConnectFinished(const QString &id, bool success);
 
  protected:
   void LazyPopulate(DeviceInfo *item) { LazyPopulate(item, true); }
diff --git a/src/device/gpoddevice.cpp b/src/device/gpoddevice.cpp
index d5976faca..5e051a3aa 100644
--- a/src/device/gpoddevice.cpp
+++ b/src/device/gpoddevice.cpp
@@ -59,11 +59,10 @@ bool GPodDevice::Init() {
   loader_ = new GPodLoader(url_.path(), app_->task_manager(), backend_, shared_from_this());
   loader_->moveToThread(loader_thread_);
 
-  connect(loader_, SIGNAL(Error(QString)), SIGNAL(Error(QString)));
+  connect(loader_, SIGNAL(Error(QString)), SLOT(LoaderError(QString)));
   connect(loader_, SIGNAL(TaskStarted(int)), SIGNAL(TaskStarted(int)));
-  connect(loader_, SIGNAL(LoadFinished(Itdb_iTunesDB*)), SLOT(LoadFinished(Itdb_iTunesDB*)));
+  connect(loader_, SIGNAL(LoadFinished(Itdb_iTunesDB*, bool)), SLOT(LoadFinished(Itdb_iTunesDB*, bool)));
   connect(loader_thread_, SIGNAL(started()), loader_, SLOT(LoadDatabase()));
-  loader_thread_->start();
 
   return true;
 
@@ -71,7 +70,13 @@ bool GPodDevice::Init() {
 
 GPodDevice::~GPodDevice() {}
 
-void GPodDevice::LoadFinished(Itdb_iTunesDB *db) {
+void GPodDevice::ConnectAsync() {
+
+  loader_thread_->start();
+
+}
+
+void GPodDevice::LoadFinished(Itdb_iTunesDB *db, bool success) {
 
   QMutexLocker l(&db_mutex_);
   db_ = db;
@@ -87,8 +92,12 @@ void GPodDevice::LoadFinished(Itdb_iTunesDB *db) {
   loader_->deleteLater();
   loader_ = nullptr;
 
+  emit ConnectFinished(unique_id_, success);
+
 }
 
+void GPodDevice::LoaderError(const QString &message) { app_->AddError(message); }
+
 bool GPodDevice::StartCopy(QList<Song::FileType> *supported_filetypes) {
 
   {
diff --git a/src/device/gpoddevice.h b/src/device/gpoddevice.h
index 70c58ee8f..084b7ed06 100644
--- a/src/device/gpoddevice.h
+++ b/src/device/gpoddevice.h
@@ -46,19 +46,19 @@ class GPodLoader;
 
 class GPodDevice : public ConnectedDevice, public virtual MusicStorage {
   Q_OBJECT
-  
- signals:
-  void Error(const QString &message);
 
  public:
   Q_INVOKABLE GPodDevice(
       const QUrl &url, DeviceLister *lister,
-      const QString &unique_id, DeviceManager *manager,
+      const QString &unique_id,
+      DeviceManager *manager,
       Application *app,
-      int database_id, bool first_time);
+      int database_id,
+      bool first_time);
   ~GPodDevice();
 
   bool Init();
+  void ConnectAsync();
 
   static QStringList url_schemes() { return QStringList() << "ipod"; }
 
@@ -73,7 +73,8 @@ class GPodDevice : public ConnectedDevice, public virtual MusicStorage {
   void FinishDelete(bool success);
 
  protected slots:
-  void LoadFinished(Itdb_iTunesDB *db);
+  void LoadFinished(Itdb_iTunesDB *db, bool success);
+  void LoaderError(const QString& message);
 
  protected:
   Itdb_Track *AddTrackToITunesDb(const Song &metadata);
diff --git a/src/device/gpodloader.cpp b/src/device/gpodloader.cpp
index 7a954e525..6b9431d0e 100644
--- a/src/device/gpodloader.cpp
+++ b/src/device/gpodloader.cpp
@@ -52,6 +52,17 @@ void GPodLoader::LoadDatabase() {
   int task_id = task_manager_->StartTask(tr("Loading iPod database"));
   emit TaskStarted(task_id);
 
+  Itdb_iTunesDB *db = TryLoad();
+
+  moveToThread(original_thread_);
+
+  task_manager_->SetTaskFinished(task_id);
+  emit LoadFinished(db, db);
+
+}
+
+Itdb_iTunesDB *GPodLoader::TryLoad() {
+
   // Load the iTunes database
   GError *error = nullptr;
   Itdb_iTunesDB *db = itdb_parse(QDir::toNativeSeparators(mount_point_).toLocal8Bit(), &error);
@@ -62,12 +73,12 @@ void GPodLoader::LoadDatabase() {
       qLog(Error) << "loading database failed:" << error->message;
       emit Error(QString::fromUtf8(error->message));
       g_error_free(error);
-    } else {
+    }
+    else {
       emit Error(tr("An error occurred loading the iTunes database"));
     }
 
-    task_manager_->SetTaskFinished(task_id);
-    return;
+    return db;
   }
 
   // Convert all the tracks from libgpod structs into Song classes
@@ -91,10 +102,6 @@ void GPodLoader::LoadDatabase() {
   // Add the songs we've just loaded
   backend_->AddOrUpdateSongs(songs);
 
-  moveToThread(original_thread_);
-
-  task_manager_->SetTaskFinished(task_id);
-  emit LoadFinished(db);
+  return db;
 
