diff --git a/cinder/tests/test_vmware_api.py b/cinder/tests/test_vmware_api.py
index 09aa5361570..ccea4ae71ce 100644
--- a/cinder/tests/test_vmware_api.py
+++ b/cinder/tests/test_vmware_api.py
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ class VMwareAPISessionTest(test.TestCase):
     def test_invoke_api_with_expected_exception(self):
         api_session = self._create_api_session(True)
         ret = mock.Mock()
-        responses = [error_util.VimException(None), ret]
+        responses = [error_util.VimConnectionException(None), ret]
 
         def api(*args, **kwargs):
             response = responses.pop(0)
@@ -231,3 +231,29 @@ class VMwareAPISessionTest(test.TestCase):
             sessionID=api_session._session_id,
             userName=api_session._session_username)
         api_session.create_session.assert_called_once_with()
+
+    def test_invoke_api_with_session_is_active_error(self):
+        api_session = self._create_api_session(True)
+        api_session.create_session = mock.Mock()
+        vim_obj = api_session.vim
+        vim_obj.SessionIsActive.side_effect = error_util.VimFaultException(
+            None, None)
+        result = mock.Mock()
+        responses = [error_util.VimFaultException(
+            [error_util.NOT_AUTHENTICATED], "error"), result]
+
+        def api(*args, **kwargs):
+            response = responses.pop(0)
+            if isinstance(response, Exception):
+                raise response
+            return response
+
+        module = mock.Mock()
+        module.api = api
+        ret = api_session.invoke_api(module, 'api')
+        self.assertEqual(result, ret)
+        vim_obj.SessionIsActive.assert_called_once_with(
+            vim_obj.service_content.sessionManager,
+            sessionID=api_session._session_id,
+            userName=api_session._session_username)
+        api_session.create_session.assert_called_once_with()
diff --git a/cinder/volume/drivers/vmware/api.py b/cinder/volume/drivers/vmware/api.py
index 68e6844fc97..df3348db44a 100644
--- a/cinder/volume/drivers/vmware/api.py
+++ b/cinder/volume/drivers/vmware/api.py
@@ -94,7 +94,6 @@ class Retry(object):
 class VMwareAPISession(object):
     """Sets up a session with the server and handles all calls made to it."""
 
-    @Retry(exceptions=(Exception))
     def __init__(self, server_ip, server_username, server_password,
                  api_retry_count, task_poll_interval, scheme='https',
                  create_session=True, wsdl_loc=None, pbm_wsdl=None):
@@ -145,6 +144,7 @@ class VMwareAPISession(object):
                                       host=self._server_ip)
         return self._pbm
 
+    @Retry(exceptions=(error_util.VimConnectionException,))
     def create_session(self):
         """Establish session with the server."""
         # Login and setup the session with the server for making
@@ -213,7 +213,8 @@ class VMwareAPISession(object):
         """
 
         @Retry(max_retry_count=self._api_retry_count,
-               exceptions=(error_util.VimException))
+               exceptions=(error_util.SessionOverLoadException,
+                           error_util.VimConnectionException))
         def _invoke_api(module, method, *args, **kwargs):
             while True:
                 try:
diff --git a/cinder/volume/drivers/vmware/error_util.py b/cinder/volume/drivers/vmware/error_util.py
index fdfc36210d3..fc69d432668 100644
--- a/cinder/volume/drivers/vmware/error_util.py
+++ b/cinder/volume/drivers/vmware/error_util.py
@@ -39,11 +39,16 @@ class VimAttributeException(VimException):
     pass
 
 
-class VimFaultException(exception.VolumeBackendAPIException):
-    """The VIM Fault exception class."""
+class VimConnectionException(VimException):
+    """Thrown when there is a connection problem."""
+    pass
+
+
+class VimFaultException(VimException):
+    """Exception thrown when there are faults during VIM API calls."""
 
     def __init__(self, fault_list, msg):
-        exception.VolumeBackendAPIException.__init__(self, msg)
+        super(VimFaultException, self).__init__(msg)
         self.fault_list = fault_list
 
 
diff --git a/cinder/volume/drivers/vmware/vim.py b/cinder/volume/drivers/vmware/vim.py
index d7f85ada81d..2135a567255 100644
--- a/cinder/volume/drivers/vmware/vim.py
+++ b/cinder/volume/drivers/vmware/vim.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ Classes for making VMware VI SOAP calls.
 """
 
 import httplib
+import urllib2
 
 import suds
 
@@ -193,6 +194,12 @@ class Vim(object):
                                                           {'attr': attr_name,
                                                            'excep': excep})
 
+            except (urllib2.URLError, urllib2.HTTPError) as excep:
+                raise error_util.VimConnectionException(
+                    _("urllib2 error in %(attr)s: %(excep)s.") %
+                    {'attr': attr_name,
+                     'excep': excep})
+
             except Exception as excep:
                 # Socket errors which need special handling for they
                 # might be caused by server API call overload