diff --git a/src/evhelper.cpp b/src/evhelper.cpp
index f629e72..b47843f 100644
--- a/src/evhelper.cpp
+++ b/src/evhelper.cpp
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ bool evbase::assertInRunningLoop() const
 bool evsocket::canIPv6;
 evsocket::ipstack_t evsocket::ipstack;
 
-evsocket::evsocket(int af, evutil_socket_t sock)
+evsocket::evsocket(int af, evutil_socket_t sock, bool blocking)
     :sock(sock)
     ,af(af)
 {
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ evsocket::evsocket(int af, evutil_socket_t sock)
 
     evutil_make_socket_closeonexec(sock);
 
-    if(evutil_make_socket_nonblocking(sock)) {
+    if(!blocking && evutil_make_socket_nonblocking(sock)) {
         evutil_closesocket(sock);
         throw std::runtime_error("Unable to make non-blocking socket");
     }
@@ -401,8 +401,8 @@ evsocket::evsocket(int af, evutil_socket_t sock)
 #  define SOCK_CLOEXEC 0
 #endif
 
-evsocket::evsocket(int af, int type, int proto)
-    :evsocket(af, socket(af, type | SOCK_CLOEXEC, proto))
+evsocket::evsocket(int af, int type, int proto, bool blocking)
+    :evsocket(af, socket(af, type | SOCK_CLOEXEC, proto), blocking)
 {
 #ifdef __linux__
 #  ifndef IP_MULTICAST_ALL
diff --git a/src/evhelper.h b/src/evhelper.h
index 88f61a6..d1a3917 100644
--- a/src/evhelper.h
+++ b/src/evhelper.h
@@ -199,10 +199,10 @@ struct PVXS_API evsocket
     constexpr evsocket() noexcept :sock(-1), af(AF_UNSPEC) {}
 
     // construct from a valid (not -1) socket
-    explicit evsocket(int af, evutil_socket_t sock);
+    explicit evsocket(int af, evutil_socket_t sock, bool blocking=false);
 
     // create a new socket
-    evsocket(int, int, int);
+    evsocket(int af, int type, int proto, bool blocking=false);
 
     // movable
     evsocket(evsocket&& o) noexcept;
diff --git a/test/testsock.cpp b/test/testsock.cpp
index 2abaa74..3f9b0ec 100644
--- a/test/testsock.cpp
+++ b/test/testsock.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@
 
 #include <osiSockExt.h>
 
+#ifndef _WIN32
+#  include <poll.h>
+#endif
+
 #include <cstring>
 #include <system_error>
 #include <sstream>
@@ -13,6 +17,7 @@
 #include <epicsUnitTest.h>
 #include <testMain.h>
 #include <epicsThread.h>
+#include <epicsTime.h>
 #include <osiSock.h>
 
 #include <evhelper.h>
@@ -22,6 +27,42 @@
 namespace {
 using namespace pvxs;
 
+#ifdef _WIN32
+#  define poll WSAPoll
+#  ifndef POLLIN
+#    define POLLIN POLLRDNORM
+#  endif
+#endif
+
+bool waitReadable(const evsocket& sock, double timeout=5.0)
+{
+    pollfd pfd{};
+
+    pfd.fd = sock.sock;
+    pfd.events = POLLIN;
+
+    auto expire(epicsTime::getCurrent() + timeout);
+    while(true) {
+        auto remaining = expire - epicsTime::getCurrent();
+        int msleft = remaining*1000.0;
+        if(msleft <= 0)
+            return false;
+
+        testDiag("%s waiting for %d ms", __func__, msleft);
+        auto ret = poll(&pfd, 1u, msleft);
+        if(ret < 0) {
+            auto err(SOCKERRNO);
+            if(err == SOCK_EINTR)
+                continue;
+            testFail("%s fails with %d after %f", __func__, err, remaining);
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        if(ret == 1 && (pfd.revents & POLLIN))
+            return true;
+    }
+}
+
 void test_bind46(const char* saddr1, const char* saddr2, int type, int expect)
 {
     const std::string label = SB()<<__func__<<"("<<saddr1<<", "<<saddr2<<", "<<(type==SOCK_STREAM?"tcp":"udp")<<", "<<expect<<")";
@@ -30,8 +71,8 @@ void test_bind46(const char* saddr1, const char* saddr2, int type, int expect)
     SockAddr addr1(saddr1);
     SockAddr addr2(saddr2);
 
-    evsocket s1(addr1.family(), type, 0),
-             s2(addr2.family(), type, 0);
+    evsocket s1(addr1.family(), type, 0, true),
+             s2(addr2.family(), type, 0, true);
 
     try {
         s1.bind(addr1);
@@ -93,8 +134,8 @@ void test_udp(int af)
 {
     testDiag("Enter %s(%d)", __func__, af);
 
-    evsocket A(af, SOCK_DGRAM, 0),
-             B(af, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
+    evsocket A(af, SOCK_DGRAM, 0, true),
+             B(af, SOCK_DGRAM, 0, true);
 
     SockAddr bind_addr(SockAddr::loopback(af));
 
@@ -148,8 +189,8 @@ void test_local_mcast()
 
     IfaceMap ifinfo;
 
-    evsocket A(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0),
-             B(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
+    evsocket A(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0, true),
+             B(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0, true);
 
     SockEndpoint mcast_addr("224.0.0.128,1@127.0.0.1");
 
@@ -203,11 +244,11 @@ void test_mcast_scope()
     auto lo(SockAddr::loopback(AF_INET));
     auto sender(SockAddr::loopback(AF_INET));
 
-    evsocket TX (AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0),
-             RX1(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0),
-             RX2(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0),
-             RX3(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0),
-             RX4(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
+    evsocket TX (AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0, true),
+             RX1(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0, true),
+             RX2(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0, true),
+             RX3(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0, true),
+             RX4(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0, true);
 
     epicsSocketEnableAddressUseForDatagramFanout(RX1.sock);
     epicsSocketEnableAddressUseForDatagramFanout(RX2.sock);
@@ -245,13 +286,20 @@ void test_mcast_scope()
     auto ret = sendto(TX.sock, msg, msglen, 0, &mcast_addr.addr->sa, mcast_addr.addr.size());
     testEq(ret, int(msglen))<<" sendto("<<sender<<" -> "<<mcast_addr<<") err="<<EVUTIL_SOCKET_ERROR();
 
-    auto doRX = [&lo, &msg, msglen](unsigned idx, evsocket& sock, bool expectrx) {
+    auto doRX = [&lo, &msg, msglen](unsigned idx, const evsocket& sock, bool expectrx) {
         testShow()<<"RX"<<idx<<" expect "<<(expectrx ? "success" : "failure");
         char buf[sizeof(msg)-1u+2u];
         SockAddr src, dest;
         recvfromx rx{sock.sock, buf, sizeof(buf), &src, &dest};
 
-        auto ret = rx.call();
+        int ret = -1;
+        if(waitReadable(sock)) {
+            ret = rx.call();
+        } else {
+            ret = -1;
+            EVUTIL_SET_SOCKET_ERROR(SOCK_EWOULDBLOCK);
+        }
+
         if(expectrx) {
             testEq(ret, int(msglen))<<" recvfrom() RX"<<idx<<" err="<<EVUTIL_SOCKET_ERROR()<<" src="<<src;
             testTrue(lo.compare(src))<<" RX"<<idx<<" from "<<src;