diff -urd -X freeciv.current/diff_ignore freeciv.current/client/civclient.c work/client/civclient.c
--- freeciv.current/client/civclient.c	Tue Aug 28 18:59:31 2001
+++ work/client/civclient.c	Fri Aug 31 15:36:15 2001
@@ -474,6 +474,9 @@
 **************************************************************************/
 void set_client_state(enum client_states newstate)
 {
+  int wait_before = (client_state == CLIENT_PRE_GAME_STATE)
+      && (newstate == CLIENT_PRE_GAME_STATE);
+
   if(client_state!=newstate) {
 
     /* If changing from pre-game state to _either_ select race
@@ -509,7 +512,7 @@
   }
   if (client_state == CLIENT_PRE_GAME_STATE) {
     if (auto_connect) {
-      server_autoconnect();
+      server_autoconnect(wait_before);
     } else {
       gui_server_connect();
     }
diff -urd -X freeciv.current/diff_ignore freeciv.current/client/gui-gtk/connectdlg.c work/client/gui-gtk/connectdlg.c
--- freeciv.current/client/gui-gtk/connectdlg.c	Wed Aug 29 12:59:44 2001
+++ work/client/gui-gtk/connectdlg.c	Fri Aug 31 15:40:32 2001
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <assert.h>
 
 #include <gtk/gtk.h>
 
@@ -335,7 +336,7 @@
   user intervention.  (Doesn't use widgets, but is GTK-specific
   because it calls gtk_timeout_add().)
 **************************************************************************/
-void server_autoconnect()
+void server_autoconnect(int wait_before)
 {
   char buf[512];
 
@@ -354,7 +355,11 @@
 	    server_host, server_port, player_name, buf);
     gtk_exit(1);
   }
-  if (try_to_autoconnect()) {
+
+  if (wait_before) {
+    gtk_timeout_add(AUTOCONNECT_INTERVAL, try_to_autoconnect, NULL);
+  }
+  else if (try_to_autoconnect()) {
     gtk_timeout_add(AUTOCONNECT_INTERVAL, try_to_autoconnect, NULL);
   }
 }
diff -urd -X freeciv.current/diff_ignore freeciv.current/client/include/connectdlg_g.h work/client/include/connectdlg_g.h
--- freeciv.current/client/include/connectdlg_g.h	Tue Aug 28 18:59:31 2001
+++ work/client/include/connectdlg_g.h	Fri Aug 31 15:33:08 2001
@@ -14,6 +14,6 @@
 #define FC__CONNECTDLG_G_H
 
 void gui_server_connect(void);
-void server_autoconnect(void);
+void server_autoconnect(int wait_before);
 
 #endif  /* FC__CONNECTDLG_G_H */