diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 54033ea58e..5c7799a8f8 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@ function RedisClient(stream, options) {
         this.connect_timeout = +options.connect_timeout;
     }
     this.initialize_retry_vars();
-    this.subscriptions = false;
+    this.pub_sub_mode = false;
+    this.subscription_set = {};
     this.monitoring = false;
     this.closing = false;
     this.server_info = {};
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@ exports.RedisClient = RedisClient;
 RedisClient.prototype.initialize_retry_vars = function () {
     this.retry_timer = null;
     this.retry_totaltime = 0;
-    this.retry_delay = 250;
+    this.retry_delay = 150;
     this.retry_backoff = 1.7;
     this.attempts = 1;
 };
@@ -173,16 +174,10 @@ RedisClient.prototype.do_auth = function () {
             self.auth_callback = null;
         }
 
-        // restore the selected db if needed
-        if (self.selected_db !== null) {
-            self.send_command('select', [self.selected_db]);
-        }
-
         // now we are really connected
         self.emit("connect");
         if (self.options.no_ready_check) {
-            self.ready = true;
-            self.send_offline_queue();
+            self.on_ready();
         } else {
             self.ready_check();
         }
@@ -213,16 +208,10 @@ RedisClient.prototype.on_connect = function () {
     if (this.auth_pass) {
         this.do_auth();
     } else {
-        // restore the selected db if needed
-        if (this.selected_db !== null) {
-            this.send_command('select', [this.selected_db]);
-        }
-
         this.emit("connect");
 
         if (this.options.no_ready_check) {
-            this.ready = true;
-            this.send_offline_queue();
+            this.on_ready();
         } else {
             this.ready_check();
         }
@@ -272,6 +261,31 @@ RedisClient.prototype.init_parser = function () {
     });
 };
 
+RedisClient.prototype.on_ready = function () {
+    var self = this;
+
+    this.ready = true;
+
+    // magically restore any modal commands from a previous connection
+    if (this.selected_db !== null) {
+        this.send_command('select', [this.selected_db]);
+    }
+    if (this.pub_sub_mode === true) {
+        Object.keys(this.subscription_set).forEach(function (key) {
+            var parts = key.split(" ");
+            if (exports.debug_mode) {
+                console.warn("sending pub/sub on_ready " + parts[0] + ", " + parts[1]);
+            }
+            self.send_command(parts[0], [parts[1]]);
+        });
+    } else if (this.monitoring) {
+        this.send_command("monitor");
+    } else {
+        this.send_offline_queue();
+    }
+    this.emit("ready");
+};
+
 RedisClient.prototype.on_info_cmd = function (err, res) {
     var self = this, obj = {}, lines, retry_time;
 
@@ -300,10 +314,7 @@ RedisClient.prototype.on_info_cmd = function (err, res) {
         if (exports.debug_mode) {
             console.log("Redis server ready.");
         }
-        this.ready = true;
-
-        this.send_offline_queue();
-        this.emit("ready");
+        this.on_ready();
     } else {
         retry_time = obj.loading_eta_seconds * 1000;
         if (retry_time > 1000) {
@@ -334,6 +345,7 @@ RedisClient.prototype.ready_check = function () {
 
 RedisClient.prototype.send_offline_queue = function () {
     var command_obj, buffered_writes = 0;
+
     while (this.offline_queue.length > 0) {
         command_obj = this.offline_queue.shift();
         if (exports.debug_mode) {
@@ -363,8 +375,6 @@ RedisClient.prototype.connection_gone = function (why) {
     }
     this.connected = false;
     this.ready = false;
-    this.subscriptions = false;
-    this.monitoring = false;
 
     // since we are collapsing end and close, users don't expect to be called twice
     if (! this.emitted_end) {
@@ -440,7 +450,7 @@ RedisClient.prototype.on_data = function (data) {
 RedisClient.prototype.return_error = function (err) {
     var command_obj = this.command_queue.shift(), queue_len = this.command_queue.getLength();
 
