diff --git a/cinderclient/client.py b/cinderclient/client.py
index 71d2a42b0..314532423 100644
--- a/cinderclient/client.py
+++ b/cinderclient/client.py
@@ -317,8 +317,9 @@ class HTTPClient(CinderClientMixin):
             except requests.exceptions.ConnectionError as e:
                 # Catch a connection refused from requests.request
                 self._logger.debug("Connection refused: %s" % e)
-                msg = 'Unable to establish connection: %s' % e
-                raise exceptions.ConnectionError(msg)
+                if attempts > self.retries:
+                    msg = 'Unable to establish connection: %s' % e
+                    raise exceptions.ConnectionError(msg)
             self._logger.debug(
                 "Failed attempt(%s of %s), retrying in %s seconds" %
                 (attempts, self.retries, backoff))
diff --git a/cinderclient/tests/test_http.py b/cinderclient/tests/test_http.py
index 18eafebea..8d162bed5 100644
--- a/cinderclient/tests/test_http.py
+++ b/cinderclient/tests/test_http.py
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ bad_500_response = utils.TestResponse({
 })
 bad_500_request = mock.Mock(return_value=(bad_500_response))
 
+connection_error_request = mock.Mock(
+    side_effect=requests.exceptions.ConnectionError)
+
 
 def get_client(retries=0):
     cl = client.HTTPClient("username", "password",
@@ -127,6 +130,23 @@ class ClientTest(utils.TestCase):
         test_get_call()
         self.assertEqual(self.requests, [])
 
+    def test_get_retry_connection_error(self):
+        cl = get_authed_client(retries=1)
+
+        self.requests = [connection_error_request, mock_request]
+
+        def request(*args, **kwargs):
+            next_request = self.requests.pop(0)
+            return next_request(*args, **kwargs)
+
+        @mock.patch.object(requests, "request", request)
+        @mock.patch('time.time', mock.Mock(return_value=1234))
+        def test_get_call():
+            resp, body = cl.get("/hi")
+
+        test_get_call()
+        self.assertEqual(self.requests, [])
+
     def test_retry_limit(self):
         cl = get_authed_client(retries=1)