diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index 360ed75..4bd561a 100644
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -31,6 +31,16 @@ namespace :test do
     t.test_files = FileList['test/test*.rb']
     t.verbose    = true
   end
+
+  Rake::TestTask.new(:pair_insert) do |t|
+    t.test_files = FileList['test/replica/pair_test.rb']
+    t.verbose    = true
+  end
+
+  Rake::TestTask.new(:pair_query) do |t|
+    t.test_files = FileList['test/replica/query_test.rb']
+    t.verbose    = true
+  end
 end
 
 desc "Generate documentation"
diff --git a/lib/mongo.rb b/lib/mongo.rb
index 84c60a4..787de49 100644
--- a/lib/mongo.rb
+++ b/lib/mongo.rb
@@ -31,5 +31,5 @@ module Mongo
   ASCENDING = 1
   DESCENDING = -1
 
-  VERSION = "0.17.1"
+  VERSION = "0.17.2"
 end
diff --git a/lib/mongo/db.rb b/lib/mongo/db.rb
index 6bf606d..5bac890 100644
--- a/lib/mongo/db.rb
+++ b/lib/mongo/db.rb
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 # ++
 
 require 'socket'
+require 'timeout'
 require 'digest/md5'
 require 'thread'
 require 'mongo/collection'
@@ -147,6 +148,7 @@ module Mongo
       @semaphore = Mutex.new
       @socket = nil
       @logger = options[:logger]
+      @network_timeout = 20
       connect_to_master
     end
 
@@ -166,10 +168,10 @@ module Mongo
           is_master = master?
           @semaphore.lock if semaphore_is_locked
 
-          if !@slave_ok && !is_master
+          if @nodes.length == 1 && !is_master && !@slave_ok
             raise ConfigurationError, "Trying to connect directly to slave; if this is what you want, specify :slave_ok => true."
           end
-          @slave_ok || is_master
+          is_master || @slave_ok
         rescue SocketError, SystemCallError, IOError => ex
           close if @socket
           false
@@ -352,16 +354,6 @@ module Mongo
       @socket != nil
     end
 
-    def receive_full(length)
-      message = ""
-      while message.length < length do
-        chunk = @socket.recv(length - message.length)
-        raise "connection closed" unless chunk.length > 0
-        message += chunk
-      end
-      message
-    end
-
     # Returns a Cursor over the query results.
     #
     # Note that the query gets sent lazily; the cursor calls
@@ -465,10 +457,14 @@ module Mongo
       message_with_check   = last_error_message
       @logger.debug("  MONGODB #{log_message || message}") if @logger
       @semaphore.synchronize do
-        send_message_on_socket(message_with_headers.append!(message_with_check).to_s)
-        docs, num_received, cursor_id = receive
-        if num_received == 1 && error = docs[0]['err']
-          raise Mongo::OperationFailure, error
+        safe_send do 
+          send_message_on_socket(message_with_headers.append!(message_with_check).to_s)
+          docs, num_received, cursor_id = receive
+          if num_received == 1 && error = docs[0]['err']
+            raise Mongo::OperationFailure, error
+          else
+            true
+          end
         end
       end
     end
@@ -478,11 +474,34 @@ module Mongo
       message_with_headers = add_message_headers(operation, message).to_s
       @logger.debug("  MONGODB #{log_message || message}") if @logger
       @semaphore.synchronize do 
-        send_message_on_socket(message_with_headers)
-        receive
+        response = ""
+        safe_send do 
+          send_message_on_socket(message_with_headers)
+          response = receive
+        end
+        response
       end
     end
 
+    # Capture errors and try to reconnect
+    def safe_send
+      sent = false
+      while(!sent) do 
+      begin
+        response = yield
+        sent = true
+        rescue Timeout::Error, SocketError, SystemCallError, IOError, ConnectionFailure => ex
+          if @auto_reconnect
+            connect_to_master
+          else
+            raise ex
+            close
+          end
+        end
+      end
+      response
+    end
+
     # Return +true+ if +doc+ contains an 'ok' field with the value 1.
     def ok?(doc)
       ok = doc['ok']
@@ -592,22 +611,37 @@ module Mongo
     # Sending a message on socket.
     def send_message_on_socket(packed_message)
       connect_to_master if !connected? && @auto_reconnect
-      begin
-        @socket.print(packed_message)
-        @socket.flush
-      rescue => ex
-        close
-        raise ex
+      sent = false
+      while !sent do 
+        begin
+          @socket.print(packed_message)
+          @socket.flush
+          sent = true
+        rescue => ex
+          sent = false
+          if @auto_reconnect
+            connect_to_master
+          else
+            close
+            raise ex
+          end
+        end
       end
     end
 
