diff --git a/app/build.gradle b/app/build.gradle
index 17e02999b..d1df2c4cd 100644
--- a/app/build.gradle
+++ b/app/build.gradle
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ android {
         applicationId "com.geeksville.mesh"
         minSdkVersion 22 // The oldest emulator image I have tried is 22 (though 21 probably works)
         targetSdkVersion 29
-        versionCode 155
-        versionName "0.5.5"
+        versionCode 156
+        versionName "0.5.6"
         testInstrumentationRunner "androidx.test.runner.AndroidJUnitRunner"
     }
     buildTypes {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/service/MeshService.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/service/MeshService.kt
index 5302a63cb..c624d3063 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/service/MeshService.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/geeksville/mesh/service/MeshService.kt
@@ -970,6 +970,9 @@ class MeshService : Service(), Logging {
                     startConfig()
 
                 reportConnection()
+            } catch (ex: RadioNotConnectedException) {
+                // note: no need to call startDeviceSleep(), because this exception could only have reached us if it was already called
+                error("Lost connection to radio during init - waiting for reconnect")
             } catch (ex: RemoteException) {
                 // It seems that when the ESP32 goes offline it can briefly come back for a 100ms ish which
                 // causes the phone to try and reconnect.  If we fail downloading our initial radio state we don't want to