diff --git a/protocols/raft/src/main/java/io/atomix/protocols/raft/RaftException.java b/protocols/raft/src/main/java/io/atomix/protocols/raft/RaftException.java
index 1a16b345e9..e44eea1b2f 100644
--- a/protocols/raft/src/main/java/io/atomix/protocols/raft/RaftException.java
+++ b/protocols/raft/src/main/java/io/atomix/protocols/raft/RaftException.java
@@ -134,5 +134,9 @@ public static class Unavailable extends RaftException {
     public Unavailable(String message, Object... args) {
       super(RaftError.Type.UNAVAILABLE, message, args);
     }
+
+    public Unavailable(Throwable cause) {
+      super(RaftError.Type.UNAVAILABLE, cause);
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/protocols/raft/src/main/java/io/atomix/protocols/raft/impl/DefaultRaftClient.java b/protocols/raft/src/main/java/io/atomix/protocols/raft/impl/DefaultRaftClient.java
index bea2ba342e..6f4a80f45e 100644
--- a/protocols/raft/src/main/java/io/atomix/protocols/raft/impl/DefaultRaftClient.java
+++ b/protocols/raft/src/main/java/io/atomix/protocols/raft/impl/DefaultRaftClient.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 package io.atomix.protocols.raft.impl;
 
 import io.atomix.protocols.raft.RaftClient;
+import io.atomix.protocols.raft.RaftException;
 import io.atomix.protocols.raft.RaftMetadataClient;
 import io.atomix.protocols.raft.cluster.MemberId;
 import io.atomix.protocols.raft.protocol.RaftClientProtocol;
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@
 
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
+import java.util.concurrent.CompletionException;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
 import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
@@ -127,13 +129,23 @@ public String toString() {
   private class SessionBuilder extends RaftProxy.Builder {
     @Override
     public RaftProxy build() {
+      // Create a client builder that uses the session manager to open a session.
       RaftProxyClient.Builder clientBuilder = new RaftProxyClient.Builder() {
         @Override
         public RaftProxyClient build() {
-          return sessionManager.openSession(name, serviceType, readConsistency, communicationStrategy, timeout).join();
+          try {
+            return sessionManager.openSession(name, serviceType, readConsistency, communicationStrategy, timeout).join();
+          } catch (CompletionException e) {
+            if (e.getCause() instanceof RaftException.Unavailable) {
+              throw (RaftException.Unavailable) e.getCause();
+            } else {
+              throw new RaftException.Unavailable(e);
+            }
+          }
         }
       };
 
+      // Populate the proxy client builder.
       clientBuilder.withName(name)
           .withServiceType(serviceType)
           .withReadConsistency(readConsistency)
@@ -147,7 +159,7 @@ public RaftProxyClient build() {
 
       // If the recovery strategy is set to RECOVER, wrap the builder in a recovering proxy client.
       if (recoveryStrategy == RecoveryStrategy.RECOVER) {
-        client = new RecoveringRaftProxyClient(clientBuilder);
+        client = new RecoveringRaftProxyClient(clientBuilder, new ThreadPoolContext(threadPoolExecutor));
       } else {
         client = clientBuilder.build();
       }
diff --git a/protocols/raft/src/main/java/io/atomix/protocols/raft/proxy/impl/RaftProxyManager.java b/protocols/raft/src/main/java/io/atomix/protocols/raft/proxy/impl/RaftProxyManager.java
index 179c032921..3c833a6536 100644
--- a/protocols/raft/src/main/java/io/atomix/protocols/raft/proxy/impl/RaftProxyManager.java
+++ b/protocols/raft/src/main/java/io/atomix/protocols/raft/proxy/impl/RaftProxyManager.java
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
+import java.net.ConnectException;
 import java.time.Duration;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -162,10 +163,10 @@ public CompletableFuture<RaftProxyClient> openSession(
 
           future.complete(client);
         } else {
-          future.completeExceptionally(response.error().createException());
+          future.completeExceptionally(new RaftException.Unavailable(response.error().message()));
         }
       } else {
-        future.completeExceptionally(error);
+        future.completeExceptionally(new RaftException.Unavailable(error.getMessage()));
       }
     }, proxyContext);
     return future;
diff --git a/protocols/raft/src/main/java/io/atomix/protocols/raft/proxy/impl/RecoveringRaftProxyClient.java b/protocols/raft/src/main/java/io/atomix/protocols/raft/proxy/impl/RecoveringRaftProxyClient.java
index 312d10bd49..c4bb3eca5d 100644
--- a/protocols/raft/src/main/java/io/atomix/protocols/raft/proxy/impl/RecoveringRaftProxyClient.java
+++ b/protocols/raft/src/main/java/io/atomix/protocols/raft/proxy/impl/RecoveringRaftProxyClient.java
@@ -17,14 +17,18 @@
 
