diff --git a/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py b/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
--- a/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
@@ -310,14 +310,18 @@
                 self.rpc_connected = True
                 self.url = self.rpc.url
                 return
-            except IOError as e:
-                if e.errno != errno.ECONNREFUSED:  # Port not yet open?
-                    raise  # unknown IO error
             except JSONRPCException as e:  # Initialization phase
                 # -28 RPC in warmup
                 # -342 Service unavailable, RPC server started but is shutting down due to error
                 if e.error['code'] != -28 and e.error['code'] != -342:
                     raise  # unknown JSON RPC exception
+            except ConnectionResetError:
+                # This might happen when the RPC server is in warmup, but shut down before the call to getblockcount
+                # succeeds. Try again to properly raise the FailedToStartError
+                pass
+            except OSError as e:
+                if e.errno != errno.ECONNREFUSED:  # Port not yet open?
+                    raise  # unknown OS error
             except ValueError as e:  # cookie file not found and no rpcuser or rpcassword. bitcoind still starting
                 if "No RPC credentials" not in str(e):
                     raise