diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1addd0e051..c3196939dc 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ Versioning](http://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+### Fixed
+- In addition to the context error print the connection error when sensu-go can't connect to etcd.
 ### Changed
 
 - Empty and zero value configuration parameters for `etcd` do not overwrite
diff --git a/backend/backend.go b/backend/backend.go
index 9eee1d8952..7abc842dbb 100644
--- a/backend/backend.go
+++ b/backend/backend.go
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ func newClient(ctx context.Context, config *Config, backend *Backend) (*clientv3
 				Password:    config.EtcdClientPassword,
 				TLS:         tlsConfig,
 				DialOptions: []grpc.DialOption{
+					grpc.WithReturnConnectionError(),
 					grpc.WithBlock(),
 				},
 			}
@@ -208,6 +209,7 @@ func newClient(ctx context.Context, config *Config, backend *Backend) (*clientv3
 				DialTimeout: 5 * time.Second,
 				TLS:         tlsConfig,
 				DialOptions: []grpc.DialOption{
+					grpc.WithReturnConnectionError(),
 					grpc.WithBlock(),
 				},
 			}
@@ -538,11 +540,11 @@ func Initialize(ctx context.Context, config *Config) (*Backend, error) {
 
 	// Prepare the authentication providers
 	authenticator := &authentication.Authenticator{}
-	basic := &basic.Provider{
+	provider := &basic.Provider{
 		ObjectMeta: corev2.ObjectMeta{Name: basic.Type},
 		Store:      b.Store,
 	}
-	authenticator.AddProvider(basic)
+	authenticator.AddProvider(provider)
 
 	var clusterVersion string
 	// only retrieve the cluster version if etcd is embedded
@@ -625,7 +627,7 @@ func Initialize(ctx context.Context, config *Config) (*Backend, error) {
 
 func (b *Backend) runOnce() error {
 	eCloser := b.StoreUpdater.(closer)
-	defer eCloser.Close()
+	defer func() { _ = eCloser.Close() }()
 
 	var derr error
 
@@ -682,7 +684,7 @@ func (b *Backend) runOnce() error {
 		if err != nil {
 			logger.WithError(err).Error("unable to open platform metrics log file")
 		} else {
-			defer metricsLogWriter.Close()
+			defer func() { _ = metricsLogWriter.Close() }()
 			metricsBridge, err := metrics.NewInfluxBridge(&metrics.InfluxBridgeConfig{
 				Writer:    metricsLogWriter,
 				Interval:  b.Cfg.PlatformMetricsLoggingInterval,
diff --git a/backend/cmd/init.go b/backend/cmd/init.go
index 5a9fe652d4..1cbf4a4147 100644
--- a/backend/cmd/init.go
+++ b/backend/cmd/init.go
@@ -197,17 +197,23 @@ func InitCommand() *cobra.Command {
 
 					if etcdClientUsername != "" && etcdClientPassword != "" {
 						clientConfig = clientv3.Config{
-							Endpoints:   []string{url},
-							Username:    etcdClientUsername,
-							Password:    etcdClientPassword,
-							TLS:         tlsConfig,
-							DialOptions: []grpc.DialOption{grpc.WithBlock()},
+							Endpoints: []string{url},
+							Username:  etcdClientUsername,
+							Password:  etcdClientPassword,
+							TLS:       tlsConfig,
+							DialOptions: []grpc.DialOption{
+								grpc.WithReturnConnectionError(),
+								grpc.WithBlock(),
+							},
 						}
 					} else {
 						clientConfig = clientv3.Config{
-							Endpoints:   []string{url},
-							TLS:         tlsConfig,
-							DialOptions: []grpc.DialOption{grpc.WithBlock()},
+							Endpoints: []string{url},
+							TLS:       tlsConfig,
+							DialOptions: []grpc.DialOption{
+								grpc.WithReturnConnectionError(),
+								grpc.WithBlock(),
+							},
 						}
 					}
 					err := initializeStore(clientConfig, initConfig, url)
@@ -254,7 +260,7 @@ func initializeStore(clientConfig clientv3.Config, initConfig initConfig, endpoi
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error connecting to etcd endpoint: %w", err)
 	}
-	defer client.Close()
+	defer func() { _ = client.Close() }()
 
 	// Check if etcd endpoint is reachable
 	if _, err := client.Status(ctx, endpoint); err != nil {
diff --git a/backend/etcd/etcd.go b/backend/etcd/etcd.go
index 8dbfbab2f0..f102a52415 100644
--- a/backend/etcd/etcd.go
+++ b/backend/etcd/etcd.go
@@ -318,6 +318,7 @@ func (e *Etcd) NewClientContext(ctx context.Context) (*clientv3.Client, error) {
 		DialTimeout: 60 * time.Second,
 		TLS:         tlsConfig,
 		DialOptions: []grpc.DialOption{
+			grpc.WithReturnConnectionError(),
 			grpc.WithBlock(),
 		},
 		Context: ctx,