diff --git a/connection.go b/connection.go
index a6b2291..646789b 100644
--- a/connection.go
+++ b/connection.go
@@ -34,7 +34,13 @@ func NewConnection(
 	requestHeader http.Header,
 	tlsConfig *tls.Config,
 ) (*Connection, error) {
-	c, _, err := ws.Dial(ctx, url, getConnectionOptions(requestHeader, tlsConfig))
+	dialCtx := ctx
+	if _, ok := dialCtx.Deadline(); !ok {
+		// if no timeout is set, force it to 7 seconds
+		dialCtx, _ = context.WithTimeoutCause(ctx, 7*time.Second, errors.New("connection took too long"))
+	}
+
+	c, _, err := ws.Dial(dialCtx, url, getConnectionOptions(requestHeader, tlsConfig))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/pool.go b/pool.go
index 138f24f..764faa8 100644
--- a/pool.go
+++ b/pool.go
@@ -145,17 +145,10 @@ func (pool *Pool) EnsureRelay(url string) (*Relay, error) {
 		return relay, nil
 	}
 
+	relay = NewRelay(pool.Context, url, pool.relayOptions)
 	// try to connect
 	// we use this ctx here so when the pool dies everything dies
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeoutCause(
-		pool.Context,
-		time.Second*7,
-		errors.New("connecting to the relay took too long"),
-	)
-	defer cancel()
-
-	relay = NewRelay(pool.Context, url, pool.relayOptions)
-	if err := relay.Connect(ctx); err != nil {
+	if err := relay.Connect(pool.Context); err != nil {
 		if pool.penaltyBox != nil {
 			// putting relay in penalty box
 			pool.penaltyBoxMu.Lock()
@@ -469,7 +462,7 @@ func (pool *Pool) subMany(
 			subscribe:
 				sub, err = relay.Subscribe(ctx, filter, opts)
 				if err != nil {
-					debugLogf("%s reconnecting because subscription died\n", nm)
+					debugLogf("%s reconnecting because subscription died: %s\n", nm, err)
 					goto reconnect
 				}
 
diff --git a/relay.go b/relay.go
index 34b232a..9e12e42 100644
--- a/relay.go
+++ b/relay.go
@@ -117,11 +117,6 @@ func (r *Relay) ConnectWithTLS(ctx context.Context, tlsConfig *tls.Config) error
 		return fmt.Errorf("invalid relay URL '%s'", r.URL)
 	}
 
-	if _, ok := ctx.Deadline(); !ok {
-		// if no timeout is set, force it to 7 seconds
-		ctx, _ = context.WithTimeoutCause(ctx, 7*time.Second, errors.New("connection took too long"))
-	}
-
 	conn, err := NewConnection(ctx, r.URL, r.handleMessage, r.requestHeader, tlsConfig)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error opening websocket to '%s': %w", r.URL, err)
@@ -230,10 +225,10 @@ func (r *Relay) WriteWithError(msg []byte) error {
 	ch := make(chan error)
 	select {
 	case r.Connection.writeQueue <- writeRequest{msg: msg, answer: ch}:
-	case <-r.Connection.closedNotify:
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to write to %s: <closed>", r.URL)
 	case <-r.connectionContext.Done():
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to write to %s: %w", r.URL, context.Cause(r.connectionContext))
+	case <-r.Connection.closedNotify:
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to write to %s: <closed>", r.URL)
 	}
 	return <-ch
 }