-    if (this.subscriptions === false && queue_len === 0) {
+    if (this.pub_sub_mode === false && queue_len === 0) {
         this.emit("idle");
         this.command_queue = new Queue();
     }
@@ -518,7 +528,7 @@ RedisClient.prototype.return_reply = function (reply) {
     
     queue_len = this.command_queue.getLength();
 
-    if (this.subscriptions === false && queue_len === 0) {
+    if (this.pub_sub_mode === false && queue_len === 0) {
         this.emit("idle");
         this.command_queue = new Queue();  // explicitly reclaim storage from old Queue
     }
@@ -546,7 +556,7 @@ RedisClient.prototype.return_reply = function (reply) {
         } else if (exports.debug_mode) {
             console.log("no callback for reply: " + (reply && reply.toString && reply.toString()));
         }
-    } else if (this.subscriptions || (command_obj && command_obj.sub_command)) {
+    } else if (this.pub_sub_mode || (command_obj && command_obj.sub_command)) {
         if (Array.isArray(reply)) {
             type = reply[0].toString();
 
@@ -556,13 +566,13 @@ RedisClient.prototype.return_reply = function (reply) {
                 this.emit("pmessage", reply[1].toString(), reply[2].toString(), reply[3]); // pattern, channel, message
             } else if (type === "subscribe" || type === "unsubscribe" || type === "psubscribe" || type === "punsubscribe") {
                 if (reply[2] === 0) {
-                    this.subscriptions = false;
+                    this.pub_sub_mode = false;
                     if (this.debug_mode) {
                         console.log("All subscriptions removed, exiting pub/sub mode");
                     }
                 }
                 // subscribe commands take an optional callback and also emit an event, but only the first response is included in the callback
-                // TODO - document this
+                // TODO - document this or fix it so it works in a more obvious way
                 if (command_obj && typeof command_obj.callback === "function") {
                     try_callback(command_obj.callback, reply[1].toString());
                 }
@@ -659,16 +669,12 @@ RedisClient.prototype.send_command = function (command, args, callback) {
     }
 
     if (command === "subscribe" || command === "psubscribe" || command === "unsubscribe" || command === "punsubscribe") {
-        if (this.subscriptions === false && exports.debug_mode) {
-            console.log("Entering pub/sub mode from " + command);
-        }
-        command_obj.sub_command = true;
-        this.subscriptions = true;
+        this.pub_sub_command(command_obj);
     } else if (command === "monitor") {
         this.monitoring = true;
     } else if (command === "quit") {
         this.closing = true;
-    } else if (this.subscriptions === true) {
+    } else if (this.pub_sub_mode === true) {
         throw new Error("Connection in pub/sub mode, only pub/sub commands may be used");
     }
     this.command_queue.push(command_obj);
@@ -736,6 +742,38 @@ RedisClient.prototype.send_command = function (command, args, callback) {
     return !this.should_buffer;
 };
 
+RedisClient.prototype.pub_sub_command = function (command_obj) {
+    var i, key, command, args;
+    
+    if (this.pub_sub_mode === false && exports.debug_mode) {
+        console.log("Entering pub/sub mode from " + command_obj.command);
+    }
+    this.pub_sub_mode = true;
+    command_obj.sub_command = true;
+
+    command = command_obj.command;
+    args = command_obj.args;
+    if (command === "subscribe" || command === "psubscribe") {
+        if (command === "subscribe") {
+            key = "sub";
+        } else {
+            key = "psub";
+        }
+        for (i = 0; i < args.length; i++) {
+            this.subscription_set[key + " " + args[i]] = true;
+        }
+    } else {
+        if (command === "unsubscribe") {
+            key = "sub";
+        } else {
+            key = "psub";
+        }
+        for (i = 0; i < args.length; i++) {
+            delete this.subscription_set[key + " " + args[i]];
+        }
+    }
+};
+
 RedisClient.prototype.end = function () {
     this.stream._events = {};
     this.connected = false;
diff --git a/test.js b/test.js
index a146a32f3d..cc7ba88878 100644
--- a/test.js
+++ b/test.js
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@ var redis = require("./index"),
     client = redis.createClient(),
     client2 = redis.createClient(),
     client3 = redis.createClient(),
-    client4 = redis.createClient(9006, "filefish.redistogo.com"),
-    client5 = redis.createClient(),
     assert = require("assert"),
     util = require("./lib/util"),
     test_db_num = 15, // this DB will be flushed and used for testing
@@ -1238,9 +1236,10 @@ tests.SORT = function () {
 };
 
 tests.MONITOR = function () {
-    var name = "MONITOR", responses = [];
+    var name = "MONITOR", responses = [], monitor_client;
 