 import com.google.common.collect.Sets;
 import io.atomix.protocols.raft.RaftEvent;
+import io.atomix.protocols.raft.RaftException;
 import io.atomix.protocols.raft.RaftOperation;
 import io.atomix.protocols.raft.ServiceType;
 import io.atomix.protocols.raft.proxy.RaftProxy;
 import io.atomix.protocols.raft.proxy.RaftProxyClient;
 import io.atomix.protocols.raft.session.SessionId;
+import io.atomix.utils.concurrent.Scheduled;
+import io.atomix.utils.concurrent.Scheduler;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
+import java.time.Duration;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
@@ -38,15 +42,18 @@
 public class RecoveringRaftProxyClient implements RaftProxyClient {
   private final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(RecoveringRaftProxyClient.class);
   private final RaftProxyClient.Builder proxyClientBuilder;
+  private final Scheduler scheduler;
   private RaftProxyClient client;
   private volatile RaftProxy.State state = State.CLOSED;
   private final Set<Consumer<State>> stateChangeListeners = Sets.newCopyOnWriteArraySet();
   private final Set<Consumer<RaftEvent>> eventListeners = Sets.newCopyOnWriteArraySet();
+  private Scheduled recoverTask;
   private boolean recover = true;
 
-  public RecoveringRaftProxyClient(RaftProxyClient.Builder proxyClientBuilder) {
+  public RecoveringRaftProxyClient(RaftProxyClient.Builder proxyClientBuilder, Scheduler scheduler) {
     this.proxyClientBuilder = checkNotNull(proxyClientBuilder);
-    openSession();
+    this.scheduler = checkNotNull(scheduler);
+    this.client = openClient().join();
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -82,7 +89,7 @@ private synchronized void onStateChange(State state) {
 
       // If the session was closed then reopen it.
       if (state == State.CLOSED) {
-        openSession();
+        recover();
       }
     }
   }
@@ -98,15 +105,43 @@ public void removeStateChangeListener(Consumer<State> listener) {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Opens the session.
+   * Recovers the underlying proxy client.
    */
-  private synchronized void openSession() {
-    log.debug("Opening session");
+  private synchronized void recover() {
+    recoverTask = null;
+    this.client = openClient().join();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Opens the underlying proxy client.
+   */
+  private synchronized CompletableFuture<RaftProxyClient> openClient() {
+    if (recoverTask == null) {
+      CompletableFuture<RaftProxyClient> future = new CompletableFuture<>();
+      openClient(future);
+      return future;
+    }
+    return CompletableFuture.completedFuture(null);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Opens the underlying proxy client.
+   */
+  private synchronized void openClient(CompletableFuture<RaftProxyClient> future) {
     if (recover) {
-      client = proxyClientBuilder.build();
-      onStateChange(State.CONNECTED);
-      client.addStateChangeListener(this::onStateChange);
-      eventListeners.forEach(client::addEventListener);
+      log.debug("Opening session");
+      RaftProxyClient client;
+      try {
+        client = proxyClientBuilder.build();
+        onStateChange(State.CONNECTED);
+        client.addStateChangeListener(this::onStateChange);
+        eventListeners.forEach(client::addEventListener);
+        future.complete(client);
+      } catch (RaftException.Unavailable e) {
+        recoverTask = scheduler.schedule(Duration.ofSeconds(1), this::recover);
+      }
+    } else {
+      future.completeExceptionally(new RaftException.Unavailable("Proxy client is closed"));
     }
   }
 
@@ -135,6 +170,9 @@ public boolean isOpen() {
   @Override
   public synchronized CompletableFuture<Void> close() {
     recover = false;
+    if (recoverTask != null) {
+      recoverTask.cancel();
+    }
     return client.close();
   }
 
diff --git a/protocols/raft/src/test/java/io/atomix/protocols/raft/RaftTest.java b/protocols/raft/src/test/java/io/atomix/protocols/raft/RaftTest.java
index 6bb0cc16df..4c0eac5015 100644
--- a/protocols/raft/src/test/java/io/atomix/protocols/raft/RaftTest.java
+++ b/protocols/raft/src/test/java/io/atomix/protocols/raft/RaftTest.java
@@ -188,6 +188,30 @@ public void testCrashRecover() throws Throwable {
     await(30000);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Tests opening a client before servers.
+   */
+  public void testOpenClientBeforeServer() throws Throwable {
+    for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
+      members.add(nextMember(RaftMember.Type.ACTIVE));
+    }
+
+    RaftClient client = createClient();
+    RaftProxy session = createSession(client);
+    submit(session, 0, 1000);
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
+      RaftServer server = createServer(members.get(i));
+      servers.add(server);
+    }
+
+    for (RaftServer server : servers) {
+      server.bootstrap(members.stream().map(RaftMember::memberId).collect(Collectors.toList())).thenRun(this::resume);
+    }
+
+    await(30000, 4);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Tests leaving a sever from a cluster.
    */