diff --git a/lib/mongo/collection.rb b/lib/mongo/collection.rb
index cd1b51f..100b3ed 100644
--- a/lib/mongo/collection.rb
+++ b/lib/mongo/collection.rb
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ module Mongo
         if safe
           @connection.send_message_with_safe_check(Mongo::Constants::OP_UPDATE, message, @db.name, nil, safe)
         else
-          @connection.send_message(Mongo::Constants::OP_UPDATE, message, nil)
+          @connection.send_message(Mongo::Constants::OP_UPDATE, message)
         end
       end
     end
@@ -874,7 +874,7 @@ module Mongo
         if safe
           @connection.send_message_with_safe_check(Mongo::Constants::OP_INSERT, message, @db.name, nil, safe)
         else
-          @connection.send_message(Mongo::Constants::OP_INSERT, message, nil)
+          @connection.send_message(Mongo::Constants::OP_INSERT, message)
         end
       end
       documents.collect { |o| o[:_id] || o['_id'] }
diff --git a/lib/mongo/connection.rb b/lib/mongo/connection.rb
index d7caf0e..d1b3b95 100644
--- a/lib/mongo/connection.rb
+++ b/lib/mongo/connection.rb
@@ -381,15 +381,36 @@ module Mongo
     # @param [Integer] operation a MongoDB opcode.
     # @param [BSON::ByteBuffer] message a message to send to the database.
     #
+    # @option opts [Symbol] :connection (:writer) The connection to which
+    #   this message should be sent. Valid options are :writer and :reader.
+    #
     # @return [Integer] number of bytes sent
-    def send_message(operation, message, log_message=nil)
+    def send_message(operation, message, opts={})
+      if opts.is_a?(String)
+        warn "Connection#send_message no longer takes a string log message. " +
+          "Logging is now handled within the Collection and Cursor classes."
+        opts = {}
+      end
+
+      connection = opts.fetch(:connection, :writer)
+
       begin
         add_message_headers(message, operation)
         packed_message = message.to_s
-        socket = checkout_writer
+
+        if connection == :writer
+          socket = checkout_writer
+        else
+          socket = checkout_reader
+        end
+
         send_message_on_socket(packed_message, socket)
       ensure
-        checkin_writer(socket)
+        if connection == :writer
+          checkin_writer(socket)
+        else
+          checkin_reader(socket)
+        end
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/lib/mongo/cursor.rb b/lib/mongo/cursor.rb
index fe9d399..7734c00 100644
--- a/lib/mongo/cursor.rb
+++ b/lib/mongo/cursor.rb
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ module Mongo
         message.put_int(1)
         message.put_long(@cursor_id)
         @logger.debug("MONGODB cursor.close #{@cursor_id}") if @logger
-        @connection.send_message(Mongo::Constants::OP_KILL_CURSORS, message, nil)
+        @connection.send_message(Mongo::Constants::OP_KILL_CURSORS, message, :connection => :reader)
       end
       @cursor_id = 0
       @closed    = true
diff --git a/test/replica_sets/query_secondaries.rb b/test/replica_sets/query_secondaries.rb
index 39cb040..845f496 100644
--- a/test/replica_sets/query_secondaries.rb
+++ b/test/replica_sets/query_secondaries.rb
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class ReplicaSetQuerySecondariesTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   end
 
   def test_query_secondaries
-    @coll = @db.collection("test-sets", :safe => {:w => 3, :wtimeout => 10000})
+    @coll = @db.collection("test-sets", :safe => {:w => 3, :wtimeout => 20000})
     @coll.save({:a => 20})
     @coll.save({:a => 30})
     @coll.save({:a => 40})
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ class ReplicaSetQuerySecondariesTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   end
 
   def test_kill_secondary
-    @coll = @db.collection("test-sets", {:safe => {:w => 3, :wtimeout => 10000}})
+    @coll = @db.collection("test-sets", {:safe => {:w => 3, :wtimeout => 20000}})
     @coll.save({:a => 20})
     @coll.save({:a => 30})
     assert_equal 2, @coll.find.to_a.length
@@ -90,7 +90,19 @@ class ReplicaSetQuerySecondariesTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
       assert_equal 2, length
     end
     new_read_pool_port = @conn.read_pool.port
-    assert old_read_pool != new_read_pool
+    assert old_read_pool_port != new_read_pool_port
+  end
+
+  def test_write_lots_of_data
+    @coll = @db.collection("test-sets", {:safe => {:w => 2}})
+
+    6000.times do |n|
+      @coll.save({:a => n})
+    end
+
+    cursor = @coll.find()
+    cursor.next
+    cursor.close
   end
 
 end
diff --git a/test/tools/repl_set_manager.rb b/test/tools/repl_set_manager.rb
index 9004218..f9a6756 100644
--- a/test/tools/repl_set_manager.rb
+++ b/test/tools/repl_set_manager.rb
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ class ReplSetManager
     @path       = File.join(File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__)), "data")
 
     @arbiter_count   = opts[:arbiter_count]   || 2
-    @secondary_count = opts[:secondary_count] || 1
-    @passive_count   = opts[:passive_count] || 1
+    @secondary_count = opts[:secondary_count] || 2
+    @passive_count   = opts[:passive_count] || 0
     @primary_count   = 1
 
     @count = @primary_count + @passive_count + @arbiter_count + @secondary_count
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class ReplSetManager
     system("killall mongod")
 
     n = 0
-    (@primary_count + @secondary_count).times do |n|
+    (@primary_count + @secondary_count).times do
       init_node(n)
       n += 1
     end