diff --git a/lib/postgresMgr.js b/lib/postgresMgr.js
index 09748df..5f19206 100644
--- a/lib/postgresMgr.js
+++ b/lib/postgresMgr.js
@@ -1629,19 +1629,26 @@ PostgresMgr.prototype._pgQueryKick = function () {
 
     if (!self._pgClient) {
         self._pgClient = new Client(self._url.href);
+        var selfClient = self._pgClient;
         self._pgClient.once('error', function (err) {
             log.error({err: err}, 'got pg client error');
-            self._pgClient.removeAllListeners();
-            if (self._pgRequestOutstanding !== null) {
-                self._pgQueryFini(err);
-            } else {
-                /* See _pgQueryFini(). */
-                self._pgClient = null;
+            if (self._pgClient !== selfClient) {
+                // Actually we've already been booted, or possibly even
+                // replaced (null check alone does not seem sufficient).
+                return;
             }
+            self._pgClient = null;
         });
         self._pgClient.connect();
     }
 
+    var pgClientErrorHandlerClient = self._pgClient; // ugh
+    var pgClientErrorHandler = function (err) {
+        log.error({err: err}, 'got pg client error (for request)');
+        self._pgQueryFini(rq, err);
+    };
+    self._pgClient.once('error', pgClientErrorHandler);
+
     query = self._pgClient.query(queryStr);
     result = null;
     log.trace('querying', query);
@@ -1652,32 +1659,29 @@ PostgresMgr.prototype._pgQueryKick = function () {
     });
 
     query.once('error', function (err) {
-        /*
-         * It's conceivable in this case that we got a client error and already
-         * finished handling this request above.  In that case, we ignore this
-         * second error.
-         */
-        if (rq == self._pgRequestOutstanding) {
-            self._pgQueryFini(err);
-        } else {
-            log.debug({ 'err': err },
-                'got query error for non-outstanding request');
-        }
+        pgClientErrorHandlerClient.removeListener('error', pgClientErrorHandler);
+        self._pgQueryFini(rq, err);
     });
 
     query.once('end', function () {
-        assert.ok(rq == self._pgRequestOutstanding);
-        self._pgQueryFini(null, result);
+        pgClientErrorHandlerClient.removeListener('error', pgClientErrorHandler);
+        self._pgQueryFini(rq, null, result);
     });
 };
 
-PostgresMgr.prototype._pgQueryFini = function (err, result) {
+PostgresMgr.prototype._pgQueryFini = function (rq, err, result) {
     var self = this;
     var log = self._log;
-    var rq;
 
-    assert.ok(self._pgRequestOutstanding !== null);
-    rq = self._pgRequestOutstanding;
+    if (self._pgRequestOutstanding !== rq) {
+        // this request already finished in some way
+        if (err) {
+            log.warn({ 'err': err }, 'got [spurious] err');
+        } else {
+            log.trace('query [spuriously] ended!');
+        }
+        return;
+    }
     self._pgRequestOutstanding = null;
 
     if (err) {