diff --git a/sprockets/clients/dynamodb/__init__.py b/sprockets/clients/dynamodb/__init__.py
index 30a10bd..c53b607 100644
--- a/sprockets/clients/dynamodb/__init__.py
+++ b/sprockets/clients/dynamodb/__init__.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ except ImportError as error:
     def DynamoDB(*args, **kwargs):
         raise error
 
-version_info = (0, 2, 1)
+version_info = (0, 2, 2)
 __version__ = '.'.join(str(v) for v in version_info)
 
 # Response constants
diff --git a/sprockets/clients/dynamodb/connector.py b/sprockets/clients/dynamodb/connector.py
index 5a0882b..d3acf8b 100644
--- a/sprockets/clients/dynamodb/connector.py
+++ b/sprockets/clients/dynamodb/connector.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import json
 import logging
 import os
+import socket
 
 from tornado import concurrent, httpclient, ioloop
 import tornado_aws
@@ -9,6 +10,13 @@ from tornado_aws import exceptions as aws_exceptions
 from . import utils
 from . import exceptions
 
+# Stub ConnectionError for Python 2.7 that doesn't support it
+try:
+    ConnectionError
+except NameError:
+    class ConnectionError(Exception):
+        pass
+
 
 LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -126,6 +134,8 @@ class DynamoDB(object):
             future.set_exception(exceptions.NoCredentialsError(str(error)))
         except aws_exceptions.NoProfileError as error:
             future.set_exception(exceptions.NoProfileError(str(error)))
+        except (socket.gaierror, ConnectionError) as req_err:
+            future.set_exception(exceptions.RequestException(req_err))
         except httpclient.HTTPError as err:
             if err.code == 599:
                 future.set_exception(exceptions.TimeoutException())
diff --git a/sprockets/clients/dynamodb/exceptions.py b/sprockets/clients/dynamodb/exceptions.py
index 976cf3f..7b8c1bb 100644
--- a/sprockets/clients/dynamodb/exceptions.py
+++ b/sprockets/clients/dynamodb/exceptions.py
@@ -17,6 +17,14 @@ class DynamoDBException(Exception):
         super(DynamoDBException, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
 
 
+class RequestException(DynamoDBException):
+    """Raised when the HTTP request failed due to a network or DNS related
+    issue.
+
+    """
+    pass
+
+
 class ConditionalCheckFailedException(DynamoDBException):
     """A condition specified in the operation could not be evaluated."""
     pass
diff --git a/tests/api_tests.py b/tests/api_tests.py
index d585aa7..1a90c8f 100644
--- a/tests/api_tests.py
+++ b/tests/api_tests.py
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 import datetime
 import os
+import socket
+import sys
 import uuid
+import unittest
 
 import mock
 
@@ -10,7 +13,7 @@ from tornado import testing
 from tornado_aws import exceptions as aws_exceptions
 
 from sprockets.clients import dynamodb
-from sprockets.clients.dynamodb import exceptions
+from sprockets.clients.dynamodb import connector, exceptions
 
 
 class AsyncTestCase(testing.AsyncTestCase):
@@ -103,6 +106,22 @@ class AWSClientTests(AsyncTestCase):
             with self.assertRaises(exceptions.DynamoDBException):
                 yield self.client.create_table(self.generic_table_definition())
 
+    @testing.gen_test
+    def test_gaierror_raises_request_exception(self):
+        with mock.patch('tornado_aws.client.AsyncAWSClient.fetch') as fetch:
+            fetch.side_effect = socket.gaierror
+            with self.assertRaises(exceptions.RequestException):
+                yield self.client.create_table(self.generic_table_definition())
+
+    @unittest.skipIf(sys.version_info.major < 3,
+                     'ConnectionError is Python3 only')
+    @testing.gen_test
+    def test_connection_error_request_exception(self):
+        with mock.patch('tornado_aws.client.AsyncAWSClient.fetch') as fetch:
+            fetch.side_effect = ConnectionError
+            with self.assertRaises(exceptions.RequestException):
+                yield self.client.create_table(self.generic_table_definition())
+
 
 class CreateTableTests(AsyncTestCase):