diff --git a/java/monasca-common-middleware/src/main/java/monasca/common/middleware/TokenCache.java b/java/monasca-common-middleware/src/main/java/monasca/common/middleware/TokenCache.java
index 865ca0a1..e03ec1ec 100644
--- a/java/monasca-common-middleware/src/main/java/monasca/common/middleware/TokenCache.java
+++ b/java/monasca-common-middleware/src/main/java/monasca/common/middleware/TokenCache.java
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2014 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- * 
+ * (C) Copyright 2014,2016 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
+ *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file except
  * in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at
- * 
+ *
  * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- * 
+ *
  * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the License
  * is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express
  * or implied. See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under
@@ -42,12 +42,19 @@ public class TokenCache {
 
           String value = null;
           AuthClient client = null;
+          boolean discarded = false;
 
           try {
             client = factory.getClient();
             value = client.validateTokenForServiceEndpointV3(key);
+          } catch (ClientProtocolException e) {
+            factory.discard(client);
+            logger.warn("Validate token failed with ClientProtocolException. Discarding AuthClient connection from pool to create a new connection.");
+            logger.warn("ClientProtocolException " + e.getMessage() + " " + e);
+            discarded = true;
+            throw e;
           } finally {
-            if (client != null)
+            if (client != null && !discarded)
               factory.recycle(client);
           }
           return value;