diff --git a/src/yggdrasil/dialer.go b/src/yggdrasil/dialer.go
index e3f24e9..8ef0582 100644
--- a/src/yggdrasil/dialer.go
+++ b/src/yggdrasil/dialer.go
@@ -19,15 +19,12 @@ type Dialer struct {
 
 // Dial opens a session to the given node. The first paramter should be "nodeid"
 // and the second parameter should contain a hexadecimal representation of the
-// target node ID. Internally, it uses DialContext with a 6-second timeout.
+// target node ID. It uses DialContext internally.
 func (d *Dialer) Dial(network, address string) (net.Conn, error) {
-	const timeout = 6 * time.Second
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), timeout)
-	defer cancel()
-	return d.DialContext(ctx, network, address)
+	return d.DialContext(nil, network, address)
 }
 
-// DialContext is used internally by Dial, and should only be used with a context that includes a timeout.
+// DialContext is used internally by Dial, and should only be used with a context that includes a timeout. It uses DialByNodeIDandMask internally.
 func (d *Dialer) DialContext(ctx context.Context, network, address string) (net.Conn, error) {
 	var nodeID crypto.NodeID
 	var nodeMask crypto.NodeID
@@ -66,7 +63,7 @@ func (d *Dialer) DialContext(ctx context.Context, network, address string) (net.
 }
 
 // DialByNodeIDandMask opens a session to the given node based on raw
-// NodeID parameters.
+// NodeID parameters. If ctx is nil or has no timeout, then a default timeout of 6 seconds will apply, beginning *after* the search finishes.
 func (d *Dialer) DialByNodeIDandMask(ctx context.Context, nodeID, nodeMask *crypto.NodeID) (net.Conn, error) {
 	conn := newConn(d.core, nodeID, nodeMask, nil)
 	if err := conn.search(); err != nil {
@@ -75,10 +72,19 @@ func (d *Dialer) DialByNodeIDandMask(ctx context.Context, nodeID, nodeMask *cryp
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	conn.session.setConn(nil, conn)
+	var c context.Context
+	var cancel context.CancelFunc
+	const timeout = 6 * time.Second
+	if ctx != nil {
+		c, cancel = context.WithTimeout(ctx, timeout)
+	} else {
+		c, cancel = context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), timeout)
+	}
+	defer cancel()
 	select {
 	case <-conn.session.init:
 		return conn, nil
-	case <-ctx.Done():
+	case <-c.Done():
 		conn.Close()
 		return nil, errors.New("session handshake timeout")
 	}