diff --git a/elasticsearch/connection.py b/elasticsearch/connection.py
index b23ebd93..1d1fed44 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/connection.py
+++ b/elasticsearch/connection.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import time
 import requests
 import json
 
-from .exceptions import TransportError, HTTP_EXCEPTIONS
+from .exceptions import TransportError, HTTP_EXCEPTIONS, ConnectionError
 
 logger = logging.getLogger('elasticsearch')
 tracer = logging.getLogger('elasticsearch.trace')
@@ -61,9 +61,9 @@ class RequestsHttpConnection(Connection):
             response = self.session.send(request)
             duration = time.time() - start
             raw_data = response.text
-        except requests.ConnectionError as e:
+        except (requests.ConnectionError, requests.Timeout) as e:
             self.log_request_fail(method, request.url, time.time() - start, exception=e)
-            raise TransportError(e)
+            raise ConnectionError(e)
 
         # raise errors based on http status codes, let the client handle those if needed
         if not (200 <= response.status_code < 300):
diff --git a/elasticsearch/exceptions.py b/elasticsearch/exceptions.py
index 31088cb6..b841d8c2 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/exceptions.py
+++ b/elasticsearch/exceptions.py
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ class TransportError(ElastiSearchException):
     pass
 
 
+class ConnectionError(TransportError):
+    pass
+
+
 class NotFoundError(TransportError):
     " 404 "
 
diff --git a/elasticsearch/transport.py b/elasticsearch/transport.py
index 6b7dcca0..7e032ab3 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/transport.py
+++ b/elasticsearch/transport.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import re
 from .connection import RequestsHttpConnection
 from .connection_pool import ConnectionPool
 from .serializer import JSONSerializer
-from .exceptions import TransportError
+from .exceptions import ConnectionError
 
 # get ip/port from "inet[wind/127.0.0.1:9200]"
 ADDRESS_RE = re.compile(r'/(?P<host>[^:]*):(?P<port>[0-9]+)\]')
@@ -196,8 +196,7 @@ class Transport(object):
 
             try:
                 status, raw_data = connection.perform_request(method, url, params, body)
-            except TransportError:
-                # TODO: don't retry on client errors etc
+            except ConnectionError:
                 self.mark_dead(connection, dead_count + 1, sniffing)
 
                 # raise exception on last retry
diff --git a/test_elasticsearch/test_transport.py b/test_elasticsearch/test_transport.py
index 41ee9ad2..bd84990d 100644
--- a/test_elasticsearch/test_transport.py
+++ b/test_elasticsearch/test_transport.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ from unittest import TestCase
 
 from elasticsearch.transport import Transport
 from elasticsearch.connection import Connection
-from elasticsearch.exceptions import TransportError
+from elasticsearch.exceptions import TransportError, ConnectionError
 
 class DummyConnection(Connection):
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
@@ -58,15 +58,15 @@ class TestTransport(TestCase):
         self.assertEquals('http://google.com:9200', t.connection_pool.connections[1].host)
 
     def test_request_will_fail_after_X_retries(self):
-        t = Transport([{'exception': TransportError('abandon ship')}], connection_class=DummyConnection)
+        t = Transport([{'exception': ConnectionError('abandon ship')}], connection_class=DummyConnection)
 
-        self.assertRaises(TransportError, t.perform_request, 'GET', '/')
+        self.assertRaises(ConnectionError, t.perform_request, 'GET', '/')
         self.assertEquals(3, len(t.get_connection()[0].calls))
 
     def test_failed_connection_will_be_marked_as_dead(self):
-        t = Transport([{'exception': TransportError('abandon ship')}], connection_class=DummyConnection)
+        t = Transport([{'exception': ConnectionError('abandon ship')}], connection_class=DummyConnection)
 
-        self.assertRaises(TransportError, t.perform_request, 'GET', '/')
+        self.assertRaises(ConnectionError, t.perform_request, 'GET', '/')
         self.assertEquals(0, len(t.connection_pool.connections))
 
     def test_resurrected_connection_will_be_marked_as_live_on_success(self):
@@ -84,10 +84,10 @@ class TestTransport(TestCase):
         self.assertEquals('http://1.1.1.1:123', t.get_connection()[0].host)
 
     def test_sniff_on_fail_triggers_sniffing_on_fail(self):
-        t = Transport([{'exception': TransportError('abandon ship')}, {"data": CLUSTER_NODES}],
+        t = Transport([{'exception': ConnectionError('abandon ship')}, {"data": CLUSTER_NODES}],
             connection_class=DummyConnection, sniff_on_connection_fail=True, max_retries=1, randomize_hosts=False)
 
-        self.assertRaises(TransportError, t.perform_request, 'GET', '/')
+        self.assertRaises(ConnectionError, t.perform_request, 'GET', '/')
         self.assertEquals(1, len(t.connection_pool.connections))
         self.assertEquals('http://1.1.1.1:123', t.get_connection()[0].host)
 
@@ -105,11 +105,11 @@ class TestTransport(TestCase):
         self.assertEquals('http://1.1.1.1:123', t.get_connection()[0].host)
 
     def test_sniff_on_failure_shortens_sniff_after_n_requests(self):
-        t = Transport([{'exception': TransportError('abandon ship')}, {"data": CLUSTER_NODES}],
+        t = Transport([{'exception': ConnectionError('abandon ship')}, {"data": CLUSTER_NODES}],
             connection_class=DummyConnection, sniff_on_connection_fail=True, max_retries=1,
             randomize_hosts=False, sniff_after_requests=4)
 
-        self.assertRaises(TransportError, t.perform_request, 'GET', '/')
+        self.assertRaises(ConnectionError, t.perform_request, 'GET', '/')
         self.assertEquals(1, len(t.connection_pool.connections))
         self.assertEquals('http://1.1.1.1:123', t.get_connection()[0].host)
         self.assertEquals(3, t.sniff_after_requests)