diff --git a/oslo_privsep/comm.py b/oslo_privsep/comm.py
index 216a9c3..f0c5632 100644
--- a/oslo_privsep/comm.py
+++ b/oslo_privsep/comm.py
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ class Future(object):
 
 class ClientChannel(object):
     def __init__(self, sock):
+        self.running = False
         self.writer = Serializer(sock)
         self.lock = threading.Lock()
         self.reader_thread = threading.Thread(
@@ -127,6 +128,8 @@ class ClientChannel(object):
 
     def _reader_main(self, reader):
         """This thread owns and demuxes the read channel"""
+        with self.lock:
+            self.running = True
         for msg in reader:
             msgid, data = msg
             if msgid is None:
@@ -148,6 +151,7 @@ class ClientChannel(object):
         with self.lock:
             for mbox in self.outstanding_msgs.values():
                 mbox.set_exception(exc)
+            self.running = False
 
     def out_of_band(self, msg):
         """Received OOB message. Subclasses might want to override this."""
diff --git a/oslo_privsep/priv_context.py b/oslo_privsep/priv_context.py
index 6b63335..6771f1e 100644
--- a/oslo_privsep/priv_context.py
+++ b/oslo_privsep/priv_context.py
@@ -237,6 +237,9 @@ class PrivContext(object):
     def _wrap(self, func, *args, **kwargs):
         if self.client_mode:
             name = '%s.%s' % (func.__module__, func.__name__)
+            if self.channel is not None and not self.channel.running:
+                LOG.warning("RESTARTING PrivContext for %s", name)
+                self.stop()
             if self.channel is None:
                 self.start()
             return self.channel.remote_call(name, args, kwargs)