diff --git a/infection_monkey/network/tools.py b/infection_monkey/network/tools.py
index 303b0dd8f..43dd7286c 100644
--- a/infection_monkey/network/tools.py
+++ b/infection_monkey/network/tools.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = 10
 BANNER_READ = 1024
 
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+SLEEP_BETWEEN_POLL = 0.5
 
 
 def struct_unpack_tracker(data, index, fmt):
@@ -126,15 +127,24 @@ def check_tcp_ports(ip, ports, timeout=DEFAULT_TIMEOUT, get_banner=False):
             LOG.warning("Failed to connect to port %s, error code is %d", port, err)
 
         if len(possible_ports) != 0:
-            time.sleep(timeout)
-            sock_objects = [s[1] for s in possible_ports]
-            # first filter
-            _, writeable_sockets, _ = select.select(sock_objects, sock_objects, sock_objects, 0)
-            for s in writeable_sockets:
-                try: # actual test
-                    connected_ports_sockets.append((s.getpeername()[1], s))
-                except socket.error:  # bad socket, select didn't filter it properly
-                    pass
+            timeout = int(round(timeout))  # clamp to integer, to avoid checking input
+            time_left = timeout
+            sockets_to_try = possible_ports[:]
+            connected_ports_sockets = []
+            while (time_left >= 0) and len(sockets_to_try):
+                sock_objects = [s[1] for s in sockets_to_try]
+
+                _, writeable_sockets, _ = select.select(sock_objects, sock_objects, sock_objects, 0)
+                for s in writeable_sockets:
+                    try:  # actual test
+                        connected_ports_sockets.append((s.getpeername()[1], s))
+                    except socket.error:  # bad socket, select didn't filter it properly
+                        pass
+                sockets_to_try = [s for s in sockets_to_try if s not in connected_ports_sockets]
+                if sockets_to_try:
+                    time.sleep(SLEEP_BETWEEN_POLL)
+                    timeout -= SLEEP_BETWEEN_POLL
+
             LOG.debug(
                 "On host %s discovered the following ports %s" %
                 (str(ip), ",".join([str(s[0]) for s in connected_ports_sockets])))