diff --git a/neutron/db/api.py b/neutron/db/api.py
index 6fe5aa933c2..878291135a2 100644
--- a/neutron/db/api.py
+++ b/neutron/db/api.py
@@ -37,7 +37,10 @@ MAX_RETRIES = 10
 
 
 def is_retriable(e):
-    return _is_nested_instance(e, (db_exc.DBDeadlock, exc.StaleDataError))
+    if _is_nested_instance(e, (db_exc.DBDeadlock, exc.StaleDataError)):
+        return True
+    # looking savepoints mangled by deadlocks. see bug/1590298 for details.
+    return _is_nested_instance(e, db_exc.DBError) and '1305' in str(e)
 
 is_deadlock = moves.moved_function(is_retriable, 'is_deadlock', __name__,
                                    message='use "is_retriable" instead',
diff --git a/neutron/tests/unit/db/test_api.py b/neutron/tests/unit/db/test_api.py
index 6402de5fd27..838191330be 100644
--- a/neutron/tests/unit/db/test_api.py
+++ b/neutron/tests/unit/db/test_api.py
@@ -82,3 +82,8 @@ class TestDeadLockDecorator(base.BaseTestCase):
         e = exceptions.MultipleExceptions([ValueError(), db_exc.DBDeadlock()])
         with testtools.ExpectedException(exceptions.MultipleExceptions):
             self._decorated_function(db_api.MAX_RETRIES + 1, e)
+
+    def test_mysql_savepoint_error(self):
+        e = db_exc.DBError("(pymysql.err.InternalError) (1305, u'SAVEPOINT "
+                           "sa_savepoint_1 does not exist')")
+        self.assertIsNone(self._decorated_function(1, e))