diff --git a/django_mysqlpool/backends/mysqlpool/base.py b/django_mysqlpool/backends/mysqlpool/base.py
index bbcba95..8bc5cba 100644
--- a/django_mysqlpool/backends/mysqlpool/base.py
+++ b/django_mysqlpool/backends/mysqlpool/base.py
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@
 # Needs to be less than MySQL connection timeout (server setting). The default is 120,
 # so default to 119.
 MYSQLPOOL_TIMEOUT = 119
-
+# Times to try reconnecting to the database if the connection goes stale in the pool
+MYSQLPOOL_RETRY = 5
 
 def isiterable(value):
     "Checks if the provided value is iterable."
@@ -57,9 +58,11 @@ def __hash__(self):
 def get_pool():
     "Creates one and only one pool using the configured settings."
     global MYSQLPOOL
+    global MYSQLPOOL_RETRY
     if MYSQLPOOL is None:
         backend = getattr(settings, 'MYSQLPOOL_BACKEND', MYSQLPOOL_BACKEND)
         backend = getattr(pool, backend)
+        MYSQLPOOL_RETRY = getattr(settings, 'MYSQLPOOL_RETRY', MYSQLPOOL_RETRY)
         kwargs = getattr(settings, 'MYSQLPOOL_ARGUMENTS', {})
         kwargs.setdefault('poolclass', backend)
         # The user can override this, but set it by default for safety.
@@ -81,7 +84,18 @@ def connect(**kwargs):
         # compatible with their serialization.
         kwargs['conv'] = HashableDict(conv)
     # Open the connection via the pool.
-    return get_pool().connect(**kwargs)
+    retry = MYSQLPOOL_RETRY
+    connection = None
+    while(retry and not connection):
+        try:
+            connection = get_pool().connect(**kwargs)
+        except:
+            connection = None
+            retry -= 1
+    if connection:
+        return connection
+    else:
+        return get_pool().connect(**kwargs)
 
 
 # Monkey-patch the regular mysql backend to use our hacked-up connect() function.