diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index ab5e580..23f5c1b 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ matrix:
   allow_failures:
   - python: nightly
   - python: 3.7-dev
+  - python: 2.7
+  - python: pypy
 
 services:
 - docker
@@ -25,7 +27,7 @@ before_install:
 - docker run -d --publish=28015:28015 rethinkdb
 
 install:
-- pip install . pytest
+- pip install .[test]
 
 script:
 - py.test -v tests
diff --git a/doublethink/rethinker.py b/doublethink/rethinker.py
index 40e9f90..d04524d 100644
--- a/doublethink/rethinker.py
+++ b/doublethink/rethinker.py
@@ -48,14 +48,31 @@ class RethinkerWrapper(object):
                 result = self.wrapped.run(conn, db=db or self.rr.dbname)
                 if hasattr(result, '__next__'):
                     is_iter = True
+
                     def gen():
                         try:
                             yield  # empty yield, see comment below
-                            for x in result:
-                                yield x
+                            while True:
+                                try:
+                                    x = next(result)
+                                    yield x
+                                except StopIteration:
+                                    break
+                                except r.ReqlOpFailedError as e:
+                                    if e.args and re.match(
+                                            '^Cannot perform.*replica.*',
+                                            e.args[0]):
+                                        self.logger.error(
+                                                'will keep trying after '
+                                                'potentially recoverable '
+                                                'error: %s', e)
+                                        time.sleep(0.5)
+                                    else:
+                                        raise
                         finally:
                             result.close()
                             conn.close()
+
                     g = gen()
                     # Start executing the generator, leaving off after the
                     # empty yield. If we didn't do this, and the caller never
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 56a44b4..eb412a5 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 import setuptools
 import codecs
 
+test_deps = ['pytest']
+
+try:
+    import unittest.mock
+except:
+    test_deps.append('mock')
+
 setuptools.setup(
     name='doublethink',
     version='0.2.0.dev88',
@@ -10,8 +17,10 @@ setuptools.setup(
         'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.4',
         'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5',
         'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6',
+        'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7',
     ],
     install_requires=['rethinkdb'],
+    extras_require={'test': test_deps},
     url='https://github.com/internetarchive/doublethink',
     author='Noah Levitt',
     author_email='nlevitt@archive.org',
diff --git a/tests/test_rethinker.py b/tests/test_rethinker.py
index d61466f..4c7f1b4 100644
--- a/tests/test_rethinker.py
+++ b/tests/test_rethinker.py
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ import gc
 import pytest
 import rethinkdb as r
 import datetime
+try:
+    from unittest import mock
+except:
+    import mock
 
 logging.basicConfig(stream=sys.stderr, level=logging.INFO,
         format="%(asctime)s %(process)d %(levelname)s %(threadName)s %(name)s.%(funcName)s(%(filename)s:%(lineno)d) %(message)s")
@@ -128,3 +132,82 @@ def test_utcnow():
 
     ## XXX what else can we test without jumping through hoops?
 
+class SpecificException(Exception):
+    pass
+
+class MockRethinker(doublethink.Rethinker):
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        self.m = mock.MagicMock()
+
+        def table(name):
+            mm = mock.MagicMock()
+            if name in ('err_running_query', 'recoverable_err_running_query'):
+                if name == 'recoverable_err_running_query':
+                    e = r.ReqlOpFailedError(
+                            'Cannot perform read: The primary replica '
+                            "isn't connected... THIS IS A TEST!")
+                else:
+                    e = SpecificException
+
+                # dict because: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3190706/nonlocal-keyword-in-python-2-x
+                count = {'value': 0}
+                def run(*args, **kwargs):
+                    count['value'] += 1
+                    if count['value'] <= 2:
+                        raise e
+                    else:
+                        return mock.MagicMock()
+
+                mm.run = run
+
+            elif name in ('err_in_iterator', 'recoverable_err_in_iterator'):
+                if name == 'recoverable_err_in_iterator':
+                    e = r.ReqlOpFailedError(
+                            'Cannot perform read: The primary replica '
+                            "isn't connected... THIS IS A TEST!")
+                else:
+                    e = SpecificException
+
+                def run(*args, **kwargs):
+                    mmm = mock.MagicMock()
+                    # dict because: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3190706/nonlocal-keyword-in-python-2-x
+                    count = {'value': 0}
+                    def next_(*args, **kwargs):
+                        count['value'] += 1
+                        if count['value'] <= 2:
+                            raise e
+                        else:
+                            return mock.MagicMock()
+                    mmm.__iter__ = lambda *args, **kwargs: mmm
+                    mmm.__next__ = next_
+                    mmm.next = next_
+                    return mmm
+
+                mm.run = run
+            return mm
+
+        self.m.table = table
+
+    def _random_server_connection(self):
+        return mock.Mock()
+
+    def __getattr__(self, name):
+        delegate = getattr(self.m, name)
+        return self.wrap(delegate)
+
+def test_error_handling():
+    rr = MockRethinker(db='my_db')
+
+    with pytest.raises(SpecificException):
+        rr.table('err_running_query').run()
+
+    # should not raise exception
+    rr.table('recoverable_err_running_query').run()
+
+    it = rr.table('err_in_iterator').run() # no exception yet
+    with pytest.raises(SpecificException):
+        next(it)  # exception here
+
+    it = rr.table('recoverable_err_in_iterator').run() # no exception yet
+    next(it)  # no exception
+