diff --git a/changes.go b/changes.go
index a0cfb75..c8ff6db 100644
--- a/changes.go
+++ b/changes.go
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@ func i64defopt(opts map[string]interface{}, k string, def int64) int64 {
 	return rv
 }
 
+var changesDialer = net.Dial
+var changesFailDelay = time.Second
+
 // Feed the changes.
 //
 // The handler receives the body of the stream and is expected to consume
@@ -104,7 +107,7 @@ func (p Database) Changes(handler ChangeHandler,
 			Proxy: http.ProxyFromEnvironment,
 			Dial: func(n, addr string) (net.Conn, error) {
 				var err error
-				conn, err = net.Dial(n, addr)
+				conn, err = changesDialer(n, addr)
 				return conn, err
 			},
 		}}
@@ -120,7 +123,7 @@ func (p Database) Changes(handler ChangeHandler,
 			}()
 		} else {
 			log.Printf("Error in stream: %v", err)
-			time.Sleep(time.Second * 1)
+			time.Sleep(changesFailDelay)
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/changes_test.go b/changes_test.go
index d413f61..b8b2f8b 100644
--- a/changes_test.go
+++ b/changes_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package couch
 
 import (
 	"io"
+	"net"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -78,3 +79,109 @@ func TestI64Opt(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+type mockConn struct {
+	stuff       []byte
+	respEnabled bool
+	fail        bool
+}
+
+func (m *mockConn) Read(b []byte) (int, error) {
+	if m.fail {
+		m.fail = false
+		return 0, io.EOF
+	}
+	if !m.respEnabled {
+		return 0, nil
+	}
+	if len(m.stuff) == 0 {
+		return 0, io.EOF
+	}
+	n := copy(b, m.stuff)
+	m.stuff = m.stuff[n:]
+	return n, nil
+}
+
+func (m *mockConn) Write(b []byte) (n int, err error) {
+	m.respEnabled = true
+	return len(b), err
+}
+
+func (m *mockConn) Close() error {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (m mockConn) LocalAddr() net.Addr {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (m mockConn) RemoteAddr() net.Addr {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (m mockConn) SetDeadline(t time.Time) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (m mockConn) SetReadDeadline(t time.Time) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (m mockConn) SetWriteDeadline(t time.Time) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func mockDialer(m *mockConn) func(string, string) (net.Conn, error) {
+	return func(string, string) (net.Conn, error) {
+		return m, nil
+	}
+}
+
+func setChangesDialer(to func(string, string) (net.Conn, error)) func(string, string) (net.Conn, error) {
+	prev := changesDialer
+	changesDialer = to
+	return prev
+}
+
+func TestChangesTwice(t *testing.T) {
+	mock := &mockConn{[]byte(`HTTP/1.0 200 OK
+
+`), false, true}
+	changesFailDelay = 5
+	defer setChangesDialer(setChangesDialer(mockDialer(mock)))
+	d := Database{}
+	err := d.Changes(func(io.Reader) int64 { return -1 }, map[string]interface{}{})
+	t.Logf("Error: %v", err)
+}
+
+func TestChangesWithOptions(t *testing.T) {
+	mock := &mockConn{[]byte(`HTTP/1.0 200 OK
+
+`), false, false}
+	changesFailDelay = 5
+	defer setChangesDialer(setChangesDialer(mockDialer(mock)))
+	d := Database{}
+	err := d.Changes(func(io.Reader) int64 { return -1 },
+		map[string]interface{}{
+			"since":     858245,
+			"start_key": "x",
+			"heartbeat": 3999,
+		})
+	t.Logf("Error: %v", err)
+}
+
+func TestChangesWithNegativeHB(t *testing.T) {
+	mock := &mockConn{[]byte(`HTTP/1.0 200 OK
+
+`), false, false}
+	changesFailDelay = 5
+	defer setChangesDialer(setChangesDialer(mockDialer(mock)))
+	d := Database{}
+	err := d.Changes(func(io.Reader) int64 { return -1 },
+		map[string]interface{}{
+			"since":     858245,
+			"start_key": "x",
+			"heartbeat": -3999,
+		})
+	t.Logf("Error: %v", err)
+}