diff --git a/src/client.cpp b/src/client.cpp
index 58fe56aeb..52c3810f9 100644
--- a/src/client.cpp
+++ b/src/client.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ namespace pvxs {
 namespace client {
 
 constexpr timeval bucketInterval{1,0};
+constexpr timeval initialSearchDelay{0, 10000}; // 10 ms
 constexpr size_t nBuckets = 30u;
 
 // try not to fragment with usual MTU==1500
@@ -498,6 +499,8 @@ ContextImpl::ContextImpl(const Config& conf, const evbase& tcp_loop)
                event_new(tcp_loop.base, searchTx6.sock, EV_READ|EV_PERSIST, &ContextImpl::onSearchS, this))
     ,searchTimer(__FILE__, __LINE__,
                  event_new(tcp_loop.base, -1, EV_TIMEOUT, &ContextImpl::tickSearchS, this))
+    ,initialSearcher(__FILE__, __LINE__,
+                     event_new(tcp_loop.base, -1, EV_TIMEOUT, &ContextImpl::initialSearchS, this))
     ,manager(UDPManager::instance(effective.shareUDP()))
     ,beaconCleaner(__FILE__, __LINE__,
                    event_new(manager.loop().base, -1, EV_TIMEOUT|EV_PERSIST, &ContextImpl::tickBeaconCleanS, this))
@@ -701,9 +704,8 @@ void ContextImpl::scheduleInitialSearch()
         log_debug_printf(setup, "scheduleInitialSearch()%s\n", "");
 
         initialSearchScheduled = true;
-        tcp_loop.dispatch([this]() {
-            tickSearch(SearchKind::initial);
-        });
+        if (event_add(initialSearcher.get(), &initialSearchDelay))
+            throw std::runtime_error("Unable to schedule initialSearcher");
     }
 }
 
@@ -1186,6 +1188,15 @@ void ContextImpl::tickSearchS(evutil_socket_t fd, short evt, void *raw)
     }
 }
 
+void ContextImpl::initialSearchS(evutil_socket_t fd, short evt, void *raw)
+{
+    try {
+        static_cast<ContextImpl*>(raw)->tickSearch(SearchKind::initial);
+    }catch(std::exception& e){
+        log_exc_printf(io, "Unhandled error in initial search callback: %s\n", e.what());
+    }
+}
+
 void ContextImpl::tickBeaconClean()
 {
     epicsTimeStamp now;
diff --git a/src/clientimpl.h b/src/clientimpl.h
index 8a0506a28..c9aeed001 100644
--- a/src/clientimpl.h
+++ b/src/clientimpl.h
@@ -311,6 +311,7 @@ struct ContextImpl : public std::enable_shared_from_this<ContextImpl>
     evbase tcp_loop;
     const evevent searchRx4, searchRx6;
     const evevent searchTimer;
+    const evevent initialSearcher;
 
     // beacon handling done on UDP worker.
     // we keep a ref here as long as beaconCleaner is in use
@@ -344,6 +345,7 @@ struct ContextImpl : public std::enable_shared_from_this<ContextImpl>
     enum class SearchKind { discover, initial, check };
     void tickSearch(SearchKind kind);
     static void tickSearchS(evutil_socket_t fd, short evt, void *raw);
+    static void initialSearchS(evutil_socket_t fd, short evt, void *raw);
     void tickBeaconClean();
     static void tickBeaconCleanS(evutil_socket_t fd, short evt, void *raw);
     void cacheClean(const std::string &name, Context::cacheAction force);