diff --git a/tcp_modbus_aio/client.py b/tcp_modbus_aio/client.py
index 7e46eef..1eac4cc 100644
--- a/tcp_modbus_aio/client.py
+++ b/tcp_modbus_aio/client.py
@@ -61,13 +61,18 @@ def __init__(
         host: str,
         port: int = 502,
         slave_id: int = 1,
+        *,
         logger: logging.Logger | None = None,
+        enforce_pingable: bool = True,
     ) -> None:
         self.host = host
         self.port = port
         self.slave_id = slave_id
         self.logger = logger
 
+        # If True, will throw an exception if attempting to send a request and the device is not pingable
+        self.enforce_pingable = enforce_pingable
+
         # Unique identifier for this client (used only for logging)
         self._id = uuid.uuid4()
 
@@ -377,6 +382,11 @@ async def send_modbus_message(
         if self._ping_loop is None:
             raise RuntimeError("Cannot send modbus message on closed TCPModbusClient")
 
+        if self.enforce_pingable and not await self.is_pingable():
+            raise ModbusNotConnectedError(
+                f"Cannot send modbus message to {self.host} because it is not pingable"
+            )
+
         request_transaction_id = self._next_transaction_id
         self._next_transaction_id = (self._next_transaction_id + 1) % MAX_TRANSACTION_ID
 
@@ -397,17 +407,35 @@ async def send_modbus_message(
                 f"[{self}][send_modbus_message] sending request {msg_str}: {request_adu=}"
             )
 
-        async with self._comms_lock:
+        time_budget_remaining = timeout if timeout is not None else float("inf")
+
+        last_time = time.perf_counter()
+        try:
+            await asyncio.wait_for(self._comms_lock.acquire(), time_budget_remaining)
+        except asyncio.TimeoutError:
+            raise ModbusCommunicationFailureError(
+                f"Failed to acquire lock to send request {msg_str} to modbus device {self.host}"
+            )
+        time_budget_remaining -= time.perf_counter() - last_time
+
+        try:
             if self.logger is not None:
                 self.logger.debug(
                     f"[{self}][send_modbus_message] acquired lock to send {msg_str}"
                 )
 
-            reader, writer = await self._get_tcp_connection(timeout=timeout)
+            last_time = time.perf_counter()
+            reader, writer = await self._get_tcp_connection(
+                timeout=time_budget_remaining
+            )
+            time_budget_remaining -= time.perf_counter() - last_time
 
             try:
                 writer.write(request_adu)
-                await asyncio.wait_for(writer.drain(), timeout)
+
+                last_time = time.perf_counter()
+                await asyncio.wait_for(writer.drain(), time_budget_remaining)
+                time_budget_remaining -= time.perf_counter() - last_time
 
                 if self.logger is not None:
                     self.logger.debug(f"[{self}][send_modbus_message] wrote {msg_str}")
@@ -422,6 +450,9 @@ async def send_modbus_message(
 
                     await self.clear_tcp_connection()
 
+                    # release the lock before retrying (so we can re-get it)
+                    self._comms_lock.release()
+
                     return await self.send_modbus_message(
                         request_function,
                         timeout=timeout,
@@ -439,9 +470,12 @@ async def send_modbus_message(
             try:
                 seen_response_transaction_ids = []
                 while True:
+                    last_time = time.perf_counter()
                     response_adu = await asyncio.wait_for(
-                        reader.read(expected_response_size), timeout=timeout
+                        reader.read(expected_response_size),
+                        timeout=time_budget_remaining,
                     )
+                    time_budget_remaining -= time.perf_counter() - last_time
 
                     response_pdu = response_adu[MODBUS_MBAP_SIZE:]
                     response_mbap_header = response_adu[:MODBUS_MBAP_SIZE]
@@ -507,6 +541,8 @@ async def send_modbus_message(
                         )
 
                     return None
+        finally:
+            self._comms_lock.release()
 
         mismatch = response_transaction_id != request_transaction_id