diff --git a/comms/src/connection_manager/listener.rs b/comms/src/connection_manager/listener.rs
index e192e9a66d..bd9a65eca2 100644
--- a/comms/src/connection_manager/listener.rs
+++ b/comms/src/connection_manager/listener.rs
@@ -30,7 +30,11 @@ use super::{
 };
 use crate::{
     bounded_executor::BoundedExecutor,
-    connection_manager::{liveness::LivenessSession, types::OneshotTrigger, wire_mode::WireMode},
+    connection_manager::{
+        liveness::LivenessSession,
+        types::OneshotTrigger,
+        wire_mode::{WireMode, LIVENESS_WIRE_MODE},
+    },
     multiaddr::Multiaddr,
     multiplexing::Yamux,
     noise::NoiseConfig,
@@ -56,6 +60,7 @@ use log::*;
 use std::{
     convert::TryInto,
     future::Future,
+    io::{Error, ErrorKind},
     sync::{
         atomic::{AtomicUsize, Ordering},
         Arc,
@@ -168,22 +173,34 @@ where
         }
     }
 
-    async fn read_wire_format(socket: &mut TTransport::Output, time_to_first_byte: Duration) -> Option<WireMode> {
+    async fn read_wire_format(
+        socket: &mut TTransport::Output,
+        time_to_first_byte: Duration,
+    ) -> Result<WireMode, Error> {
         let mut buf = [0u8; 1];
-        match time::timeout(time_to_first_byte, socket.read_exact(&mut buf))
-            .await
-            .ok()?
-        {
-            Ok(_) => match buf[0].try_into().ok() {
-                Some(wf) => Some(wf),
-                None => {
-                    warn!(target: LOG_TARGET, "Invalid wire format byte '{}'", buf[0]);
-                    None
+        match time::timeout(time_to_first_byte, socket.read_exact(&mut buf)).await {
+            Ok(result) => match result {
+                Ok(_) => match buf[0].try_into().ok() {
+                    Some(wf) => Ok(wf),
+                    None => {
+                        warn!(target: LOG_TARGET, "Invalid wire format byte '{}'", buf[0]);
+                        Err(ErrorKind::InvalidData.into())
+                    },
+                },
+                Err(err) => {
+                    warn!(
+                        target: LOG_TARGET,
+                        "Failed to read wire format byte due to error: {}", err
+                    );
+                    Err(err)
                 },
             },
-            Err(err) => {
-                warn!(target: LOG_TARGET, "Failed to read first byte: {}", err);
-                None
+            Err(elapsed) => {
+                warn!(
+                    target: LOG_TARGET,
+                    "Failed to read wire format byte within timeout of {:#?}. {}", time_to_first_byte, elapsed
+                );
+                Err(elapsed.into())
             },
         }
     }
@@ -227,7 +244,7 @@ where
 
         let inbound_fut = async move {
             match Self::read_wire_format(&mut socket, config.time_to_first_byte).await {
-                Some(WireMode::Comms(byte)) if byte == config.network_info.network_byte => {
+                Ok(WireMode::Comms(byte)) if byte == config.network_info.network_byte => {
                     let this_node_id_str = node_identity.node_id().short_str();
                     let result = Self::perform_socket_upgrade_procedure(
                         node_identity,
@@ -268,7 +285,7 @@ where
                         },
                     }
                 },
-                Some(WireMode::Comms(byte)) => {
+                Ok(WireMode::Comms(byte)) => {
                     warn!(
                         target: LOG_TARGET,
                         "Peer at address '{}' sent invalid wire format byte. Expected {:x?} got: {:x?} ",
@@ -277,7 +294,7 @@ where
                         byte,
                     );
                 },
-                Some(WireMode::Liveness) => {
+                Ok(WireMode::Liveness) => {
                     if liveness_session_count.load(Ordering::SeqCst) > 0 &&
                         Self::is_address_in_liveness_cidr_range(&peer_addr, &config.liveness_cidr_allowlist)
                     {
@@ -295,10 +312,15 @@ where
                         let _ = socket.close().await;
                     }
                 },
-                None => {
+                Err(err) => {
                     warn!(
                         target: LOG_TARGET,
-                        "Peer at address '{}' failed to send valid wire format", peer_addr
+                        "Peer at address '{}' failed to send wire format. Expected network byte {:x?} or liveness \
+                         byte {:x?} not received. Error: {}",
+                        peer_addr,
+                        config.network_info.network_byte,
+                        LIVENESS_WIRE_MODE,
+                        err
                     );
                 },
             }
diff --git a/comms/src/connection_manager/wire_mode.rs b/comms/src/connection_manager/wire_mode.rs
index e2421c078b..d8b5cac5d0 100644
--- a/comms/src/connection_manager/wire_mode.rs
+++ b/comms/src/connection_manager/wire_mode.rs
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 
 use std::convert::TryFrom;
 
-const LIVENESS_WIRE_MODE: u8 = 0x46; // E
+pub(crate) const LIVENESS_WIRE_MODE: u8 = 0x46; // E
 
 pub enum WireMode {
     Comms(u8),