diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 51523b21f5..7e75d5e630 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ to maximum value, provided in milliseconds.
 Value is provided in milliseconds and is counted once the disconnect occured. The last retry is going to happen once after the connect_timeout value is exceeded.
 That way the default is to try reconnecting until at least 24h passed.
 * `max_attempts` defaults to `null`. By default client will try reconnecting until connected. Setting `max_attempts`
-limits total amount of reconnects.
+limits total amount of reconnects. Setting this to 0 will prevent any reconnect tries.
 * `auth_pass` defaults to `null`. By default client will try connecting without auth. If set, client will run redis auth command on connect.
 * `family` defaults to `IPv4`. The client connects in IPv4 if not specified or if the DNS resolution returns an IPv4 address.
 You can force an IPv6 if you set the family to 'IPv6'. See nodejs net or dns modules how to use the family type.
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 7b4170ad79..3ad63fa1c5 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@ function RedisClient(stream, options) {
     this.should_buffer = false;
     this.command_queue_high_water = this.options.command_queue_high_water || 1000;
     this.command_queue_low_water = this.options.command_queue_low_water || 0;
-    if (options.max_attempts && options.max_attempts > 0) {
+    this.max_attempts = null;
+    if (options.max_attempts || options.max_attempts === 0 || options.max_attempts === '0') {
         this.max_attempts = +options.max_attempts;
     }
     this.command_queue = new Queue(); // holds sent commands to de-pipeline them
@@ -419,6 +420,16 @@ RedisClient.prototype.connection_gone = function (why) {
         return;
     }
 
+    if (this.max_attempts !== null && this.attempts > this.max_attempts) {
+        this.emit('error', new Error("Redis connection in broken state: maximum connection attempts exceeded."));
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if (this.retry_totaltime > this.connect_timeout) {
+        this.emit('error', new Error("Redis connection in broken state: connection timeout exceeded."));
+        return;
+    }
+
     debug("Redis connection is gone from " + why + " event.");
     this.connected = false;
     this.ready = false;
@@ -436,7 +447,7 @@ RedisClient.prototype.connection_gone = function (why) {
     }
 
     // since we are collapsing end and close, users don't expect to be called twice
-    if (! this.emitted_end) {
+    if (!this.emitted_end) {
         this.emit("end");
         this.emitted_end = true;
     }
@@ -459,30 +470,20 @@ RedisClient.prototype.connection_gone = function (why) {
 
     debug("Retry connection in " + this.retry_delay + " ms");
 
-    if (this.max_attempts && this.attempts >= this.max_attempts) {
-        this.retry_timer = null;
-        this.emit('error', new Error("Redis connection in broken state: maximum connection attempts exceeded."));
-        return;
-    }
-
-    this.attempts += 1;
-    this.emit("reconnecting", {
-        delay: self.retry_delay,
-        attempt: self.attempts
-    });
     this.retry_timer = setTimeout(function () {
         debug("Retrying connection...");
 
-        self.retry_totaltime += self.retry_delay;
+        self.emit("reconnecting", {
+            delay: self.retry_delay,
+            attempt: self.attempts
+        });
 
-        if (self.connect_timeout && self.retry_totaltime >= self.connect_timeout) {
-            self.retry_timer = null;
-            this.emit('error', new Error("Redis connection in broken state: connection timeout exceeded."));
-            return;
-        }
+        self.retry_totaltime += self.retry_delay;
+        self.attempts += 1;
 
         self.stream = net.createConnection(self.connectionOption);
         self.install_stream_listeners();
+
         self.retry_timer = null;
     }, this.retry_delay);
 };
diff --git a/test/node_redis.spec.js b/test/node_redis.spec.js
index bad7439687..38a65f8ecd 100644
--- a/test/node_redis.spec.js
+++ b/test/node_redis.spec.js
@@ -687,7 +687,7 @@ describe("The node_redis client", function () {
                 describe('true', function () {
                     it("does not return an error and enqueues operation", function (done) {
                         var client = redis.createClient(9999, null, {
-                            max_attempts: 1,
+                            max_attempts: 0,
                             parser: parser
                         });
 
@@ -715,7 +715,7 @@ describe("The node_redis client", function () {
                     it("does not emit an error and enqueues operation", function (done) {
                         var client = redis.createClient(9999, null, {
                             parser: parser,
-                            max_attempts: 1,
+                            max_attempts: 0,
                             enable_offline_queue: false
                         });