diff --git a/src/wormhole/test/test_tor_manager.py b/src/wormhole/test/test_tor_manager.py
index dea5e5d..f14e97c 100644
--- a/src/wormhole/test/test_tor_manager.py
+++ b/src/wormhole/test/test_tor_manager.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from twisted.trial import unittest
 from twisted.internet import defer
 from twisted.internet.error import ConnectError
 
-from ..tor_manager import get_tor
+from ..tor_manager import get_tor, SocksOnlyTor
 from ..errors import NoTorError
 from .._interfaces import ITorManager
 
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class Tor(unittest.TestCase):
             tor = self.successResultOf(d)
             self.assertIs(tor, my_tor)
             self.assert_(ITorManager.providedBy(tor))
-            self.assertEqual(stderr.getvalue(), " using Tor\n")
+            self.assertEqual(stderr.getvalue(), " using Tor via control port\n")
 
     def test_connect_fails(self):
         reactor = object()
@@ -74,7 +74,27 @@ class Tor(unittest.TestCase):
             d = get_tor(reactor, tor_control_port=tcp, stderr=stderr)
             self.assertNoResult(d)
             self.assertEqual(connect.mock_calls, [mock.call(reactor, tcp)])
-            connect_d.errback(ConnectError())
-            self.failureResultOf(d, ConnectError)
-            self.assertEqual(stderr.getvalue(),
-                             " unable to find control port, bailing\n")
+
+        connect_d.errback(ConnectError())
+        tor = self.successResultOf(d)
+        self.assertIsInstance(tor, SocksOnlyTor)
+        self.assert_(ITorManager.providedBy(tor))
+        self.assertEqual(tor._reactor, reactor)
+        self.assertEqual(stderr.getvalue(),
+                         " unable to find Tor control port, using SOCKS\n")
+
+class SocksOnly(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_tor(self):
+        reactor = object()
+        sot = SocksOnlyTor(reactor)
+        fake_ep = object()
+        with mock.patch("wormhole.tor_manager.txtorcon.TorClientEndpoint",
+                        return_value=fake_ep) as tce:
+            ep = sot.stream_via("host", "port")
+        self.assertIs(ep, fake_ep)
+        self.assertEqual(tce.mock_calls, [mock.call("host", "port",
+                                                    socks_endpoint=None,
+                                                    tls=False,
+                                                    reactor=reactor)])
+
+
diff --git a/src/wormhole/tor_manager.py b/src/wormhole/tor_manager.py
index fc3beaf..3aa2a11 100644
--- a/src/wormhole/tor_manager.py
+++ b/src/wormhole/tor_manager.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import print_function, unicode_literals
 import sys
+from attr import attrs, attrib
 from zope.interface.declarations import directlyProvides
 from twisted.internet.defer import inlineCallbacks, returnValue
 try:
@@ -9,6 +10,18 @@ except ImportError:
 from . import _interfaces, errors
 from .timing import DebugTiming
 
+@attrs
+class SocksOnlyTor(object):
+    _reactor = attrib()
+
+    def stream_via(self, host, port, tls=False):
+        return txtorcon.TorClientEndpoint(
+            host, port,
+            socks_endpoint=None, # tries localhost:9050 and 9150
+            tls=tls,
+            reactor=self._reactor,
+        )
+
 @inlineCallbacks
 def get_tor(reactor, launch_tor=False, tor_control_port=None,
             timing=None, stderr=sys.stderr):
@@ -18,14 +31,15 @@ def get_tor(reactor, launch_tor=False, tor_control_port=None,
     connections (and inbound onion-service listeners, if necessary).
 
     Otherwise if tor_control_port is provided, I will attempt to connect
-    to an existing Tor's control port at the endpoint it specifies. I'll
+    to an existing Tor's control port at the endpoint it specifies.  I'll
     ask that Tor for its SOCKS port.
 
     With no arguments, I will try to connect to an existing Tor's control
     port at the usual places: [unix:/var/run/tor/control,
-    tcp:127.0.0.1:9051, tcp:127.0.0.1:9151]. If any are successful, I'll
-    ask that Tor for its SOCKS port. If none are successful, I'll attempt
-    to do SOCKS to tcp:127.0.0.1:9050.
+    tcp:127.0.0.1:9051, tcp:127.0.0.1:9151].  If any are successful, I'll
+    ask that Tor for its SOCKS port.  If none are successful, I'll
+    attempt to do SOCKS to the usual places: [tcp:127.0.0.1:9050,
+    tcp:127.0.0.1:9150].
 
     If I am unable to make a SOCKS connection, the initial connection to
     the Rendezvous Server will fail, and the program will terminate.
@@ -69,17 +83,17 @@ def get_tor(reactor, launch_tor=False, tor_control_port=None,
     else:
         with timing.add("find tor"):
             try:
+                # If tor_control_port is None (the default), txtorcon
+                # will look through a list of usual places. If it is set,
+                # it will look only in the place we tell it to.
                 tor = yield txtorcon.connect(reactor, tor_control_port)
-                print(" using Tor", file=stderr)
+                print(" using Tor via control port", file=stderr)
             except Exception:
-                #socks_desc = "tcp:127.0.0.1:9050" # fallback
-                #print(" using Tor (SOCKS port %s)" % socks_desc,
-                #      file=stderr)
-                print(" unable to find control port, bailing",
+                # TODO: make this more specific. I think connect() is
+                # likely to throw a reactor.connectTCP -type error, like
+                # ConnectionFailed or ConnectionRefused or something
+                print(" unable to find Tor control port, using SOCKS",
                       file=stderr)
-                # TODO: something nicer. I think connect() is likely to throw
-                # a reactor.connectTCP -type error, like ConnectionFailed or
-                # ConnectionRefused or something
-                raise
+                tor = SocksOnlyTor(reactor)
     directlyProvides(tor, _interfaces.ITorManager)
     returnValue(tor)