--- pymongo/master_slave_connection.py.old	2010-04-01 17:29:13.000000000 +0300
+++ pymongo/master_slave_connection.py	2010-04-01 19:22:21.000000000 +0300
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 from pymongo.connection import Connection
 from pymongo.database import Database
+from pymongo.errors import AutoReconnect
 
 
 class MasterSlaveConnection(object):
@@ -129,7 +130,27 @@
                         ._send_message_with_response(message, _sock))
 
         # for now just load-balance randomly among slaves only...
-        connection_id = random.randrange(0, len(self.__slaves))
+        while self.__slaves:
+            connection_id = random.randrange(0, len(self.__slaves))
+            try:
+                # Test connection
+                self.__slaves[connection_id].server_info()
+            except AutoReconnect:
+                try:
+                    # Try to reconnect 
+                    self.__slaves[connection_id]._reset()
+                    break
+                except AutoReconnect:
+                    # No more chances to restore connection:
+                    # remove it from pool
+                    self.__slaves.pop(connection_id)
+            else:
+                # Found live connection
+                break
+        else:
+            # self.__slaves is empty
+            connection_id = -1
+
 
         # _must_use_master is set for commands, which must be sent to the
         # master instance. any queries in a request must be sent to the