diff --git a/src/static/js/collab_client.js b/src/static/js/collab_client.js
index 9fc03991..7cf98ae6 100644
--- a/src/static/js/collab_client.js
+++ b/src/static/js/collab_client.js
@@ -662,7 +662,8 @@ function getCollabClient(ace2editor, serverVars, initialUserInfo, options, _pad)
     getMissedChanges: getMissedChanges,
     callWhenNotCommitting: callWhenNotCommitting,
     addHistoricalAuthors: tellAceAboutHistoricalAuthors,
-    setChannelState: setChannelState
+    setChannelState: setChannelState,
+    setStateIdle: setStateIdle
   };
 
   $(document).ready(setUpSocket);
diff --git a/src/static/js/pad.js b/src/static/js/pad.js
index 152a48d9..9abedd27 100644
--- a/src/static/js/pad.js
+++ b/src/static/js/pad.js
@@ -221,6 +221,11 @@ function handshake()
     pad.collabClient.setChannelState("DISCONNECTED", "reconnect_timeout");
   });
 
+  socket.on('error', function(error) {
+    socket.realConnected = false;
+    pad.collabClient.setStateIdle();
+  });
+
   var initalized = false;
 
   socket.on('message', function(obj)