diff --git a/src/simple_http.rs b/src/simple_http.rs
index 2b708d93..19918365 100644
--- a/src/simple_http.rs
+++ b/src/simple_http.rs
@@ -133,6 +133,29 @@ impl SimpleHttpTransport {
         }
     }
 
+    #[cfg(feature = "proxy")]
+    fn fresh_socket(&self) -> Result<TcpStream, Error> {
+        let stream = if let Some((username, password)) = &self.proxy_auth {
+            Socks5Stream::connect_with_password(
+                self.proxy_addr,
+                self.addr,
+                username.as_str(),
+                password.as_str(),
+            )?
+        } else {
+            Socks5Stream::connect(self.proxy_addr, self.addr)?
+        };
+        Ok(stream.into_inner())
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "proxy"))]
+    fn fresh_socket(&self) -> Result<TcpStream, Error> {
+        let stream = TcpStream::connect_timeout(&self.addr, self.timeout)?;
+        stream.set_read_timeout(Some(self.timeout))?;
+        stream.set_write_timeout(Some(self.timeout))?;
+        Ok(stream)
+    }
+
     fn try_request<R>(
         &self,
         req: impl serde::Serialize,
@@ -143,30 +166,7 @@ impl SimpleHttpTransport {
         // No part of this codebase should panic, so unwrapping a mutex lock is fine
         let mut sock_lock: MutexGuard<Option<_>> = self.sock.lock().expect("poisoned mutex");
         if sock_lock.is_none() {
-            *sock_lock = Some(BufReader::new({
-                #[cfg(feature = "proxy")]
-                {
-                    if let Some((username, password)) = &self.proxy_auth {
-                        Socks5Stream::connect_with_password(
-                            self.proxy_addr,
-                            self.addr,
-                            username.as_str(),
-                            password.as_str(),
-                        )?
-                        .into_inner()
-                    } else {
-                        Socks5Stream::connect(self.proxy_addr, self.addr)?.into_inner()
-                    }
-                }
-
-                #[cfg(not(feature = "proxy"))]
-                {
-                    let stream = TcpStream::connect_timeout(&self.addr, self.timeout)?;
-                    stream.set_read_timeout(Some(self.timeout))?;
-                    stream.set_write_timeout(Some(self.timeout))?;
-                    stream
-                }
-            }));
+            *sock_lock = Some(BufReader::new(self.fresh_socket()?));
         };
         // In the immediately preceding block, we made sure that `sock` is non-`None`,
         // so unwrapping here is fine.
@@ -177,24 +177,35 @@ impl SimpleHttpTransport {
 
         // Send HTTP request
         {
-            let mut sock = BufWriter::new(sock.get_mut());
-            sock.write_all(b"POST ")?;
-            sock.write_all(self.path.as_bytes())?;
-            sock.write_all(b" HTTP/1.1\r\n")?;
+            let mut write_sock = BufWriter::new(sock.get_mut());
+            // When we write to a socket, it may have died but we do not detect it. In this case we
+            // want to detect this ASAP and reconnect. We do this by writing the literal text POST
+            // in two pieces and checking for error returns on either one, and retrying in this
+            // case.
+            //
+            // From http://www.softlab.ntua.gr/facilities/documentation/unix/unix-socket-faq/unix-socket-faq-2.html
+            // "If the peer calls close() or exits...I would expect EPIPE, not on the next call,
+            // but the one after."
+            if write_sock.write_all(b"PO").is_err() || write_sock.write_all(b"ST ").is_err() {
+                **write_sock.get_mut() = self.fresh_socket()?;
+                write_sock.write_all(b"POST ")?;
+            }
+            write_sock.write_all(self.path.as_bytes())?;
+            write_sock.write_all(b" HTTP/1.1\r\n")?;
             // Write headers
-            sock.write_all(b"Content-Type: application/json\r\n")?;
-            sock.write_all(b"Content-Length: ")?;
-            sock.write_all(body.len().to_string().as_bytes())?;
-            sock.write_all(b"\r\n")?;
+            write_sock.write_all(b"Content-Type: application/json\r\n")?;
+            write_sock.write_all(b"Content-Length: ")?;
+            write_sock.write_all(body.len().to_string().as_bytes())?;
+            write_sock.write_all(b"\r\n")?;
             if let Some(ref auth) = self.basic_auth {
-                sock.write_all(b"Authorization: ")?;
-                sock.write_all(auth.as_ref())?;
-                sock.write_all(b"\r\n")?;
+                write_sock.write_all(b"Authorization: ")?;
+                write_sock.write_all(auth.as_ref())?;
+                write_sock.write_all(b"\r\n")?;
             }
             // Write body
-            sock.write_all(b"\r\n")?;
-            sock.write_all(&body)?;
-            sock.flush()?;
+            write_sock.write_all(b"\r\n")?;
+            write_sock.write_all(&body)?;
+            write_sock.flush()?;
         }
 
         // Parse first HTTP response header line