diff --git a/src/bin/proxmox-backup-client.rs b/src/bin/proxmox-backup-client.rs
index 760e59df..2d05f622 100644
--- a/src/bin/proxmox-backup-client.rs
+++ b/src/bin/proxmox-backup-client.rs
@@ -193,8 +193,12 @@ pub fn complete_repository(_arg: &str, _param: &HashMap<String, String>) -> Vec<
     result
 }
 
-fn connect(server: &str, port: u16, auth_id: &Authid) -> Result<HttpClient, Error> {
+fn connect(repo: &BackupRepository) -> Result<HttpClient, Error> {
+    connect_do(repo.host(), repo.port(), repo.auth_id())
+        .map_err(|err| format_err!("error building client for repository {} - {}", repo, err))
+}
 
+fn connect_do(server: &str, port: u16, auth_id: &Authid) -> Result<HttpClient, Error> {
     let fingerprint = std::env::var(ENV_VAR_PBS_FINGERPRINT).ok();
 
     use std::env::VarError::*;
@@ -366,7 +370,7 @@ async fn list_backup_groups(param: Value) -> Result<Value, Error> {
 
     let repo = extract_repository_from_value(&param)?;
 
-    let client = connect(repo.host(), repo.port(), repo.auth_id())?;
+    let client = connect(&repo)?;
 
     let path = format!("api2/json/admin/datastore/{}/groups", repo.store());
 
@@ -435,7 +439,7 @@ async fn change_backup_owner(group: String, mut param: Value) -> Result<(), Erro
 
     let repo = extract_repository_from_value(&param)?;
 
-    let mut client = connect(repo.host(), repo.port(), repo.auth_id())?;
+    let mut client = connect(&repo)?;
 
     param.as_object_mut().unwrap().remove("repository");
 
@@ -478,7 +482,7 @@ async fn list_snapshots(param: Value) -> Result<Value, Error> {
 
     let output_format = get_output_format(&param);
 
-    let client = connect(repo.host(), repo.port(), repo.auth_id())?;
+    let client = connect(&repo)?;
 
     let group: Option<BackupGroup> = if let Some(path) = param["group"].as_str() {
         Some(path.parse()?)
@@ -543,7 +547,7 @@ async fn forget_snapshots(param: Value) -> Result<Value, Error> {
     let path = tools::required_string_param(&param, "snapshot")?;
     let snapshot: BackupDir = path.parse()?;
 
-    let mut client = connect(repo.host(), repo.port(), repo.auth_id())?;
+    let mut client = connect(&repo)?;
 
     let path = format!("api2/json/admin/datastore/{}/snapshots", repo.store());
 
@@ -573,7 +577,7 @@ async fn api_login(param: Value) -> Result<Value, Error> {
 
     let repo = extract_repository_from_value(&param)?;
 
-    let client = connect(repo.host(), repo.port(), repo.auth_id())?;
+    let client = connect(&repo)?;
     client.login().await?;
 
     record_repository(&repo);
@@ -630,7 +634,7 @@ async fn api_version(param: Value) -> Result<(), Error> {
 
     let repo = extract_repository_from_value(&param);
     if let Ok(repo) = repo {
-        let client = connect(repo.host(), repo.port(), repo.auth_id())?;
+        let client = connect(&repo)?;
 
         match client.get("api2/json/version", None).await {
             Ok(mut result) => version_info["server"] = result["data"].take(),
@@ -680,7 +684,7 @@ async fn list_snapshot_files(param: Value) -> Result<Value, Error> {
 
     let output_format = get_output_format(&param);
 
-    let client = connect(repo.host(), repo.port(), repo.auth_id())?;
+    let client = connect(&repo)?;
 
     let path = format!("api2/json/admin/datastore/{}/files", repo.store());
 
@@ -724,7 +728,7 @@ async fn start_garbage_collection(param: Value) -> Result<Value, Error> {
 
     let output_format = get_output_format(&param);
 
-    let mut client = connect(repo.host(), repo.port(), repo.auth_id())?;
+    let mut client = connect(&repo)?;
 
     let path = format!("api2/json/admin/datastore/{}/gc", repo.store());
 
@@ -1036,7 +1040,7 @@ async fn create_backup(
 
     let backup_time = backup_time_opt.unwrap_or_else(|| epoch_i64());
 
-    let client = connect(repo.host(), repo.port(), repo.auth_id())?;
+    let client = connect(&repo)?;
     record_repository(&repo);
 
     println!("Starting backup: {}/{}/{}", backup_type, backup_id, BackupDir::backup_time_to_string(backup_time)?);
@@ -1339,7 +1343,7 @@ async fn restore(param: Value) -> Result<Value, Error> {
 
     let archive_name = tools::required_string_param(&param, "archive-name")?;
 
-    let client = connect(repo.host(), repo.port(), repo.auth_id())?;
+    let client = connect(&repo)?;
 
     record_repository(&repo);
 
