diff --git a/bin/vmpooler b/bin/vmpooler
index 139d79c6c..960988383 100755
--- a/bin/vmpooler
+++ b/bin/vmpooler
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ redis_port = config[:redis]['port']
 redis_password = config[:redis]['password']
 redis_connection_pool_size = config[:redis]['connection_pool_size']
 redis_connection_pool_timeout = config[:redis]['connection_pool_timeout']
+redis_reconnect_attempts = config[:redis]['reconnect_attempts'] || 10
 logger_file = config[:config]['logfile']
 
 logger = Vmpooler::Logger.new logger_file
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@ if torun.include? :manager
     Vmpooler::PoolManager.new(
       config,
       logger,
-      Vmpooler.redis_connection_pool(redis_host, redis_port, redis_password, redis_connection_pool_size, redis_connection_pool_timeout, metrics),
+      Vmpooler.redis_connection_pool(redis_host, redis_port, redis_password, redis_connection_pool_size, redis_connection_pool_timeout, metrics, redis_reconnect_attempts),
       metrics
     ).execute!
   end
diff --git a/lib/vmpooler.rb b/lib/vmpooler.rb
index 276bfa7e8..729ba4744 100644
--- a/lib/vmpooler.rb
+++ b/lib/vmpooler.rb
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ def self.load_pools_from_redis(redis)
     pools
   end
 
-  def self.redis_connection_pool(host, port, password, size, timeout, metrics)
+  def self.redis_connection_pool(host, port, password, size, timeout, metrics, redis_reconnect_attempts = 0)
     Vmpooler::PoolManager::GenericConnectionPool.new(
       metrics: metrics,
       connpool_type: 'redis_connection_pool',
@@ -173,13 +173,14 @@ def self.redis_connection_pool(host, port, password, size, timeout, metrics)
       timeout: timeout
     ) do
       connection = Concurrent::Hash.new
-      redis = new_redis(host, port, password)
+      redis = new_redis(host, port, password, redis_reconnect_attempts)
       connection['connection'] = redis
     end
   end
 
-  def self.new_redis(host = 'localhost', port = nil, password = nil)
-    Redis.new(host: host, port: port, password: password)
+  def self.new_redis(host = 'localhost', port = nil, password = nil, redis_reconnect_attempts = 10)
+    Redis.new(host: host, port: port, password: password, reconnect_attempts: redis_reconnect_attempts, reconnect_delay: 1.5,
+              reconnect_delay_max: 10.0)
   end
 
   def self.pools(conf)
diff --git a/spec/unit/generic_connection_pool_spec.rb b/spec/unit/generic_connection_pool_spec.rb
index 5c2421578..4777795c9 100644
--- a/spec/unit/generic_connection_pool_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/generic_connection_pool_spec.rb
@@ -25,6 +25,13 @@
       connection: 'connection'
     }}
 
+    it 'should error out when connection pool could not establish no nothing' do
+      newsub = Vmpooler.redis_connection_pool("foo,bar", "1234", "fuba", 1, 1, metrics, 0)
+      expect { newsub.with_metrics do |conn_pool_object|
+        conn_pool_object.srem('foo', "bar")
+      end }.to raise_error Redis::CannotConnectError
+    end
+
     it 'should return a connection object when grabbing one from the pool' do
       subject.with_metrics do |conn_pool_object|
         expect(conn_pool_object).to be(connection_object)