diff --git a/openstack/common/db/sqlalchemy/session.py b/openstack/common/db/sqlalchemy/session.py
index fb2f51f5c..5391a7fa7 100644
--- a/openstack/common/db/sqlalchemy/session.py
+++ b/openstack/common/db/sqlalchemy/session.py
@@ -601,18 +601,24 @@ def _thread_yield(dbapi_con, con_record):
     time.sleep(0)
 
 
-def _ping_listener(dbapi_conn, connection_rec, connection_proxy):
-    """Ensures that MySQL connections checked out of the pool are alive.
+def _ping_listener(engine, dbapi_conn, connection_rec, connection_proxy):
+    """Ensures that MySQL and DB2 connections are alive.
 
     Borrowed from:
     http://groups.google.com/group/sqlalchemy/msg/a4ce563d802c929f
     """
+    cursor = dbapi_conn.cursor()
     try:
-        dbapi_conn.cursor().execute('select 1')
-    except dbapi_conn.OperationalError as ex:
-        if ex.args[0] in (2006, 2013, 2014, 2045, 2055):
-            LOG.warning(_('Got mysql server has gone away: %s'), ex)
-            raise sqla_exc.DisconnectionError("Database server went away")
+        ping_sql = 'select 1'
+        if engine.name == 'ibm_db_sa':
+            # DB2 requires a table expression
+            ping_sql = 'select 1 from (values (1)) AS t1'
+        cursor.execute(ping_sql)
+    except Exception as ex:
+        if engine.dialect.is_disconnect(ex, dbapi_conn, cursor):
+            msg = _('Database server has gone away: %s') % ex
+            LOG.warning(msg)
+            raise sqla_exc.DisconnectionError(msg)
         else:
             raise
 
@@ -670,8 +676,9 @@ def create_engine(sql_connection, sqlite_fk=False):
 
     sqlalchemy.event.listen(engine, 'checkin', _thread_yield)
 
-    if 'mysql' in connection_dict.drivername:
-        sqlalchemy.event.listen(engine, 'checkout', _ping_listener)
+    if engine.name in ['mysql', 'ibm_db_sa']:
+        callback = functools.partial(_ping_listener, engine)
+        sqlalchemy.event.listen(engine, 'checkout', callback)
     elif 'sqlite' in connection_dict.drivername:
         if not CONF.sqlite_synchronous:
             sqlalchemy.event.listen(engine, 'connect',
diff --git a/tests/unit/db/sqlalchemy/test_sqlalchemy.py b/tests/unit/db/sqlalchemy/test_sqlalchemy.py
index b29802fbc..4bbce0e76 100644
--- a/tests/unit/db/sqlalchemy/test_sqlalchemy.py
+++ b/tests/unit/db/sqlalchemy/test_sqlalchemy.py
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@
 
 """Unit tests for SQLAlchemy specific code."""
 
+import _mysql_exceptions
+import mock
+import sqlalchemy
 from sqlalchemy import Column, MetaData, Table, UniqueConstraint
 from sqlalchemy import DateTime, Integer, String
 from sqlalchemy.ext.declarative import declarative_base
@@ -225,3 +228,88 @@ def test_no_slave_engine_match(self):
     def test_slave_backend_nomatch(self):
         session.CONF.database.slave_connection = "mysql:///localhost"
         self.assertRaises(AssertionError, session._assert_matching_drivers)
+
+
+class FakeDBAPIConnection():
+    def cursor(self):
+        return FakeCursor()
+
+
+class FakeCursor():
+    def execute(self, sql):
+        pass
+
+
+class FakeConnectionProxy():
+    pass
+
+
+class FakeConnectionRec():
+    pass
+
+
+class OperationalError(Exception):
+    pass
+
+
+class ProgrammingError(Exception):
+    pass
+
+
+class FakeDB2Engine(object):
+
+    class Dialect():
+
+        def is_disconnect(self, e, *args):
+            expected_error = ('SQL30081N: DB2 Server connection is no longer '
+                              'active')
+            return (str(e) == expected_error)
+
+    dialect = Dialect()
+    name = 'ibm_db_sa'
+
+
+class TestDBDisconnected(test.BaseTestCase):
+
+    def _test_ping_listener_disconnected(self, connection):
+        engine_args = {
+            'pool_recycle': 3600,
+            'echo': False,
+            'convert_unicode': True}
+
+        engine = sqlalchemy.create_engine(connection, **engine_args)
+
+        self.assertRaises(sqlalchemy.exc.DisconnectionError,
+                          session._ping_listener, engine,
+                          FakeDBAPIConnection(), FakeConnectionRec(),
+                          FakeConnectionProxy())
+
+    def test_mysql_ping_listener_disconnected(self):
+        def fake_execute(sql):
+            raise _mysql_exceptions.OperationalError(self.mysql_error,
+                                                     ('MySQL server has '
+                                                      'gone away'))
+        with mock.patch.object(FakeCursor, 'execute',
+                               side_effect=fake_execute):
+            connection = 'mysql://root:password@fakehost/fakedb?charset=utf8'
+            for code in [2006, 2013, 2014, 2045, 2055]:
+                self.mysql_error = code
+                self._test_ping_listener_disconnected(connection)
+
+    def test_db2_ping_listener_disconnected(self):
+
+        def fake_execute(sql):
+            raise OperationalError('SQL30081N: DB2 Server '
+                                   'connection is no longer active')
+        with mock.patch.object(FakeCursor, 'execute',
+                               side_effect=fake_execute):
+            # TODO(dperaza): Need a fake engine for db2 since ibm_db_sa is not
+            # in global requirements. Change this code to use real IBM db2
+            # engine as soon as ibm_db_sa is included in global-requirements
+            # under openstack/requirements project.
+            fake_create_engine = lambda *args, **kargs: FakeDB2Engine()
+            with mock.patch.object(sqlalchemy, 'create_engine',
+                                   side_effect=fake_create_engine):
+                connection = ('ibm_db_sa://db2inst1:openstack@fakehost:50000'
+                              '/fakedab')
+                self._test_ping_listener_disconnected(connection)