diff --git a/lib/jam_websockets/client_context.rb b/lib/jam_websockets/client_context.rb
index 46cb87a92..316057c56 100644
--- a/lib/jam_websockets/client_context.rb
+++ b/lib/jam_websockets/client_context.rb
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
   module JamWebsockets
   class ClientContext
     
-    attr_accessor :user, :client, :msg_count, :session
+    attr_accessor :user, :client, :msg_count, :session, :sent_bad_state_previously
 
     def initialize(user, client)
       @user = user
       @client = client
       @msg_count = 0
       @session = nil
+      @sent_bad_state_previously = false
     end
 
     def to_s
diff --git a/lib/jam_websockets/router.rb b/lib/jam_websockets/router.rb
index 5f3e07913..209baff4b 100644
--- a/lib/jam_websockets/router.rb
+++ b/lib/jam_websockets/router.rb
@@ -27,8 +27,7 @@ module JamWebsockets
       @clients = {} # clients that have logged in
       @user_context_lookup = {} # lookup a set of client_contexts by user_id
       @client_lookup = {} # lookup a client by client_id
-      @connection = nil
-      @channel = nil
+      @amqp_connection_manager = nil
       @users_exchange = nil
       @message_factory = JamRuby::MessageFactory.new
       @semaphore = Mutex.new
@@ -46,11 +45,13 @@ module JamWebsockets
       @heartbeat_interval = connect_time_stale / 2
 
       begin
-        @connection = AMQP.connect(:host => options[:host], :port => options[:port])
-        @channel = AMQP::Channel.new(@connection)
-        #@channel.prefetch = 10
-        register_topics
+        @amqp_connection_manager = AmqpConnectionManager.new(true, 4, :host => options[:host], :port => options[:port])
+        @amqp_connection_manager.connect do |channel|
+          register_topics(channel)
+        end
+
       rescue => e
+        @log.error "unable to initialize #{e.to_s}"
         cleanup
         raise e
       end
@@ -110,14 +111,14 @@ module JamWebsockets
     end
 
     # register topic for user messages and session messages
-    def register_topics
+    def register_topics(channel)
 
       ######################## USER MESSAGING ###########################
 
       # create user exchange
-      @users_exchange = @channel.topic('users')
+      @users_exchange = channel.topic('users')
       # create user messaging topic
-      @user_topic = @channel.queue("", :auto_delete => true)
+      @user_topic = channel.queue("", :auto_delete => true)
       @user_topic.bind(@users_exchange, :routing_key => "user.#")
       @user_topic.purge
 
@@ -155,9 +156,9 @@ module JamWebsockets
 
       ############## CLIENT MESSAGING ###################
 
-      @clients_exchange = @channel.topic('clients')
+      @clients_exchange = channel.topic('clients')
 
-      @client_topic = @channel.queue("", :auto_delete => true)
+      @client_topic = channel.queue("", :auto_delete => true)
       @client_topic.bind(@clients_exchange, :routing_key => "client.#")
       @client_topic.purge
 
@@ -294,12 +295,8 @@ module JamWebsockets
     def cleanup()
       # shutdown topic listeners and mq connection
 
-      if !@channel.nil?
-        @channel.close
-      end
-
-      if !@connection.nil?
-        @connection.close
+      unless @amqp_connection_manager.nil?
+        @amqp_connection_manager.disconnect
       end
 
       # tear down each individual client
@@ -423,7 +420,7 @@ module JamWebsockets
 
       elsif client_msg.type == ClientMessage::Type::HEARTBEAT
 
-        handle_heartbeat(client_msg.heartbeat, client)
+        handle_heartbeat(client_msg.heartbeat, client_msg.message_id, client)
 
       else
         raise SessionError, "unknown message type '#{client_msg.type}' for #{client_msg.route_to}-directed message"
@@ -516,7 +513,7 @@ module JamWebsockets
       end
     end
 
-    def handle_heartbeat(heartbeat, client)
+    def handle_heartbeat(heartbeat, heartbeat_message_id, client)
       unless context = @clients[client]
         @log.warn "*** WARNING:   unable to find context due to heartbeat from client: #{client.client_id}; calling cleanup"
         cleanup_client(client)
@@ -530,6 +527,18 @@ module JamWebsockets
             connection_manager.reconnect(connection)
           end if connection.stale?
         end
+
+        # send errors to clients in response to heartbeats if
+        if !@amqp_connection_manager.connected?
+          error_msg = @message_factory.server_bad_state_error(heartbeat_message_id, "messaging system down")
+          context.sent_bad_state_previously = true
+          send_to_client(client, error_msg)
+          return
+        elsif context.sent_bad_state_previously
+          context.sent_bad_state_previously = false
+          recovery_msg = @message_factory.server_bad_state_recovered(heartbeat_message_id)
+          send_to_client(client, recovery_msg)
+        end
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/spec/jam_websockets/router_spec.rb b/spec/jam_websockets/router_spec.rb
index 5fc26c8d7..070fbbeaf 100644
--- a/spec/jam_websockets/router_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/jam_websockets/router_spec.rb
@@ -88,13 +88,12 @@ describe Router do
 
   em_before do
     @router = Router.new()
-    @router.start(30)
   end
 
   subject { @router }
 
   em_after do
-    @router.stop
+
   end