diff --git a/src/wormhole/test/test_tor_manager.py b/src/wormhole/test/test_tor_manager.py
index f14e97c..b758e71 100644
--- a/src/wormhole/test/test_tor_manager.py
+++ b/src/wormhole/test/test_tor_manager.py
@@ -50,30 +50,35 @@ class Tor(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_connect(self):
         reactor = object()
         my_tor = X() # object() didn't like providedBy()
-        tcp = "port"
         connect_d = defer.Deferred()
         stderr = io.StringIO()
         with mock.patch("wormhole.tor_manager.txtorcon.connect",
                         side_effect=connect_d) as connect:
-            d = get_tor(reactor, tor_control_port=tcp, stderr=stderr)
-            self.assertNoResult(d)
-            self.assertEqual(connect.mock_calls, [mock.call(reactor, tcp)])
-            connect_d.callback(my_tor)
-            tor = self.successResultOf(d)
-            self.assertIs(tor, my_tor)
-            self.assert_(ITorManager.providedBy(tor))
-            self.assertEqual(stderr.getvalue(), " using Tor via control port\n")
+            with mock.patch("wormhole.tor_manager.clientFromString",
+                            side_effect=["foo"]) as sfs:
+                d = get_tor(reactor, stderr=stderr)
+        self.assertEqual(sfs.mock_calls, [])
+        self.assertNoResult(d)
+        self.assertEqual(connect.mock_calls, [mock.call(reactor)])
+        connect_d.callback(my_tor)
+        tor = self.successResultOf(d)
+        self.assertIs(tor, my_tor)
+        self.assert_(ITorManager.providedBy(tor))
+        self.assertEqual(stderr.getvalue(),
+                         " using Tor via default control port\n")
 
     def test_connect_fails(self):
         reactor = object()
-        tcp = "port"
         connect_d = defer.Deferred()
         stderr = io.StringIO()
         with mock.patch("wormhole.tor_manager.txtorcon.connect",
                         side_effect=connect_d) as connect:
-            d = get_tor(reactor, tor_control_port=tcp, stderr=stderr)
-            self.assertNoResult(d)
-            self.assertEqual(connect.mock_calls, [mock.call(reactor, tcp)])
+            with mock.patch("wormhole.tor_manager.clientFromString",
+                            side_effect=["foo"]) as sfs:
+                d = get_tor(reactor, stderr=stderr)
+        self.assertEqual(sfs.mock_calls, [])
+        self.assertNoResult(d)
+        self.assertEqual(connect.mock_calls, [mock.call(reactor)])
 
         connect_d.errback(ConnectError())
         tor = self.successResultOf(d)
@@ -81,7 +86,48 @@ class Tor(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assert_(ITorManager.providedBy(tor))
         self.assertEqual(tor._reactor, reactor)
         self.assertEqual(stderr.getvalue(),
-                         " unable to find Tor control port, using SOCKS\n")
+                         " unable to find default Tor control port, using SOCKS\n")
+
+    def test_connect_custom_control_port(self):
+        reactor = object()
+        my_tor = X() # object() didn't like providedBy()
+        tcp = "PORT"
+        ep = object()
+        connect_d = defer.Deferred()
+        stderr = io.StringIO()
+        with mock.patch("wormhole.tor_manager.txtorcon.connect",
+                        side_effect=connect_d) as connect:
+            with mock.patch("wormhole.tor_manager.clientFromString",
+                            side_effect=[ep]) as sfs:
+                d = get_tor(reactor, tor_control_port=tcp, stderr=stderr)
+        self.assertEqual(sfs.mock_calls, [mock.call(reactor, tcp)])
+        self.assertNoResult(d)
+        self.assertEqual(connect.mock_calls, [mock.call(reactor, ep)])
+        connect_d.callback(my_tor)
+        tor = self.successResultOf(d)
+        self.assertIs(tor, my_tor)
+        self.assert_(ITorManager.providedBy(tor))
+        self.assertEqual(stderr.getvalue(),
+                         " using Tor via control port at PORT\n")
+
+    def test_connect_custom_control_port_fails(self):
+        reactor = object()
+        tcp = "port"
+        ep = object()
+        connect_d = defer.Deferred()
+        stderr = io.StringIO()
+        with mock.patch("wormhole.tor_manager.txtorcon.connect",
+                        side_effect=connect_d) as connect:
+            with mock.patch("wormhole.tor_manager.clientFromString",
+                            side_effect=[ep]) as sfs:
+                d = get_tor(reactor, tor_control_port=tcp, stderr=stderr)
+        self.assertEqual(sfs.mock_calls, [mock.call(reactor, tcp)])
+        self.assertNoResult(d)
+        self.assertEqual(connect.mock_calls, [mock.call(reactor, ep)])
+
+        connect_d.errback(ConnectError())
+        self.failureResultOf(d, ConnectError)
+        self.assertEqual(stderr.getvalue(), "")
 
 class SocksOnly(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_tor(self):
diff --git a/src/wormhole/tor_manager.py b/src/wormhole/tor_manager.py
index 3aa2a11..0f8a449 100644
--- a/src/wormhole/tor_manager.py
+++ b/src/wormhole/tor_manager.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import sys
 from attr import attrs, attrib
 from zope.interface.declarations import directlyProvides
 from twisted.internet.defer import inlineCallbacks, returnValue
+from twisted.internet.endpoints import clientFromString
 try:
     import txtorcon
 except ImportError:
@@ -80,19 +81,24 @@ def get_tor(reactor, launch_tor=False, tor_control_port=None,
                                         #data_directory=,
                                         #tor_binary=,
                                         )
+    elif tor_control_port:
+        with timing.add("find tor"):
+            control_ep = clientFromString(reactor, tor_control_port)
+            tor = yield txtorcon.connect(reactor, control_ep) # might raise
+            print(" using Tor via control port at %s" % tor_control_port,
+                  file=stderr)
     else:
+        # Let txtorcon look through a list of usual places. If that fails,
+        # we'll arrange to attempt the default SOCKS port
         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 via control port", file=stderr)
+                tor = yield txtorcon.connect(reactor)
+                print(" using Tor via default control port", file=stderr)
             except Exception:
                 # 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",
+                print(" unable to find default Tor control port, using SOCKS",
                       file=stderr)
                 tor = SocksOnlyTor(reactor)
     directlyProvides(tor, _interfaces.ITorManager)