diff --git a/oslo_messaging/_drivers/pika_driver/pika_engine.py b/oslo_messaging/_drivers/pika_driver/pika_engine.py
index be1db685..fe907f59 100644
--- a/oslo_messaging/_drivers/pika_driver/pika_engine.py
+++ b/oslo_messaging/_drivers/pika_driver/pika_engine.py
@@ -101,14 +101,10 @@ class PikaEngine(object):
 
         # processing rpc options
         self.default_rpc_exchange = (
-            conf.oslo_messaging_pika.default_rpc_exchange if
-            conf.oslo_messaging_pika.default_rpc_exchange else
-            default_exchange
+            conf.oslo_messaging_pika.default_rpc_exchange
         )
         self.rpc_reply_exchange = (
-            conf.oslo_messaging_pika.rpc_reply_exchange if
-            conf.oslo_messaging_pika.rpc_reply_exchange else
-            default_exchange
+            conf.oslo_messaging_pika.rpc_reply_exchange
         )
 
         self.allowed_remote_exmods = [_EXCEPTIONS_MODULE]
@@ -149,9 +145,7 @@ class PikaEngine(object):
 
         # processing notification options
         self.default_notification_exchange = (
-            conf.oslo_messaging_pika.default_notification_exchange if
-            conf.oslo_messaging_pika.default_notification_exchange else
-            default_exchange
+            conf.oslo_messaging_pika.default_notification_exchange
         )
 
         self.notification_persistence = (
diff --git a/oslo_messaging/_drivers/pika_driver/pika_listener.py b/oslo_messaging/_drivers/pika_driver/pika_listener.py
index 2c33168e..54ede123 100644
--- a/oslo_messaging/_drivers/pika_driver/pika_listener.py
+++ b/oslo_messaging/_drivers/pika_driver/pika_listener.py
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ class RpcReplyPikaListener(object):
                     )
                 )
 
-                self._reply_poller.start(timeout=expiration_time - time.time())
+                self._reply_poller.start()
 
             # start reply poller job thread if needed
             if self._poller_thread is None:
diff --git a/oslo_messaging/_drivers/pika_driver/pika_poller.py b/oslo_messaging/_drivers/pika_driver/pika_poller.py
index 4edfa0d5..838bf4a4 100644
--- a/oslo_messaging/_drivers/pika_driver/pika_poller.py
+++ b/oslo_messaging/_drivers/pika_driver/pika_poller.py
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ import time
 
 from oslo_log import log as logging
 import pika_pool
-import retrying
 import six
 
+from oslo_messaging._drivers.pika_driver import pika_exceptions as pika_drv_exc
 from oslo_messaging._drivers.pika_driver import pika_message as pika_drv_msg
 
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -190,6 +190,8 @@ class PikaPoller(object):
         """
         self._started = True
 
+        self.reconnect()
+
     def stop(self):
         """Stops poller. Should be called when polling is not needed anymore to
         stop new message consuming. After that it is necessary to poll already
@@ -207,9 +209,14 @@ class PikaPoller(object):
             self._cleanup()
             try:
                 self._reconnect()
-            except Exception:
+            except Exception as exc:
                 self._cleanup()
-                raise
+                if isinstance(exc, pika_pool.Connection.connectivity_errors):
+                    raise pika_drv_exc.ConnectionException(
+                        "Connectivity problem detected during establishing "
+                        "poller's connection. " + str(exc))
+                else:
+                    raise exc
 
     def cleanup(self):
         """Safe version of _cleanup. Cleans up allocated resources (channel,
@@ -325,29 +332,6 @@ class RpcReplyPikaPoller(PikaPoller):
 
         return {self._queue: False}
 
-    def start(self, timeout=None):
-        """Overrides default behaviour of start method. Base start method
-        does not create connection to RabbitMQ during start method (uses
-        lazy connecting during first poll method call). This class should be
-        connected after start call to ensure that exchange and queue for reply
-        delivery are created before RPC request sending
-        """
-        super(RpcReplyPikaPoller, self).start()
-
-        def on_exception(ex):
-            LOG.warn(str(ex))
-
-            return True
-
-        retrier = retrying.retry(
-            stop_max_attempt_number=self._pika_engine.rpc_reply_retry_attempts,
-            stop_max_delay=None if timeout is None else timeout * 1000,
-            wait_fixed=self._pika_engine.rpc_reply_retry_delay * 1000,
-            retry_on_exception=on_exception,
-        )
-
-        retrier(self.reconnect)()
-
 
 class NotificationPikaPoller(PikaPoller):
     """PikaPoller implementation for polling Notification messages. Overrides