diff --git a/coordinator/protobuf_client.go b/coordinator/protobuf_client.go
index 561902bb4ad..815c7d5dc29 100644
--- a/coordinator/protobuf_client.go
+++ b/coordinator/protobuf_client.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ const (
 )
 
 func NewProtobufClient(hostAndPort string, writeTimeout time.Duration) *ProtobufClient {
-	log.Debug("NewProtobufClient: ", hostAndPort)
+	log.Debug("NewProtobufClient: %s", hostAndPort)
 	return &ProtobufClient{
 		hostAndPort:   hostAndPort,
 		requestBuffer: make(map[uint32]*runningRequest),
@@ -179,6 +179,14 @@ func (self *ProtobufClient) MakeRequest(request *protocol.Request, r cluster.Res
 func (self *ProtobufClient) readResponses() {
 	message := make([]byte, 0, MAX_RESPONSE_SIZE)
 	buff := bytes.NewBuffer(message)
+
+	connErrFn := func(err error) {
+		log.Error("Error while reading messsage: %s", err.Error())
+		self.conn.Close()
+		self.conn = nil
+		time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond)
+	}
+
 	for !self.stopped {
 		buff.Reset()
 		conn := self.getConnection()
@@ -190,21 +198,19 @@ func (self *ProtobufClient) readResponses() {
 		var err error
 		err = binary.Read(conn, binary.LittleEndian, &messageSizeU)
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Error("Error while reading messsage size: %d", err)
-			time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond)
+			connErrFn(err)
 			continue
 		}
 		messageSize := int64(messageSizeU)
 		messageReader := io.LimitReader(conn, messageSize)
 		_, err = io.Copy(buff, messageReader)
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Error("Error while reading message: %d", err)
-			time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond)
+			connErrFn(err)
 			continue
 		}
 		response, err := protocol.DecodeResponse(buff)
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Error("error unmarshaling response: %s", err)
+			log.Error("error unmarshaling response: %s", err.Error())
 			time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond)
 		} else {
 			self.sendResponse(response)
@@ -273,6 +279,7 @@ func (self *ProtobufClient) reconnect() net.Conn {
 		self.attempts = 0
 	}
 
+	self.attempts = 0
 	self.conn = conn
 	log.Info("connected to %s", self.hostAndPort)
 	return conn
@@ -286,7 +293,7 @@ func (self *ProtobufClient) peridicallySweepTimedOutRequests() {
 		for k, req := range self.requestBuffer {
 			if req.timeMade.Before(maxAge) {
 				delete(self.requestBuffer, k)
-				log.Warn("Request timed out: ", req.request)
+				log.Warn("Request timed out: %v", req.request)
 			}
 		}
 		self.requestBufferLock.Unlock()
diff --git a/coordinator/protobuf_client_test.go b/coordinator/protobuf_client_test.go
index cc9068957d3..6b5950da876 100644
--- a/coordinator/protobuf_client_test.go
+++ b/coordinator/protobuf_client_test.go
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func FakeHeartbeatServer() *PingResponseServer {
 
 type ProtobufClientSuite struct{}
 
-var _ = gocheck.Suite(&ProtobufClient{})
+var _ = gocheck.Suite(&ProtobufClientSuite{})
 
 func (self *ProtobufClientSuite) BenchmarkSingle(c *gocheck.C) {
 	var HEARTBEAT_TYPE = protocol.Request_HEARTBEAT
@@ -109,3 +109,49 @@ func (self *ProtobufClientSuite) BenchmarkSingle(c *gocheck.C) {
 		<-responseChan
 	}
 }
+
+func (pcs *ProtobufClientSuite) TestReadResponsesWhenRemoteClosesConnection(c *gocheck.C) {
+	// Channel used to kill the remote connection
+	dieCh := make(chan struct{})
+	// Channel for remote client to notify test that ProtobufClient connected
+	connectedCh := make(chan struct{})
+	// Channel the remote client will use to tell the test that it has closed
+	connClosedCh := make(chan struct{})
+
+	// Remote connection (talking to a ProtobufClient)
+	handleConnFn := func(conn net.Conn) {
+		connectedCh <- struct{}{}
+		<-dieCh
+		conn.Close()
+		close(connClosedCh)
+	}
+
+	// Remote server listening for ProtobufClient connection requests
+	l, _ := net.Listen("tcp", "127.0.0.1:0")
+	go func() {
+		for {
+			conn, _ := l.Accept()
+			go handleConnFn(conn)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	// Create a ProtobufClient and connect to the remote server we just setup
+	client := NewProtobufClient(l.Addr().String(), time.Second)
+	client.Connect()
+	select {
+	case <-connectedCh:
+	case <-time.After(500 * time.Millisecond):
+		c.Errorf("Waiting for ProtobufClient to connect timed out")
+		return
+	}
+	c.Assert(client, gocheck.NotNil)
+	c.Assert(client.conn, gocheck.NotNil)
+
+	// Tell remote side to close the connection
+	dieCh <- struct{}{}
+
+	// Make sure ProtobufClient set the connection to nil
+	<-connClosedCh
+	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+	c.Assert(client.conn, gocheck.IsNil)
+}