diff --git a/lib/mongo/connection.rb b/lib/mongo/connection.rb
index 871366b..253a1ae 100644
--- a/lib/mongo/connection.rb
+++ b/lib/mongo/connection.rb
@@ -448,7 +448,6 @@ module Mongo
       result
     end
 
-
     # Create a new socket and attempt to connect to master.
     # If successful, sets host and port to master and returns the socket.
     #
@@ -459,16 +458,11 @@ module Mongo
     def connect
       reset_connection
 
-      first_node = @nodes.first
-      if is_primary?(check_is_master(first_node))
-        set_primary(first_node)
-      else
-        while !connected? && !(nodes_to_try = @nodes - @nodes_tried).empty?
-          nodes_to_try.each do |node|
-            if is_primary?(check_is_master(node))
-              set_primary(node)
-              break
-            end
+      while !connected? && !(nodes_to_try = @nodes - @nodes_tried).empty?
+        nodes_to_try.each do |node|
+          if is_primary?(check_is_master(node))
+            set_primary(node)
+            break
           end
         end
       end
@@ -485,122 +479,6 @@ module Mongo
       connect
     end
 
-    def reset_connection
-      close
-      @host = nil
-      @port = nil
-      @nodes_tried = []
-    end
-
-    def connected?
-      @host && @port
-    end
-
-    # Primary is defined as either a master node or a slave if
-    # :slave_ok has been set to +true+.
-    #
-    # If a primary node is discovered, we set the the @host and @port and
-    # apply any saved authentication.
-    #
-    # TODO: use the 'primary', and 'seconday' fields if we're in a replica set
-    def is_primary?(config)
-      config && (config['ismaster'] == 1 || config['ismaster'] == true) || @slave_ok
-    end
-
-    # @return
-    def check_is_master(node)
-      begin
-        host, port = *node
-        socket = TCPSocket.new(host, port)
-        socket.setsockopt(Socket::IPPROTO_TCP, Socket::TCP_NODELAY, 1)
-
-        config = self['admin'].command({:ismaster => 1}, :sock => socket)
-
-      rescue OperationFailure, SocketError, SystemCallError, IOError => ex
-        close
-      ensure
-        @nodes_tried << node
-        update_node_list(config['hosts']) if config && config['hosts']
-        socket.close if socket
-      end
-
-      config
-    end
-
-    def set_primary(node)
-      @host, @port = *node
-      apply_saved_authentication
-    end
-
-    def update_node_list(hosts)
-      new_nodes = hosts.map do |host|
-        if !host.respond_to?(:split)
-          warn "Could not parse host #{host.inspect}."
-          next
-        end
-
-        host, port = host.split(':')
-        [host, port.to_i]
-      end
-
-      @nodes |= new_nodes
-    end
-
-    # Create a new socket and attempt to connect to master.
-    # If successful, sets host and port to master and returns the socket.
-    #
-    # @raise [ConnectionFailure] if unable to connect to any host or port.
-    def connect_to_master_old
-      close
-      @host = @port = nil
-      for node_pair in @nodes
-        host, port = *node_pair
-        begin
-          socket = TCPSocket.new(host, port)
-          socket.setsockopt(Socket::IPPROTO_TCP, Socket::TCP_NODELAY, 1)
-
-          # If we're connected to master, set the @host and @port
-          result = self['admin'].command({:ismaster => 1}, :check_response => false, :sock => socket)
-          if Mongo::Support.ok?(result) &&
-              ((is_master = result['ismaster'] == 1) || @slave_ok)
-            @host, @port = host, port
-            apply_saved_authentication
-          end
-
-          # Note: slave_ok can be true only when connecting to a single node.
-          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
-
-          break if is_master || @slave_ok
-        rescue SocketError, SystemCallError, IOError => ex
-          close
-          false
-        ensure
-          socket.close if socket
-        end
-      end
-      raise ConnectionFailure, "failed to connect to any given host:port" unless socket
-    end
-
-    def attempt_node(node)
-      host, port = *node
-      socket = TCPSocket.new(host, port)
-      socket.setsockopt(Socket::IPPROTO_TCP, Socket::TCP_NODELAY, 1)
-
-      # If we're connected to master, set the @host and @port
-      result = self['admin'].command({:ismaster => 1}, :check_response => false, :sock => socket)
-      if Mongo::Support.ok?(result)
-          if ((is_master = result['ismaster'] == 1) || @slave_ok)
-            @host, @port = host, port
-          end
-        apply_saved_authentication
-      end
-    end
-
-    # Are we connected to MongoDB? This is determined by checking whether
-    # host and port have values, since they're set to nil on calls to #close.
     def connected?
       @host && @port
     end
@@ -691,6 +569,79 @@ module Mongo
 
     private
 
+    # If a ConnectionFailure is raised, this method will be called
+    # to close the connection and reset connection values.
+    def reset_connection
+      close
+      @host = nil
+      @port = nil
+      @nodes_tried = []
+    end
+
+    # Primary is defined as either a master node or a slave if
+    # :slave_ok has been set to +true+.
+    #
+    # If a primary node is discovered, we set the the @host and @port and
+    # apply any saved authentication.
+    #
+    # TODO: use the 'primary', and 'seconday' fields if we're in a replica set
+    def is_primary?(config)
+      config && (config['ismaster'] == 1 || config['ismaster'] == true) || @slave_ok
+    end
+
+    # @return
+    def check_is_master(node)
+      begin
+        host, port = *node
+        socket = TCPSocket.new(host, port)
+        socket.setsockopt(Socket::IPPROTO_TCP, Socket::TCP_NODELAY, 1)
+
+        config = self['admin'].command({:ismaster => 1}, :sock => socket)
+
+      rescue OperationFailure, SocketError, SystemCallError, IOError => ex
+        close
+      ensure
+        @nodes_tried << node
+        if config
+          update_node_list(config['hosts']) if config['hosts']
+          @logger.warn(config['msg']) if config['msg']
+        end
+
+        socket.close if socket
+      end
+
+      config
+    end
+
+    # Set the specified node as primary, and
+    # apply any saved authentication credentials.
+    def set_primary(node)
+      @host, @port = *node
+      apply_saved_authentication
+    end
+
+    # Update the list of known nodes. Only applies to replica sets,
+    # where the response to the ismaster command will return a list
+    # of known hosts.
+    #
+    # @param hosts [Array] a list of hosts, specified as string-encoded
+    #   host-port values. Example: ["myserver-1.org:27017", "myserver-1.org:27017"]
+    #
+    # @return [Array] the updated list of nodes
+    def update_node_list(hosts)
+      new_nodes = hosts.map do |host|
+        if !host.respond_to?(:split)
+          warn "Could not parse host #{host.inspect}."
+          next
+        end
+
+        host, port = host.split(':')
+        [host, port.to_i]
+      end
+
+      @nodes |= new_nodes
+    end
+
     # Return a socket to the pool.
     def checkin(socket)
       @connection_mutex.synchronize do