diff --git a/mistral/engine/rpc_backend/kombu/kombu_server.py b/mistral/engine/rpc_backend/kombu/kombu_server.py
index 99339eca4..6a5386887 100644
--- a/mistral/engine/rpc_backend/kombu/kombu_server.py
+++ b/mistral/engine/rpc_backend/kombu/kombu_server.py
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ class KombuRPCServer(rpc_base.RPCServer, kombu_base.Base):
 
         while True:
             try:
+                _retry_connection = False
                 host = self._hosts.get_host()
 
                 self.conn = self._make_connection(
@@ -139,19 +140,22 @@ class KombuRPCServer(rpc_base.RPCServer, kombu_base.Base):
                             return
             except (socket.error, amqp.exceptions.ConnectionForced) as e:
                 LOG.debug("Broker connection failed: %s" % e)
+                _retry_connection = True
             finally:
                 self._stopped.set()
 
-                LOG.debug("Sleeping for %s seconds, than retrying connection" %
-                          self._sleep_time
-                          )
+                if _retry_connection:
+                    LOG.debug(
+                        "Sleeping for %s seconds, than retrying connection" %
+                        self._sleep_time
+                    )
 
-                time.sleep(self._sleep_time)
+                    time.sleep(self._sleep_time)
 
-                self._sleep_time = min(
-                    self._sleep_time * 2,
-                    self._max_sleep_time
-                )
+                    self._sleep_time = min(
+                        self._sleep_time * 2,
+                        self._max_sleep_time
+                    )
 
     def stop(self, graceful=False):
         self._running.clear()
diff --git a/mistral/tests/unit/engine/rpc_backend/__init__.py b/mistral/tests/unit/engine/rpc_backend/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/mistral/tests/unit/engine/rpc_backend/kombu/test_kombu_client.py b/mistral/tests/unit/engine/rpc_backend/kombu/test_kombu_client.py
index 40777169e..f3e70627f 100644
--- a/mistral/tests/unit/engine/rpc_backend/kombu/test_kombu_client.py
+++ b/mistral/tests/unit/engine/rpc_backend/kombu/test_kombu_client.py
@@ -45,7 +45,9 @@ class KombuClientTestCase(base.KombuTestCase):
         self.client._listener.get_result = mock.MagicMock(
             return_value={
                 kombu_base.TYPE: None,
-                kombu_base.RESULT: self._RESPONSE
+                kombu_base.RESULT: self.client._serialize_message({
+                    'body': self._RESPONSE
+                })
             }
         )
         response = self.client.sync_call(self.ctx, 'method')
diff --git a/mistral/tests/unit/engine/rpc_backend/kombu/test_kombu_listener.py b/mistral/tests/unit/engine/rpc_backend/kombu/test_kombu_listener.py
index 8ee1a0e71..96abe426c 100644
--- a/mistral/tests/unit/engine/rpc_backend/kombu/test_kombu_listener.py
+++ b/mistral/tests/unit/engine/rpc_backend/kombu/test_kombu_listener.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class KombuListenerTestCase(base.KombuTestCase):
         super(KombuListenerTestCase, self).setUp()
 
         self.listener = kombu_listener.KombuRPCListener(
-            mock.MagicMock(),
+            [mock.MagicMock()],
             mock.MagicMock()
         )
         self.ctx = type('context', (object,), {'to_dict': lambda self: {}})()
diff --git a/mistral/tests/unit/engine/rpc_backend/kombu/test_kombu_server.py b/mistral/tests/unit/engine/rpc_backend/kombu/test_kombu_server.py
index 19391b428..35f31e4f7 100644
--- a/mistral/tests/unit/engine/rpc_backend/kombu/test_kombu_server.py
+++ b/mistral/tests/unit/engine/rpc_backend/kombu/test_kombu_server.py
@@ -64,12 +64,12 @@ class KombuServerTestCase(base.KombuTestCase):
 
         self.server.publish_message(body, reply_to, corr_id, type)
         enter_mock.publish.assert_called_once_with(
-            body=body,
-            exchange=self.conf['exchange'],
+            body={'body': '"body"'},
+            exchange='openstack',
             routing_key=reply_to,
             correlation_id=corr_id,
             type=type,
-            serializer='mistral_serialization'
+            serializer='json'
         )
 
     def test_run_launch_successfully(self):
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ class KombuServerTestCase(base.KombuTestCase):
 
         def side_effect(*args, **kwargs):
             self.assertTrue(self.server.is_running)
-            self.server.stop()
+            raise KeyboardInterrupt
 
         acquire_mock = mock.MagicMock()
         acquire_mock.drain_events.side_effect = side_effect
@@ -92,13 +92,21 @@ class KombuServerTestCase(base.KombuTestCase):
 
         self.server.run()
         self.assertFalse(self.server.is_running)
+        self.assertEqual(self.server._sleep_time, 1)
+
+    def test_run_socket_error_reconnect(self):
+
+        def side_effect(*args, **kwargs):
+            if acquire_mock.drain_events.call_count == 1:
+                raise socket.error()
+            raise TestException()
 
-    def test_run_raise_mistral_exception(self):
         acquire_mock = mock.MagicMock()
-        acquire_mock.drain_events.side_effect = socket.error()
+        acquire_mock.drain_events.side_effect = side_effect
         fake_kombu.connection.acquire.return_value = acquire_mock
 
-        self.assertRaises(exc.MistralException, self.server.run)
+        self.assertRaises(TestException, self.server.run)
+        self.assertEqual(self.server._sleep_time, 2)
 
     def test_run_socket_timeout_still_running(self):
 
@@ -197,10 +205,10 @@ class KombuServerTestCase(base.KombuTestCase):
             'async': True,
             'rpc_ctx': {},
             'rpc_method': 'found_method',
-            'arguments': {
+            'arguments': self.server._serialize_message({
                 'a': 1,
                 'b': 2
-            }
+            })
         }
 
         message = mock.MagicMock()
@@ -231,10 +239,10 @@ class KombuServerTestCase(base.KombuTestCase):
             'async': False,
             'rpc_ctx': {},
             'rpc_method': 'found_method',
-            'arguments': {
+            'arguments': self.server._serialize_message({
                 'a': 1,
                 'b': 2
-            }
+            })
         }
 
         reply_to = 'reply_to'