diff --git a/oauth2client/client.py b/oauth2client/client.py
index b6fd369..d808ed4 100644
--- a/oauth2client/client.py
+++ b/oauth2client/client.py
@@ -557,14 +557,20 @@ class OAuth2Credentials(Credentials):
       resp, content = request_orig(uri, method, body, clean_headers(headers),
                                    redirections, connection_type)
 
-      if resp.status in REFRESH_STATUS_CODES:
-        logger.info('Refreshing due to a %s', resp.status)
+      # A stored token may expire between the time it is retrieved and the time
+      # the request is made, so we may need to try twice.
+      max_refresh_attempts = 2
+      for refresh_attempt in range(max_refresh_attempts):
+        if resp.status not in REFRESH_STATUS_CODES:
+          break
+        logger.info('Refreshing due to a %s (attempt %s/%s)', resp.status,
+                    refresh_attempt + 1, max_refresh_attempts)
         self._refresh(request_orig)
         self.apply(headers)
-        return request_orig(uri, method, body, clean_headers(headers),
-                            redirections, connection_type)
-      else:
-        return (resp, content)
+        resp, content = request_orig(uri, method, body, clean_headers(headers),
+                                     redirections, connection_type)
+
+      return (resp, content)
 
     # Replace the request method with our own closure.
     http.request = new_request
@@ -757,8 +763,10 @@ class OAuth2Credentials(Credentials):
       self.store.acquire_lock()
       try:
         new_cred = self.store.locked_get()
+
         if (new_cred and not new_cred.invalid and
-            new_cred.access_token != self.access_token):
+            new_cred.access_token != self.access_token and
+            not new_cred.access_token_expired):
           logger.info('Updated access_token read from Storage')
           self._updateFromCredential(new_cred)
         else:
diff --git a/tests/test_file.py b/tests/test_file.py
index ac81bce..8efe6cf 100644
--- a/tests/test_file.py
+++ b/tests/test_file.py
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ __author__ = 'jcgregorio@google.com (Joe Gregorio)'
 
 import copy
 import datetime
-import httplib2
 import json
 import os
 import pickle
@@ -32,13 +31,12 @@ import stat
 import tempfile
 import unittest
 
-from oauth2client import GOOGLE_TOKEN_URI
+from .http_mock import HttpMockSequence
 from oauth2client import file
 from oauth2client import locked_file
 from oauth2client import multistore_file
 from oauth2client import util
 from oauth2client.client import AccessTokenCredentials
-from oauth2client.client import AssertionCredentials
 from oauth2client.client import OAuth2Credentials
 try:
   # Python2
@@ -64,11 +62,12 @@ class OAuth2ClientFileTests(unittest.TestCase):
     except OSError:
       pass
 
-  def create_test_credentials(self, client_id='some_client_id'):
+  def create_test_credentials(self, client_id='some_client_id',
+                              expiration=None):
     access_token = 'foo'
     client_secret = 'cOuDdkfjxxnv+'
     refresh_token = '1/0/a.df219fjls0'
-    token_expiry = datetime.datetime.utcnow()
+    token_expiry = expiration or datetime.datetime.utcnow()
     token_uri = 'https://www.google.com/accounts/o8/oauth2/token'
     user_agent = 'refresh_checker/1.0'
 
@@ -119,8 +118,55 @@ class OAuth2ClientFileTests(unittest.TestCase):
     self.assertEquals(data['_class'], 'OAuth2Credentials')
     self.assertEquals(data['_module'], OAuth2Credentials.__module__)
 
-  def test_token_refresh(self):
-    credentials = self.create_test_credentials()
+  def test_token_refresh_store_expired(self):
+    expiration = datetime.datetime.utcnow() - datetime.timedelta(minutes=15)
+    credentials = self.create_test_credentials(expiration=expiration)
+
+    s = file.Storage(FILENAME)
+    s.put(credentials)
+    credentials = s.get()
+    new_cred = copy.copy(credentials)
+    new_cred.access_token = 'bar'
+    s.put(new_cred)
+
+    access_token = '1/3w'
+    token_response = {'access_token': access_token, 'expires_in': 3600}
+    http = HttpMockSequence([
+        ({'status': '200'}, json.dumps(token_response).encode('utf-8')),
+    ])
+
+    credentials._refresh(http.request)
+    self.assertEquals(credentials.access_token, access_token)
+
+  def test_token_refresh_store_expires_soon(self):
+    # Tests the case where an access token that is valid when it is read from
+    # the store expires before the original request succeeds.
+    expiration = datetime.datetime.utcnow() + datetime.timedelta(minutes=15)
+    credentials = self.create_test_credentials(expiration=expiration)
+
+    s = file.Storage(FILENAME)
+    s.put(credentials)
+    credentials = s.get()
+    new_cred = copy.copy(credentials)
+    new_cred.access_token = 'bar'
+    s.put(new_cred)
+
+    access_token = '1/3w'
+    token_response = {'access_token': access_token, 'expires_in': 3600}
+    http = HttpMockSequence([
+        ({'status': '401'}, b'Initial token expired'),
+        ({'status': '401'}, b'Store token expired'),
+        ({'status': '200'}, json.dumps(token_response).encode('utf-8')),
+        ({'status': '200'}, b'Valid response to original request')
+    ])
+
+    credentials.authorize(http)
+    http.request('https://example.com')
+    self.assertEquals(credentials.access_token, access_token)
+
+  def test_token_refresh_good_store(self):
+    expiration = datetime.datetime.utcnow() + datetime.timedelta(minutes=15)
+    credentials = self.create_test_credentials(expiration=expiration)
 
     s = file.Storage(FILENAME)
     s.put(credentials)
@@ -287,7 +333,6 @@ class OAuth2ClientFileTests(unittest.TestCase):
 
     self.assertEqual(credentials.access_token, stored_credentials.access_token)
 
-
   def test_multistore_file_get_all_keys(self):
     # start with no keys
     keys = multistore_file.get_all_credential_keys(FILENAME)