diff --git a/cmd/win-sshproxy/main.go b/cmd/win-sshproxy/main.go
index 73d1fdd75..d4af1e3ef 100644
--- a/cmd/win-sshproxy/main.go
+++ b/cmd/win-sshproxy/main.go
@@ -11,10 +11,12 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"syscall"
+	"time"
 	"unsafe"
 
 	"github.com/containers/gvisor-tap-vsock/pkg/sshclient"
 	"github.com/containers/gvisor-tap-vsock/pkg/types"
+	"github.com/containers/gvisor-tap-vsock/pkg/utils"
 	"github.com/containers/winquit/pkg/winquit"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"golang.org/x/sync/errgroup"
@@ -173,11 +175,31 @@ func saveThreadId() (uint32, error) {
 		return 0, err
 	}
 	defer file.Close()
-	tid := winquit.GetCurrentMessageLoopThreadId()
+
+	tid, err := getThreadId()
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+
 	fmt.Fprintf(file, "%d:%d\n", os.Getpid(), tid)
 	return tid, nil
 }
 
+func getThreadId() (uint32, error) {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 10*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	getTid := func() (uint32, error) {
+		tid := winquit.GetCurrentMessageLoopThreadId()
+		if tid != 0 {
+			return tid, nil
+		}
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to get thread ID")
+	}
+
+	return utils.Retry(ctx, getTid, "Waiting for message loop thread id")
+}
+
 // Creates an "error" style pop-up window
 func alert(caption string) int {
 	// Error box style
diff --git a/pkg/sshclient/ssh_forwarder.go b/pkg/sshclient/ssh_forwarder.go
index b994f24d9..9133a2e70 100644
--- a/pkg/sshclient/ssh_forwarder.go
+++ b/pkg/sshclient/ssh_forwarder.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/containers/gvisor-tap-vsock/pkg/fs"
+	"github.com/containers/gvisor-tap-vsock/pkg/utils"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
@@ -98,13 +99,13 @@ func connectForward(ctx context.Context, bastion *Bastion) (CloseWriteConn, erro
 				if err == nil {
 					break
 				}
-				if bastionRetries > 2 || !sleep(ctx, 200*time.Millisecond) {
+				if bastionRetries > 2 || !utils.Sleep(ctx, 200*time.Millisecond) {
 					return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "Couldn't reestablish ssh connection: %s", bastion.Host)
 				}
 			}
 		}
 
-		if !sleep(ctx, 200*time.Millisecond) {
+		if !utils.Sleep(ctx, 200*time.Millisecond) {
 			retries = 3
 		}
 	}
@@ -173,7 +174,7 @@ func setupProxy(ctx context.Context, socketURI *url.URL, dest *url.URL, identity
 		}
 		return CreateBastion(dest, passphrase, identity, conn, connectFunc)
 	}
-	bastion, err := retry(ctx, createBastion, "Waiting for sshd")
+	bastion, err := utils.Retry(ctx, createBastion, "Waiting for sshd")
 	if err != nil {
 		return &SSHForward{}, fmt.Errorf("setupProxy failed: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -183,37 +184,6 @@ func setupProxy(ctx context.Context, socketURI *url.URL, dest *url.URL, identity
 	return &SSHForward{listener, bastion, socketURI}, nil
 }
 
-const maxRetries = 60
-const initialBackoff = 100 * time.Millisecond
-
-func retry[T comparable](ctx context.Context, retryFunc func() (T, error), retryMsg string) (T, error) {
-	var (
-		returnVal T
-		err       error
-	)
-
-	backoff := initialBackoff
-
-loop:
-	for i := 0; i < maxRetries; i++ {
-		select {
-		case <-ctx.Done():
-			break loop
-		default:
-			// proceed
-		}
-
-		returnVal, err = retryFunc()
-		if err == nil {
-			return returnVal, nil
-		}
-		logrus.Debugf("%s (%s)", retryMsg, backoff)
-		sleep(ctx, backoff)
-		backoff = backOff(backoff)
-	}
-	return returnVal, fmt.Errorf("timeout: %w", err)
-}
-
 func acceptConnection(ctx context.Context, listener net.Listener, bastion *Bastion, socketURI *url.URL) error {
 	con, err := listener.Accept()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -256,24 +226,3 @@ func forward(src io.ReadCloser, dest CloseWriteStream, complete *sync.WaitGroup)
 	// Trigger an EOF on the other end
 	_ = dest.CloseWrite()
 }
-
-func backOff(delay time.Duration) time.Duration {
-	if delay == 0 {
-		delay = 5 * time.Millisecond
-	} else {
-		delay *= 2
-	}
-	if delay > time.Second {
-		delay = time.Second
-	}
-	return delay
-}
-
-func sleep(ctx context.Context, wait time.Duration) bool {
-	select {
-	case <-ctx.Done():
-		return false
-	case <-time.After(wait):
-		return true
-	}
-}
diff --git a/pkg/utils/retry.go b/pkg/utils/retry.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6422a1d6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/utils/retry.go
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+package utils
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+)
+
+const maxRetries = 60
+const initialBackoff = 100 * time.Millisecond
+
+func Retry[T comparable](ctx context.Context, retryFunc func() (T, error), retryMsg string) (T, error) {
+	var (
+		returnVal T
+		err       error
+	)
+
+	backoff := initialBackoff
+
+loop:
+	for i := 0; i < maxRetries; i++ {
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			break loop
+		default:
+			// proceed
+		}
+
+		returnVal, err = retryFunc()
+		if err == nil {
+			return returnVal, nil
+		}
+		logrus.Debugf("%s (%s)", retryMsg, backoff)
+		Sleep(ctx, backoff)
+		backoff = backOff(backoff)
+	}
+	return returnVal, fmt.Errorf("timeout: %w", err)
+}
+
+func backOff(delay time.Duration) time.Duration {
+	if delay == 0 {
+		delay = 5 * time.Millisecond
+	} else {
+		delay *= 2
+	}
+	if delay > time.Second {
+		delay = time.Second
+	}
+	return delay
+}
+
+func Sleep(ctx context.Context, wait time.Duration) bool {
+	select {
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return false
+	case <-time.After(wait):
+		return true
+	}
+}
diff --git a/test-win-sshproxy/basic_test.go b/test-win-sshproxy/basic_test.go
index e9541c58d..894bd3753 100644
--- a/test-win-sshproxy/basic_test.go
+++ b/test-win-sshproxy/basic_test.go
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+//go:build windows
 // +build windows
 
 package e2e
@@ -25,15 +26,16 @@ var _ = Describe("connectivity", func() {
 		err := startProxy()
 		Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())
 
-		var pid uint32
+		var pid, tid uint32
 		for i := 0; i < 20; i++ {
-			pid, _, err = readTid()
-			if err == nil {
+			pid, tid, err = readTid()
+			if err == nil && tid != 0 {
 				break
 			}
 			time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
 		}
 
+		Expect(tid).ShouldNot(Equal(0))
 		Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())
 		proc, err := os.FindProcess(int(pid))
 		Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())