@@ -1512,7 +1516,7 @@ async fn upload_log(param: Value) -> Result<Value, Error> {
     let snapshot = tools::required_string_param(&param, "snapshot")?;
     let snapshot: BackupDir = snapshot.parse()?;
 
-    let mut client = connect(repo.host(), repo.port(), repo.auth_id())?;
+    let mut client = connect(&repo)?;
 
     let (keydata, crypt_mode) = keyfile_parameters(&param)?;
 
@@ -1583,7 +1587,7 @@ fn prune<'a>(
 async fn prune_async(mut param: Value) -> Result<Value, Error> {
     let repo = extract_repository_from_value(&param)?;
 
-    let mut client = connect(repo.host(), repo.port(), repo.auth_id())?;
+    let mut client = connect(&repo)?;
 
     let path = format!("api2/json/admin/datastore/{}/prune", repo.store());
 
@@ -1669,7 +1673,7 @@ async fn status(param: Value) -> Result<Value, Error> {
 
     let output_format = get_output_format(&param);
 
-    let client = connect(repo.host(), repo.port(), repo.auth_id())?;
+    let client = connect(&repo)?;
 
     let path = format!("api2/json/admin/datastore/{}/status", repo.store());
 
diff --git a/src/bin/proxmox_backup_client/benchmark.rs b/src/bin/proxmox_backup_client/benchmark.rs
index b434956d..b0d769e8 100644
--- a/src/bin/proxmox_backup_client/benchmark.rs
+++ b/src/bin/proxmox_backup_client/benchmark.rs
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ async fn test_upload_speed(
 
     let backup_time = proxmox::tools::time::epoch_i64();
 
-    let client = connect(repo.host(), repo.port(), repo.auth_id())?;
+    let client = connect(&repo)?;
     record_repository(&repo);
 
     if verbose { eprintln!("Connecting to backup server"); }
diff --git a/src/bin/proxmox_backup_client/catalog.rs b/src/bin/proxmox_backup_client/catalog.rs
index 87d80f3b..e4931e10 100644
--- a/src/bin/proxmox_backup_client/catalog.rs
+++ b/src/bin/proxmox_backup_client/catalog.rs
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ async fn dump_catalog(param: Value) -> Result<Value, Error> {
         }
     };
 
-    let client = connect(repo.host(), repo.port(), repo.auth_id())?;
+    let client = connect(&repo)?;
 
     let client = BackupReader::start(
         client,
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ async fn dump_catalog(param: Value) -> Result<Value, Error> {
 /// Shell to interactively inspect and restore snapshots.
 async fn catalog_shell(param: Value) -> Result<(), Error> {
     let repo = extract_repository_from_value(&param)?;
-    let client = connect(repo.host(), repo.port(), repo.auth_id())?;
+    let client = connect(&repo)?;
     let path = tools::required_string_param(&param, "snapshot")?;
     let archive_name = tools::required_string_param(&param, "archive-name")?;
 
diff --git a/src/bin/proxmox_backup_client/mount.rs b/src/bin/proxmox_backup_client/mount.rs
index 6c91c132..415fbf9d 100644
--- a/src/bin/proxmox_backup_client/mount.rs
+++ b/src/bin/proxmox_backup_client/mount.rs
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ fn mount(
 async fn mount_do(param: Value, pipe: Option<RawFd>) -> Result<Value, Error> {
     let repo = extract_repository_from_value(&param)?;
     let archive_name = tools::required_string_param(&param, "archive-name")?;
-    let client = connect(repo.host(), repo.port(), repo.auth_id())?;
+    let client = connect(&repo)?;
 
     let target = param["target"].as_str();
 
diff --git a/src/bin/proxmox_backup_client/task.rs b/src/bin/proxmox_backup_client/task.rs
index 3bf817d8..29b2cc00 100644
--- a/src/bin/proxmox_backup_client/task.rs
+++ b/src/bin/proxmox_backup_client/task.rs
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ async fn task_list(param: Value) -> Result<Value, Error> {
     let output_format = get_output_format(&param);
 
     let repo = extract_repository_from_value(&param)?;
-    let client = connect(repo.host(), repo.port(), repo.auth_id())?;
+    let client = connect(&repo)?;
 
     let limit = param["limit"].as_u64().unwrap_or(50) as usize;
     let running = !param["all"].as_bool().unwrap_or(false);
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ async fn task_log(param: Value) -> Result<Value, Error> {
     let repo = extract_repository_from_value(&param)?;
     let upid =  tools::required_string_param(&param, "upid")?;
 
-    let client = connect(repo.host(), repo.port(), repo.auth_id())?;
+    let client = connect(&repo)?;
 
     display_task_log(client, upid, true).await?;
 
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ async fn task_stop(param: Value) -> Result<Value, Error> {
     let repo = extract_repository_from_value(&param)?;
     let upid_str =  tools::required_string_param(&param, "upid")?;
 
-    let mut client = connect(repo.host(), repo.port(), repo.auth_id())?;
+    let mut client = connect(&repo)?;
 
     let path = format!("api2/json/nodes/localhost/tasks/{}", upid_str);
     let _ = client.delete(&path, None).await?;