diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/DomainHandler.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/DomainHandler.cpp
index 6bc959be47..00278689a2 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/DomainHandler.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/DomainHandler.cpp
@@ -13,12 +13,14 @@
 
 #include "DomainHandler.h"
 
-DomainHandler::DomainHandler() :
+DomainHandler::DomainHandler(QObject* parent) :
+    QObject(parent),
     _uuid(),
     _sockAddr(HifiSockAddr(QHostAddress::Null, DEFAULT_DOMAIN_SERVER_PORT)),
     _assignmentUUID(),
     _isConnected(false),
-    _dtlsSession(NULL)
+    _dtlsSession(NULL),
+    _handshakeTimer(NULL)
 {
     
 }
@@ -33,6 +35,12 @@ void DomainHandler::clearConnectionInfo() {
     
     delete _dtlsSession;
     _dtlsSession = NULL;
+    
+    if (_handshakeTimer) {
+        _handshakeTimer->stop();
+        delete _handshakeTimer;
+        _handshakeTimer = NULL;
+    }
 }
 
 void DomainHandler::reset() {
@@ -44,9 +52,21 @@ void DomainHandler::reset() {
     _dtlsSession = NULL;
 }
 
+const unsigned int DTLS_HANDSHAKE_INTERVAL_MSECS = 100;
+
 void DomainHandler::initializeDTLSSession() {
     if (!_dtlsSession) {
         _dtlsSession = new DTLSClientSession(NodeList::getInstance()->getDTLSSocket(), _sockAddr);
+        
+        // start a timer to complete the handshake process
+        _handshakeTimer = new QTimer(this);
+        connect(_handshakeTimer, &QTimer::timeout, this, &DomainHandler::completeDTLSHandshake);
+        
+        // start the handshake right now
+        completeDTLSHandshake();
+        
+        // start the timer to finish off the handshake
+        _handshakeTimer->start(DTLS_HANDSHAKE_INTERVAL_MSECS);
     }
 }
 
@@ -92,6 +112,28 @@ void DomainHandler::setHostname(const QString& hostname) {
     }
 }
 
+void DomainHandler::completeDTLSHandshake() {
+    int handshakeReturn = gnutls_handshake(*_dtlsSession->getGnuTLSSession());
+    
+    qDebug() << "handshake return is" << handshakeReturn;
+    
+    if (handshakeReturn == 0) {
+        // we've shaken hands, so we're good to go now
+        _dtlsSession->setCompletedHandshake(true);
+        
+        _handshakeTimer->stop();
+        delete _handshakeTimer;
+        _handshakeTimer = NULL;
+        
+    } else if (gnutls_error_is_fatal(handshakeReturn)) {
+        // this was a fatal error handshaking, so remove this session
+        qDebug() << "Fatal error -" << gnutls_strerror(handshakeReturn)
+            << "- during DTLS handshake with DS at" << getHostname();
+        
+        clearConnectionInfo();
+    }
+}
+
 void DomainHandler::completedHostnameLookup(const QHostInfo& hostInfo) {
     for (int i = 0; i < hostInfo.addresses().size(); i++) {
         if (hostInfo.addresses()[i].protocol() == QAbstractSocket::IPv4Protocol) {
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/DomainHandler.h b/libraries/shared/src/DomainHandler.h
index a867207190..f53cbd5689 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/DomainHandler.h
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/DomainHandler.h
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #define __hifi__DomainHandler__
 
 #include <QtCore/QObject>
+#include <QtCore/QTimer>
 #include <QtCore/QUuid>
 #include <QtCore/QUrl>
 #include <QtNetwork/QHostInfo>
@@ -24,7 +25,7 @@ const unsigned short DEFAULT_DOMAIN_SERVER_DTLS_PORT = 40103;
 class DomainHandler : public QObject {
     Q_OBJECT
 public:
-    DomainHandler();
+    DomainHandler(QObject* parent = 0);
     ~DomainHandler();
     
     void clearConnectionInfo();
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ public:
     void parseDTLSRequirementPacket(const QByteArray& dtlsRequirementPacket);
     
 private slots:
+    void completeDTLSHandshake();
     void completedHostnameLookup(const QHostInfo& hostInfo);
 signals:
     void hostnameChanged(const QString& hostname);
@@ -69,6 +71,7 @@ private:
     QUuid _assignmentUUID;
     bool _isConnected;
     DTLSClientSession* _dtlsSession;
+    QTimer* _handshakeTimer;
 };
 
 #endif /* defined(__hifi__DomainHandler__) */
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp
index 792215ea68..50339947ef 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ NodeList::NodeList(char newOwnerType, unsigned short socketListenPort, unsigned
     LimitedNodeList(socketListenPort, dtlsListenPort),
     _ownerType(newOwnerType),
     _nodeTypesOfInterest(),
+    _domainHandler(this),
     _numNoReplyDomainCheckIns(0),
     _assignmentServerSocket(),
     _publicSockAddr(),
@@ -323,22 +324,8 @@ void NodeList::sendDomainServerCheckIn() {
         
         DTLSClientSession* dtlsSession = _domainHandler.getDTLSSession();
         
-        if (dtlsSession) {
-            if (dtlsSession->completedHandshake()) {
-                qDebug() << "we can send a DTLS check in!";
-            } else {
-                int handshakeReturn = gnutls_handshake(*dtlsSession->getGnuTLSSession());
-                if (handshakeReturn == 0) {
-                    dtlsSession->setCompletedHandshake(true);
-                } else if (gnutls_error_is_fatal(handshakeReturn)) {
-                    // this was a fatal error handshaking, so remove this session
-                    qDebug() << "Fatal error -" << gnutls_strerror(handshakeReturn)
-                        << "- during DTLS handshake with DS at" << _domainHandler.getHostname();
-                    
-                    _domainHandler.clearConnectionInfo();
-                }
-            }
-            
+        if (dtlsSession && dtlsSession->completedHandshake()) {
+            qDebug() << "we can send a DTLS check in!";
         } else {
             // construct the DS check in packet
             QUuid packetUUID = (!_sessionUUID.isNull() ? _sessionUUID : _domainHandler.getAssignmentUUID());