diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 65a3521..eca5107 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -3,22 +3,26 @@ workflows:
   version: 2
   test:
     jobs:
+      - test-3.13
+      - test-3.12
+      - test-3.11
       - test-3.10
       - test-3.9
-      - test-3.8
-      - test-3.7
-      - test-3.6
-      - test-3.5
-      - test-3.4
       - test-2.7
       - test-pypy3
       - test-pypy2
 jobs:
-  test-3.10: &test-template
+  test-3.13: &test-template
     docker:
-      - image: python:3.10 # We run one test in non-alpine environment, just in case
+      - image: python:3.13 # We run one test in non-alpine environment, just in case
     working_directory: ~/work
     steps:
+      - run:
+          name: Ensure SSH
+          command: |
+            apk add --update openssh-client git || {
+                apt-get update && apt-get install -y openssh-client git
+            }
       - checkout
       - run:
           name: Install dependencies
@@ -31,36 +35,28 @@ jobs:
           name: Install project
           command: |
               . venv/bin/activate
-              pip install -e .[tests]
+              pip install -e '.[tests]'
       - run:
           name: Run tests
           command: |
             . venv/bin/activate
             pytest -v
-  test-3.9:
+  test-3.12:
     <<: *test-template
     docker:
-      - image: python:3.9-alpine
-  test-3.8:
+      - image: python:3.12-alpine
+  test-3.11:
     <<: *test-template
     docker:
-      - image: python:3.8-alpine
-  test-3.7:
+      - image: python:3.11-alpine
+  test-3.10:
     <<: *test-template
     docker:
-      - image: python:3.7-alpine
-  test-3.6:
-    <<: *test-template
-    docker:
-      - image: python:3.6-alpine
-  test-3.5:
-    <<: *test-template
-    docker:
-      - image: python:3.5-alpine
-  test-3.4:
+      - image: python:3.10-alpine
+  test-3.9:
     <<: *test-template
     docker:
-      - image: python:3.4-alpine
+      - image: python:3.9-alpine
   test-2.7:
     <<: *test-template
     docker:
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 36420e9..b12fc31 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 setup(
     name='smpplib',
-    version='2.2.3',
+    version='2.2.4',
     url='https://github.com/python-smpplib/python-smpplib',
     description='SMPP library for python',
     packages=find_packages(),
@@ -29,10 +29,11 @@
         'Programming Language :: Python :: 2',
         'Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7',
         'Programming Language :: Python :: 3',
-        'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.4',
-        'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5',
-        'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6',
-        'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7',
+        'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9',
+        'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10',
+        'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11',
+        'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12',
+        'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13',
         'Programming Language :: Python',
         'Topic :: Communications :: Telephony',
         'Topic :: Communications',
diff --git a/smpplib/client.py b/smpplib/client.py
index ebad492..a335d15 100644
--- a/smpplib/client.py
+++ b/smpplib/client.py
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ def __init__(
             self.allow_unknown_opt_params = allow_unknown_opt_params
 
 
-        self._socket = self._create_socket()
+        self._socket = None
 
     def __enter__(self):
         return self