diff --git a/src/blackmisc/network/networkutils.cpp b/src/blackmisc/network/networkutils.cpp
index 055cee9cc..9ae87bec3 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/network/networkutils.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/network/networkutils.cpp
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
 
         bool CNetworkUtils::canConnect(const QString &hostAddress, int port, QString &message, int timeoutMs)
         {
+            if (timeoutMs < 0) { timeoutMs = getTimeoutMs(); } // external functions might call with -1
             QTcpSocket socket;
             QSignalMapper mapper;
             QObject::connect(&socket, &QTcpSocket::connected, &mapper, QOverload<>::of(&QSignalMapper::map));
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/network/urllist.cpp b/src/blackmisc/network/urllist.cpp
index 430866050..eefa6a4e9 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/network/urllist.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/network/urllist.cpp
@@ -142,20 +142,19 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             return (m_failedUrls.size() < this->size() && m_failedUrls.size() < m_maxTrials);
         }
 
-        CUrl CFailoverUrlList::obtainNextWorkingUrl(bool random, const CUrl &failedUrl)
+        CUrl CFailoverUrlList::obtainNextWorkingUrl(bool random, int connectTimeoutMs)
         {
-            if (!failedUrl.isEmpty()) { this->addFailedUrl(failedUrl); }
             if (!hasMoreUrlsToTry()) { return CUrl(); }
             const CUrl url(this->obtainNextUrlWithout(random, this->m_failedUrls));
             QString msg;
-            if (CNetworkUtils::canConnect(url, msg)) { return url; }
+            if (CNetworkUtils::canConnect(url, msg, connectTimeoutMs)) { return url; }
             if (addFailedUrl(url))
             {
                 if (!msg.isEmpty())
                 {
                     this->m_errorMsgs.append(QString("URL: %1 error: ").arg(url.toQString(), msg));
                 }
-                return obtainNextWorkingUrl();
+                return obtainNextWorkingUrl(random, connectTimeoutMs);
             }
             return CUrl();
         }
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/network/urllist.h b/src/blackmisc/network/urllist.h
index 1ee5b485f..1a7318558 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/network/urllist.h
+++ b/src/blackmisc/network/urllist.h
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             CUrl obtainNextUrlWithout(bool randomStart = false, const CUrlList &exclude = CUrlList()) const;
 
             //! Next working URL, test if it can be connected
-            CUrl obtainNextWorkingUrl( bool random = false, const CUrl &failedUrl = CUrl());
+            CUrl obtainNextWorkingUrl(bool random = false, int connectTimeoutMs = -1);
 
             //! Get the error messages
             const QStringList &getErrorMessages() const { return m_errorMsgs; }
diff --git a/src/swiftlauncher/swiftlauncher.cpp b/src/swiftlauncher/swiftlauncher.cpp
index 65cb5e4f6..79a9d6860 100644
--- a/src/swiftlauncher/swiftlauncher.cpp
+++ b/src/swiftlauncher/swiftlauncher.cpp
@@ -183,10 +183,10 @@ void CSwiftLauncher::initStyleSheet()
 void CSwiftLauncher::loadLatestNews()
 {
     CFailoverUrlList newsUrls(sGui->getGlobalSetup().getSwiftLatestNewsUrls());
-    const CUrl newsUrl(newsUrls.obtainNextWorkingUrl());
+    const CUrl newsUrl(newsUrls.obtainNextWorkingUrl(true, 10 * 1000));
     if (newsUrl.isEmpty())
     {
-        CLogMessage(this).error("No working news URL in %1") << newsUrls.toQString();
+        CLogMessage(this).warning("No working news URL in %1") << newsUrls.toQString();
         return;
     }
     sGui->getFromNetwork(newsUrl, { this, &CSwiftLauncher::ps_displayLatestNews});