diff --git a/src/connection.cc b/src/connection.cc
index 0285b3a..6145daa 100644
--- a/src/connection.cc
+++ b/src/connection.cc
@@ -824,6 +824,16 @@ void Connection::on_io_readable(uv_poll_t* handle, int status, int revents) {
   LOG("Connection::on_io_readable");
   TRACEF("Connection::on_io_readable:status %d\n", status);
   TRACEF("Connection::on_io_readable:revents %d\n", revents);
+  if(status < 0) {
+    // libuv signals a poll error (POLLERR, as a reset peer produces) with status < 0 and
+    // revents == 0, having already stopped the handle, so no further event can arrive. Emit
+    // anyway: consumeInput() then surfaces the error, instead of the connection going silent.
+    LOG("Connection::on_io_readable poll error");
+    Connection* self = (Connection*) handle->data;
+    self->is_reading = false;
+    self->Emit("readable");
+    return;
+  }
   if(revents & UV_READABLE) {
     LOG("Connection::on_io_readable UV_READABLE");
     Connection* self = (Connection*) handle->data;
@@ -836,6 +846,14 @@ void Connection::on_io_writable(uv_poll_t* handle, int status, int revents) {
   LOG("Connection::on_io_writable");
   TRACEF("Connection::on_io_writable:status %d\n", status);
   TRACEF("Connection::on_io_writable:revents %d\n", revents);
+  if(status < 0) {
+    // Same as the read side: the handle is already stopped, so release the writable() waiter
+    // now or it never runs. flush() reports the error.
+    LOG("Connection::on_io_writable poll error");
+    Connection* self = (Connection*) handle->data;
+    self->Emit("writable");
+    return;
+  }
   if(revents & UV_WRITABLE) {
     LOG("Connection::on_io_readable UV_WRITABLE");
     Connection* self = (Connection*) handle->data;
diff --git a/test/poll-error.js b/test/poll-error.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cc901e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/poll-error.js
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+var net = require('net');
+var assert = require('assert');
+var PQ = require('../');
+
+// A reset peer reaches libuv as POLLERR, which it reports with status < 0 and revents == 0 after
+// stopping the handle. Look only at revents and that wakeup is lost for good.
+//
+// The reset comes from a proxy, not from terminating the backend: a clean exit sends FIN, which is
+// an ordinary readable event and misses this path. resetAndDestroy makes the RST deterministic.
+describe('poll error', function () {
+  var proxy;
+  var proxyPort;
+  var clientSockets;
+  var sockets;
+
+  beforeEach(function (done) {
+    clientSockets = [];
+    sockets = [];
+    proxy = net.createServer(function (client) {
+      var upstream = net.connect(
+        Number(process.env.PGPORT || 5432),
+        process.env.PGHOST || 'localhost'
+      );
+      clientSockets.push(client);
+      sockets.push(client, upstream);
+      client.pipe(upstream);
+      upstream.pipe(client);
+      client.on('error', function () {});
+      upstream.on('error', function () {});
+    });
+    proxy.listen(0, '127.0.0.1', function () {
+      proxyPort = proxy.address().port;
+      done();
+    });
+  });
+
+  afterEach(function (done) {
+    // the reset does not reach the upstream socket through the pipe, so close every socket by
+    // hand: one left open keeps the event loop alive and mocha never exits
+    sockets.forEach(function (socket) {
+      socket.destroy();
+    });
+    proxy.close(function () {
+      done();
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('wakes the reader when the peer resets the connection', function (done) {
+    if (typeof net.Socket.prototype.resetAndDestroy !== 'function') {
+      return this.skip();
+    }
+
+    var pq = new PQ();
+    // connect asynchronously: the proxy runs in this process, so a blocking connect would never
+    // let it accept
+    pq.connect('host=127.0.0.1 port=' + proxyPort, function (err) {
+      assert.ifError(err);
+      assert(pq.setNonBlocking(true));
+
+      // nothing comes back for a long while, so the reset is the only thing left for the socket
+      // to report and the test cannot pass on a readable that carried real data
+      assert(pq.sendQuery('SELECT pg_sleep(10)'), pq.errorMessage());
+      assert.strictEqual(pq.flush(), 0, 'should have flushed the query to the socket');
+
+      var finished = false;
+      // under mocha's own timeout, so the failure names the actual problem
+      var timer = setTimeout(function () {
+        finish(new Error('no readable event arrived after the peer reset the connection'));
+      }, 1500);
+
+      var finish = function (err) {
+        if (finished) return;
+        finished = true;
+        clearTimeout(timer);
+        pq.removeListener('readable', onReadable);
+        pq.stopReader();
+        pq.finish();
+        done(err);
+      };
+
+      var onReadable = function () {
+        assert.strictEqual(
+          pq.consumeInput(),
+          false,
+          'consumeInput should report the reset connection'
+        );
+        assert(pq.errorMessage(), 'a reset connection should leave an error message');
+        finish();
+      };
+
+      pq.on('readable', onReadable);
+      pq.startReader();
+
+      setTimeout(function () {
+        clientSockets.forEach(function (socket) {
+          socket.resetAndDestroy();
+        });
+      }, 100);
+    });
+  });
+});