diff --git a/src/ejabberd_sql.erl b/src/ejabberd_sql.erl
index 1c8858410..b06c943dd 100644
--- a/src/ejabberd_sql.erl
+++ b/src/ejabberd_sql.erl
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ start_link(Host, StartInterval) ->
 -spec sql_query(binary(), sql_query()) -> sql_query_result().
 
 sql_query(Host, Query) ->
-    check_error(sql_call(Host, {sql_query, Query}), Query).
+    sql_call(Host, {sql_query, Query}).
 
 %% SQL transaction based on a list of queries
 %% This function automatically
@@ -172,10 +172,16 @@ sql_call(Host, Msg) ->
     end.
 
 keep_alive(Host, PID) ->
-    sync_send_event(PID,
+    case sync_send_event(PID,
 		    {sql_cmd, {sql_query, ?KEEPALIVE_QUERY},
 		     p1_time_compat:monotonic_time(milli_seconds)},
-		    query_timeout(Host)).
+		    query_timeout(Host)) of
+	{selected,[<<"1">>],[[<<"1">>]]} ->
+	    ok;
+	_Err ->
+	    ?ERROR_MSG("keep alive query failed, closing connection: ~p", [_Err]),
+	    sync_send_event(PID, force_timeout, query_timeout(Host))
+    end.
 
 sync_send_event(Pid, Msg, Timeout) ->
     try p1_fsm:sync_send_event(Pid, Msg, Timeout)
@@ -389,6 +395,8 @@ session_established(Request, {Who, _Ref}, State) ->
 session_established({sql_cmd, Command, From, Timestamp},
 		    State) ->
     run_sql_cmd(Command, From, State, Timestamp);
+session_established(force_timeout, State) ->
+    {stop, timeout, State};
 session_established(Event, State) ->
     ?WARNING_MSG("unexpected event in 'session_established': ~p",
 		 [Event]),
@@ -592,11 +600,7 @@ sql_query_internal(#sql_query{} = Query) ->
                            [{Class, Reason, ST}]),
                 {error, <<"internal error">>}
         end,
-    case Res of
-        {error, <<"No SQL-driver information available.">>} ->
-            {updated, 0};
-        _Else -> Res
-    end;
+    check_error(Res, Query);
 sql_query_internal(F) when is_function(F) ->
     case catch execute_fun(F) of
         {'EXIT', Reason} -> {error, Reason};
@@ -626,11 +630,7 @@ sql_query_internal(Query) ->
 		  Host = State#state.host,
 		  sqlite_to_odbc(Host, sqlite3:sql_exec(sqlite_db(Host), Query))
 	  end,
-    case Res of
-      {error, <<"No SQL-driver information available.">>} ->
-	  {updated, 0};
-      _Else -> Res
-    end.
+    check_error(Res, Query).
 
 select_sql_query(Queries, State) ->
     select_sql_query(
@@ -749,14 +749,23 @@ sql_query_to_iolist(SQLQuery) ->
     generic_sql_query_format(SQLQuery).
 
 %% Generate the OTP callback return tuple depending on the driver result.
-abort_on_driver_error({error, <<"query timed out">>} =
-			  Reply,
+abort_on_driver_error({error,
+		       <<"query timed out">>} = Reply,
 		      From) ->
     p1_fsm:reply(From, Reply),
     {stop, timeout, get(?STATE_KEY)};
 abort_on_driver_error({error,
-		       <<"Failed sending data on socket", _/binary>>} =
-			  Reply,
+		       <<"Failed sending data on socket", _/binary>>} = Reply,
+		      From) ->
+    p1_fsm:reply(From, Reply),
+    {stop, closed, get(?STATE_KEY)};
+abort_on_driver_error({error,
+		       <<"SQL connection failed">>} = Reply,
+		      From) ->
+    p1_fsm:reply(From, Reply),
+    {stop, timeout, get(?STATE_KEY)};
+abort_on_driver_error({error,
+		       <<"Communication link failure">>} = Reply,
 		      From) ->
     p1_fsm:reply(From, Reply),
     {stop, closed, get(?STATE_KEY)};
@@ -772,6 +781,7 @@ odbc_connect(SQLServer, Timeout) ->
     ejabberd:start_app(odbc),
     odbc:connect(binary_to_list(SQLServer),
 		 [{scrollable_cursors, off},
+		  {extended_errors, on},
 		  {tuple_row, off},
 		  {timeout, Timeout},
 		  {binary_strings, on}]).
@@ -1098,20 +1108,45 @@ query_timeout(LServer) ->
     timer:seconds(
       ejabberd_config:get_option({sql_query_timeout, LServer}, 60)).
 
+%% ***IMPORTANT*** This error format requires extended_errors turned on.
+extended_error({"08S01", _, Reason}) ->
+    % TCP Provider: The specified network name is no longer available
+    ?DEBUG("ODBC Link Failure: ~s", [Reason]),
+    <<"Communication link failure">>;
+extended_error({"08001", _, Reason}) ->
+    % Login timeout expired
+    ?DEBUG("ODBC Connect Timeout: ~s", [Reason]),
+    <<"SQL connection failed">>;
+extended_error({"IMC01", _, Reason}) ->
+    % The connection is broken and recovery is not possible
+    ?DEBUG("ODBC Link Failure: ~s", [Reason]),
+    <<"Communication link failure">>;
+extended_error({"IMC06", _, Reason}) ->
+    % The connection is broken and recovery is not possible
+    ?DEBUG("ODBC Link Failure: ~s", [Reason]),
+    <<"Communication link failure">>;
+extended_error({Code, _, Reason}) ->
+    ?DEBUG("ODBC Error ~s: ~s", [Code, Reason]),
+    iolist_to_binary(Reason);
+extended_error(Error) ->
+    Error.
+
 check_error({error, Why} = Err, _Query) when Why == killed ->
     Err;
-check_error({error, Why} = Err, #sql_query{} = Query) ->
+check_error({error, Why}, #sql_query{} = Query) ->
+    Err = extended_error(Why),
     ?ERROR_MSG("SQL query '~s' at ~p failed: ~p",
-               [Query#sql_query.hash, Query#sql_query.loc, Why]),
-    Err;
-check_error({error, Why} = Err, Query) ->
+               [Query#sql_query.hash, Query#sql_query.loc, Err]),
+    {error, Err};
+check_error({error, Why}, Query) ->
+    Err = extended_error(Why),
     case catch iolist_to_binary(Query) of
         SQuery when is_binary(SQuery) ->
-            ?ERROR_MSG("SQL query '~s' failed: ~p", [SQuery, Why]);
+            ?ERROR_MSG("SQL query '~s' failed: ~p", [SQuery, Err]);
         _ ->
-            ?ERROR_MSG("SQL query ~p failed: ~p", [Query, Why])
+            ?ERROR_MSG("SQL query ~p failed: ~p", [Query, Err])
     end,
-    Err;
+    {error, Err};
 check_error(Result, _Query) ->
     Result.