Index: Lib/asyncore.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/asyncore.py	(revision 74225)
+++ Lib/asyncore.py	(working copy)
@@ -89,7 +89,15 @@
 
 def _exception(obj):
     try:
-        obj.handle_expt_event()
+        try:
+            err = obj.socket.getsockopt(socket.SOL_SOCKET, socket.SO_ERROR)
+        except AttributeError:
+            # This handles the case where obj isn't a socket dispatcher.
+            pass
+        else:
+            if err != 0:
+                raise socket.error(err, _strerror(err))
+        obj.handle_close_event()
     except _reraised_exceptions:
         raise
     except:
@@ -415,6 +423,11 @@
             # sockets that are connected
             self.handle_accept()
         elif not self.connected:
+            # check for errors
+            err = self.socket.getsockopt(socket.SOL_SOCKET, socket.SO_ERROR)
+            if err != 0:
+                raise socket.error(err, _strerror(err))
+
             self.handle_connect_event()
             self.handle_read()
         else:
@@ -431,28 +444,17 @@
             return
 
         if not self.connected:
-            #check for errors
+            # check for errors
             err = self.socket.getsockopt(socket.SOL_SOCKET, socket.SO_ERROR)
             if err != 0:
                 raise socket.error(err, _strerror(err))
 
             self.handle_connect_event()
+
         self.handle_write()
 
     def handle_expt_event(self):
-        # handle_expt_event() is called if there might be an error on the
-        # socket, or if there is OOB data
-        # check for the error condition first
-        err = self.socket.getsockopt(socket.SOL_SOCKET, socket.SO_ERROR)
-        if err != 0:
-            # we can get here when select.select() says that there is an
-            # exceptional condition on the socket
-            # since there is an error, we'll go ahead and close the socket
-            # like we would in a subclassed handle_read() that received no
-            # data
-            self.handle_close()
-        else:
-            self.handle_expt()
+        self.handle_expt()
 
     def handle_error(self):
         nil, t, v, tbinfo = compact_traceback()
Index: Lib/test/test_asyncore.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/test/test_asyncore.py	(revision 74225)
+++ Lib/test/test_asyncore.py	(working copy)
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import asyncore
+import asynchat
 import unittest
 import select
 import os
 import socket
+import errno
 import threading
 import sys
 import time
@@ -39,7 +41,8 @@
 
     handle_write_event = handle_read_event
     handle_close = handle_read_event
-    handle_expt_event = handle_read_event
+    handle_close_event = handle_read_event
+    handle_error = handle_read_event
 
 class crashingdummy:
     def __init__(self):
@@ -50,7 +53,7 @@
 
     handle_write_event = handle_read_event
     handle_close = handle_read_event
-    handle_expt_event = handle_read_event
+    handle_close_event = handle_read_event
 
     def handle_error(self):
         self.error_handled = True
@@ -301,8 +304,62 @@
                     'warning: unhandled accept event']
         self.assertEquals(lines, expected)
 
+# this stuff tests disconnection/connection refused, as well as some
+# asyncore/asynchat integration
+class testing_channel(asynchat.async_chat):
+    def __init__(self, *a, **kw):
+        asynchat.async_chat.__init__(self, *a, **kw)
+        self.exceptions = []
+        self.close_count = 0
 
+    def collect_incoming_data(self, data):
+        pass
 
+    def found_terminator(self):
+        pass
+
+    def handle_connect(self):
+        self.push("connected")
+    
+    def handle_error(self):
+        self.exceptions.append(sys.exc_info()[1])
+        self.handle_close()
+
+    def handle_close_event(self):
+        self.handle_close()
+
+    def handle_close(self):
+        self.close_count += 1
+        self.close()
+
+
+class ConnectionRefusedTests(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        s = socket.socket()
+        self.channel = testing_channel(s)
+
+        # Assumes that noone is listeing here
+        self.channel.connect(('localhost', 65535))
+        
+        # give time for socket to connect
+        time.sleep(0.1)
+        
+        asyncore.loop(count=20)
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        asyncore.close_all()
+
+    def test_single_exception(self):
+        self.assertEqual(len(self.channel.exceptions), 1)
+
+    def test_connection_refused(self):
+        self.assertEqual(self.channel.exceptions[0].args[0], errno.ECONNREFUSED)
+    
+    def test_close_once(self):
+        self.assertEqual(self.channel.close_count, 1)
+
+
 class dispatcherwithsend_noread(asyncore.dispatcher_with_send):
     def readable(self):
         return False
@@ -393,8 +450,8 @@
 
 
 def test_main():
-    tests = [HelperFunctionTests, DispatcherTests, DispatcherWithSendTests,
-             DispatcherWithSendTests_UsePoll]
+    tests = [HelperFunctionTests, DispatcherTests, ConnectionRefusedTests,
+            DispatcherWithSendTests, DispatcherWithSendTests_UsePoll]
     if hasattr(asyncore, 'file_wrapper'):
         tests.append(FileWrapperTest)