-    client5.monitor(function (err, res) {
+    monitor_client = redis.createClient();
+    monitor_client.monitor(function (err, res) {
         client.mget("some", "keys", "foo", "bar");
         client.set("json", JSON.stringify({
             foo: "123",
@@ -1248,7 +1247,7 @@ tests.MONITOR = function () {
             another: false
         }));
     });
-    client5.on("monitor", function (time, args) {
+    monitor_client.on("monitor", function (time, args) {
         responses.push(args);
         if (responses.length === 3) {
             assert.strictEqual(1, responses[0].length);
@@ -1263,7 +1262,9 @@ tests.MONITOR = function () {
             assert.strictEqual("set", responses[2][0]);
             assert.strictEqual("json", responses[2][1]);
             assert.strictEqual('{"foo":"123","bar":"sdflkdfsjk","another":false}', responses[2][2]);
-            next(name);
+            monitor_client.quit(function (err, res) {
+                next(name);
+            });
         }
     });
 };
@@ -1332,6 +1333,30 @@ tests.OPTIONAL_CALLBACK_UNDEFINED = function () {
     client.get("op_cb2", last(name, require_string("y", name)));
 };
 
+// TODO - need a better way to test auth, maybe auto-config a local Redis server or something.
+// Yes, this is the real password.  Please be nice, thanks.
+tests.auth = function () {
+    var name = "AUTH", client4, ready_count = 0;
+
+    client4 = redis.createClient(9006, "filefish.redistogo.com");
+    client4.auth("664b1b6aaf134e1ec281945a8de702a9", function (err, res) {
+        assert.strictEqual(null, err, name);
+        assert.strictEqual("OK", res.toString(), name);
+    });
+
+    // test auth, then kill the connection so it'll auto-reconnect and auto-re-auth
+    client4.on("ready", function () {
+        ready_count++;
+        if (ready_count === 1) {
+            client4.stream.destroy();
+        } else {
+            client4.quit(function (err, res) {
+                next(name);
+            });
+        }
+    });
+};
+
 all_tests = Object.keys(tests);
 all_start = new Date();
 test_count = 0;
@@ -1347,8 +1372,6 @@ run_next_test = function run_next_test() {
         console.log('\n  completed \x1b[32m%d\x1b[0m tests in \x1b[33m%d\x1b[0m ms\n', test_count, new Date() - all_start);
         client.quit();
         client2.quit();
-        client4.quit();
-        client5.quit();
     }
 };
 
@@ -1365,17 +1388,6 @@ client.on('end', function () {
     ended = true;
 });
 
-// TODO - need a better way to test auth, maybe auto-config a local Redis server?  Sounds hard.
-// Yes, this is the real password.  Please be nice, thanks.
-client4.auth("664b1b6aaf134e1ec281945a8de702a9", function (err, res) {
-    var name = "AUTH_4";
-
-    if (err) {
-        assert.fail(err, name);
-    }
-    assert.strictEqual("OK", res.toString(), "auth");
-});
-
 // Exit immediately on connection failure, which triggers "exit", below, which fails the test
 client.on("error", function (err) {
     console.error("client: " + err.stack);
@@ -1389,11 +1401,6 @@ client3.on("error", function (err) {
     console.error("client3: " + err.stack);
     process.exit();
 });
-client5.on("error", function (err) {
-    console.error("client5: " + err.stack);
-    process.exit();
-});
-
 client.on("reconnecting", function (params) {
     console.log("reconnecting: " + util.inspect(params));
 });