 }
-
diff --git a/src/device/gpodloader.h b/src/device/gpodloader.h
index d20418b54..9718e839a 100644
--- a/src/device/gpodloader.h
+++ b/src/device/gpodloader.h
@@ -52,7 +52,10 @@ class GPodLoader : public QObject {
  signals:
   void Error(const QString &message);
   void TaskStarted(int task_id);
-  void LoadFinished(Itdb_iTunesDB *db);
+  void LoadFinished(Itdb_iTunesDB *db, bool success);
+
+ private:
+  Itdb_iTunesDB *TryLoad();
 
  private:
   std::shared_ptr<ConnectedDevice> device_;
diff --git a/src/device/mtpdevice.cpp b/src/device/mtpdevice.cpp
index a5d95d1bb..ab5237584 100644
--- a/src/device/mtpdevice.cpp
+++ b/src/device/mtpdevice.cpp
@@ -64,36 +64,39 @@ MtpDevice::~MtpDevice() {}
 bool MtpDevice::Init() {
 
   InitBackendDirectory("/", first_time_, false);
+  model_->Init();
 
   loader_ = new MtpLoader(url_, app_->task_manager(), backend_, shared_from_this());
-  if (!loader_->Init()) {
-    delete loader_;
-    loader_ = nullptr;
-    return false;
-  }
-  model_->Init();
+
   loader_->moveToThread(loader_thread_);
 
-  connect(loader_, SIGNAL(Error(QString)), SIGNAL(Error(QString)));
+  connect(loader_, SIGNAL(Error(QString)), SLOT(LoaderError(QString)));
   connect(loader_, SIGNAL(TaskStarted(int)), SIGNAL(TaskStarted(int)));
-  connect(loader_, SIGNAL(LoadFinished()), SLOT(LoadFinished()));
+  connect(loader_, SIGNAL(LoadFinished(bool)), SLOT(LoadFinished(bool)));
   connect(loader_thread_, SIGNAL(started()), loader_, SLOT(LoadDatabase()));
 
-  db_busy_.lock();
-  loader_thread_->start();
-
   return true;
 
 }
 
-void MtpDevice::LoadFinished() {
+void MtpDevice::ConnectAsync() {
+
+  db_busy_.lock();
+  loader_thread_->start();
+
+}
+
+void MtpDevice::LoadFinished(bool success) {
 
   loader_->deleteLater();
   loader_ = nullptr;
   db_busy_.unlock();
+  emit ConnectFinished(unique_id_, success);
 
 }
 
+void MtpDevice::LoaderError(const QString& message) { app_->AddError(message); }
+
 bool MtpDevice::StartCopy(QList<Song::FileType> *supported_types) {
 
   // Ensure only one "organise files" can be active at any one time
diff --git a/src/device/mtpdevice.h b/src/device/mtpdevice.h
index 6ccf7c555..adadbd15d 100644
--- a/src/device/mtpdevice.h
+++ b/src/device/mtpdevice.h
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ class MtpDevice : public ConnectedDevice {
   static QStringList url_schemes() { return QStringList() << "mtp" << "gphoto2"; }
 
   bool Init();
+  void ConnectAsync();
 
   bool GetSupportedFiletypes(QList<Song::FileType>* ret);
   int GetFreeSpace();
@@ -68,7 +69,8 @@ class MtpDevice : public ConnectedDevice {
   void FinishDelete(bool success);
 
  private slots:
-  void LoadFinished();
+  void LoadFinished(bool success);
+  void LoaderError(const QString& message);
 
  private:
   bool GetSupportedFiletypes(QList<Song::FileType> *ret, LIBMTP_mtpdevice_struct *device);
diff --git a/src/device/mtploader.cpp b/src/device/mtploader.cpp
index 8a2dddc76..58cc72478 100644
--- a/src/device/mtploader.cpp
+++ b/src/device/mtploader.cpp
@@ -40,34 +40,35 @@ MtpLoader::MtpLoader(const QUrl &url, TaskManager *task_manager, CollectionBacke
   original_thread_ = thread();
 }
 
-MtpLoader::~MtpLoader() {
-  delete connection_;
-}
+MtpLoader::~MtpLoader() {}
 
-bool MtpLoader::Init() {
-  connection_ = new MtpConnection(url_);
-  return connection_->is_valid();
-}
+bool MtpLoader::Init() { return true; }
 
 void MtpLoader::LoadDatabase() {
 
   int task_id = task_manager_->StartTask(tr("Loading MTP device"));
   emit TaskStarted(task_id);
 
-  TryLoad();
+  bool success = TryLoad();
 
   moveToThread(original_thread_);
 
   task_manager_->SetTaskFinished(task_id);
-  emit LoadFinished();
+  emit LoadFinished(success);
 
 }
 
 bool MtpLoader::TryLoad() {
 
+  MtpConnection dev(url_);
+  if (!dev.is_valid()) {
+    emit Error(tr("Error connecting MTP device"));
+    return false;
+  }
+
   // Load the list of songs on the device
   SongList songs;
-  LIBMTP_track_t* tracks = LIBMTP_Get_Tracklisting_With_Callback(connection_->device(), nullptr, nullptr);
+  LIBMTP_track_t* tracks = LIBMTP_Get_Tracklisting_With_Callback(dev.device(), nullptr, nullptr);
   while (tracks) {
     LIBMTP_track_t *track = tracks;
 
diff --git a/src/device/mtploader.h b/src/device/mtploader.h
index 8e52ba7e4..3f03297c4 100644
--- a/src/device/mtploader.h
+++ b/src/device/mtploader.h
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ class MtpLoader : public QObject {
  signals:
   void Error(const QString &message);
   void TaskStarted(int task_id);
-  void LoadFinished();
+  void LoadFinished(bool success);
 
  private:
   bool TryLoad();