     # Receive data of specified length on socket.
     def receive_data_on_socket(length)
+      connect_to_master if !connected? && @auto_reconnect
       message = ""
+      chunk   = ""
       while message.length < length do
-        chunk = @socket.recv(length - message.length)
-        raise "connection closed" unless chunk.length > 0
-        message += chunk
+        begin
+          chunk = @socket.read(length - message.length)
+          raise ConnectionFailure, "connection closed" unless chunk && chunk.length > 0
+          message += chunk
+        rescue Timeout => ex
+          raise OperationFailure, "Database command timed out."
+        end
       end
       message
     end
diff --git a/lib/mongo/errors.rb b/lib/mongo/errors.rb
index 78a5502..326f9d2 100644
--- a/lib/mongo/errors.rb
+++ b/lib/mongo/errors.rb
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ module Mongo
 
   # Raised when a database operation fails.
   class OperationFailure < MongoDBError; end
+  
+  # Raised when a database operation fails.
+  class ConnectionFailure < MongoDBError; end
 
   # Raised when a client attempts to perform an invalid operation.
   class InvalidOperation < MongoDBError; end
diff --git a/test/replica/pair_test.rb b/test/replica/pair_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e8d30c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/replica/pair_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+$LOAD_PATH[0,0] = File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '..', 'lib')
+require 'mongo'
+require 'test/unit'
+
+# NOTE: this test should be run only if 
+class ReplicaPairTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
+  include Mongo
+ 
+  def setup 
+    @conn = Mongo::Connection.new({:left => ["localhost", 27017], :right => ["localhost", 27018]}, nil, :auto_reconnect => true)
+    @db = @conn.db('mongo-ruby-test')
+    @db.drop_collection("test-pairs")
+    @coll = @db.collection("test-pairs")
+  end
+
+  def test_insert
+    @coll.save({:a => 20}, :safe => true)
+    puts "Please disconnect the current master. Test will resume in 15 seconds."
+    sleep(15)
+    @coll.save({:a => 30}, :safe => true)
+    @coll.save({:a => 40}, :safe => true)
+    @coll.save({:a => 50}, :safe => true)
+    @coll.save({:a => 60}, :safe => true)
+    @coll.save({:a => 70}, :safe => true)
+    puts "Please reconnect the old master. Test will resume in 15 seconds."
+    sleep(15)
+    results = []
+    # Note: need to figure out what to do here.
+    @coll.find.each {|r| r}
+    @coll.find.each {|r| results << r}
+    [20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70].each do |a|
+      assert results.any? {|r| r['a'] == a}, "Could not find record for a => #{a}"
+    end
+  end
+
+end
diff --git a/test/replica/query_test.rb b/test/replica/query_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e07c6f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/replica/query_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+$LOAD_PATH[0,0] = File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '..', 'lib')
+require 'mongo'
+require 'test/unit'
+
+# NOTE: this test should be run only if 
+class ReplicaPairTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
+  include Mongo
+ 
+  def setup 
+    @conn = Mongo::Connection.new({:left => ["localhost", 27017], :right => ["localhost", 27018]}, nil, :auto_reconnect => true)
+    @db = @conn.db('mongo-ruby-test')
+    @db.drop_collection("test-pairs")
+    @coll = @db.collection("test-pairs")
+  end
+
+  def test_query
+    @coll.save({:a => 20})
+    @coll.save({:a => 30})
+    @coll.save({:a => 40})
+    results = []
+    @coll.find.each {|r| p results << r}
+    [20, 30, 40].each do |a|
+      assert results.any? {|r| r['a'] == a}, "Could not find record for a => #{a}"
+    end
+    puts "Please disconnect the current master. Test will resume in 15 seconds."
+    sleep(15)
+    @coll.find.each {|r| p results << r}
+    [20, 30, 40].each do |a|
+      assert results.any? {|r| r['a'] == a}, "Could not find record for a => #{a}"
+    end
+  end
+
+end