diff --git a/packages/vite/src/client/client.ts b/packages/vite/src/client/client.ts
index 6a7f9b27c3a700..1a1968168683c1 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/client/client.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/client/client.ts
@@ -19,10 +19,29 @@ console.log('[vite] connecting...')
 const socketProtocol =
   __HMR_PROTOCOL__ || (location.protocol === 'https:' ? 'wss' : 'ws')
 const socketHost = `${__HMR_HOSTNAME__ || location.hostname}:${__HMR_PORT__}`
-const socket = new WebSocket(`${socketProtocol}://${socketHost}`, 'vite-hmr')
 const base = __BASE__ || '/'
 const messageBuffer: string[] = []
 
+let socket: WebSocket
+try {
+  socket = new WebSocket(`${socketProtocol}://${socketHost}`, 'vite-hmr')
+
+  // Listen for messages
+  socket.addEventListener('message', async ({ data }) => {
+    handleMessage(JSON.parse(data))
+  })
+
+  // ping server
+  socket.addEventListener('close', async ({ wasClean }) => {
+    if (wasClean) return
+    console.log(`[vite] server connection lost. polling for restart...`)
+    await waitForSuccessfulPing()
+    location.reload()
+  })
+} catch (error) {
+  console.error(`[vite] failed to connect to websocket (${error}). `)
+}
+
 function warnFailedFetch(err: Error, path: string | string[]) {
   if (!err.message.match('fetch')) {
     console.error(err)
@@ -40,11 +59,6 @@ function cleanUrl(pathname: string): string {
   return url.pathname + url.search
 }
 
-// Listen for messages
-socket.addEventListener('message', async ({ data }) => {
-  handleMessage(JSON.parse(data))
-})
-
 let isFirstUpdate = true
 
 async function handleMessage(payload: HMRPayload) {
@@ -212,14 +226,6 @@ async function waitForSuccessfulPing(ms = 1000) {
   }
 }
 
-// ping server
-socket.addEventListener('close', async ({ wasClean }) => {
-  if (wasClean) return
-  console.log(`[vite] server connection lost. polling for restart...`)
-  await waitForSuccessfulPing()
-  location.reload()
-})
-
 // https://wicg.github.io/construct-stylesheets
 const supportsConstructedSheet = (() => {
   // TODO: re-enable this try block once Chrome fixes the performance of