diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a0e3c2b3..12741e27 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ SKALE Node CLI, part of the SKALE suite of validator tools, is the command line
 
 * Prerequisites
 
-Ensure that the following package is installed: **docker**, **docker-compose** (1.27.4+)
+Ensure that the following package is installed: **docker**, **docker-compose**
 
 * Download the executable
 
diff --git a/node_cli/cli/__init__.py b/node_cli/cli/__init__.py
index e1e6add7..1fe20f2e 100644
--- a/node_cli/cli/__init__.py
+++ b/node_cli/cli/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-__version__ = '2.6.2'
+__version__ = '2.6.3'
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     print(__version__)
diff --git a/node_cli/core/ssl/check.py b/node_cli/core/ssl/check.py
index d512c777..a5c7a0a5 100644
--- a/node_cli/core/ssl/check.py
+++ b/node_cli/core/ssl/check.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 import time
 import socket
 import logging
+import subprocess
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 
 from node_cli.core.ssl.utils import detached_subprocess
@@ -201,8 +202,15 @@ def check_ssl_connection(host, port, silent=False):
     ]
     expose_output = not silent
     with detached_subprocess(ssl_check_cmd, expose_output=expose_output) as dp:
-        time.sleep(1)
-        code = dp.poll()
-        if code is not None:
-            logger.error('Healthcheck connection failed')
-            raise SSLHealthcheckError('OpenSSL connection verification failed')
+        timeout = 20
+        try:
+            dp.wait(timeout=timeout)
+        except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+            logger.error('Healthcheck timed-out after %s s', timeout)
+            raise SSLHealthcheckError('OpenSSL connection verification timed-out')
+
+        if dp.returncode == 0:  # success
+            return
+
+        logger.error('Healthcheck connection failed (code %s)', dp.returncode)
+        raise SSLHealthcheckError('OpenSSL connection verification failed')
diff --git a/node_cli/core/ssl/utils.py b/node_cli/core/ssl/utils.py
index a2e71e1f..c11ebda8 100644
--- a/node_cli/core/ssl/utils.py
+++ b/node_cli/core/ssl/utils.py
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ def detached_subprocess(cmd, expose_output=False):
     logger.debug(f'Starting detached subprocess: {cmd}')
     p = subprocess.Popen(
         cmd,
-        stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
+        stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT, stdin=subprocess.DEVNULL,
         encoding='utf-8'
     )
     try: