diff --git a/pymongo/replica_set_connection.py b/pymongo/replica_set_connection.py
index 750745b411..7637d0ef52 100644
--- a/pymongo/replica_set_connection.py
+++ b/pymongo/replica_set_connection.py
@@ -815,7 +815,7 @@ def _send_message_with_response(self, msg, _connection_to_use=None,
             except AutoReconnect, why:
                 self.disconnect()
                 errors.append(why)
-        raise AutoReconnect(', '.join(errors))
+        raise AutoReconnect(', '.join(map(str, errors)))
 
     def __cmp__(self, other):
         # XXX: Implement this?
diff --git a/test/test_replica_set_connection.py b/test/test_replica_set_connection.py
index 2ee9f5a132..51f44ba141 100644
--- a/test/test_replica_set_connection.py
+++ b/test/test_replica_set_connection.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 
 from bson.son import SON
 from bson.tz_util import utc
+from mock import Mock, patch
 from pymongo import ReadPreference
 from pymongo.connection import Connection
 from pymongo.replica_set_connection import ReplicaSetConnection
@@ -157,6 +158,14 @@ def make_db(base, name):
         self.assertEqual(connection.test, Database(connection, "test"))
         connection.close()
 
+    def test_auto_reconnect_exception_when_read_preference_is_secondary(self):
+        c = self._get_connection()
+        db = c.pymongo_test
+
+        with patch('socket.socket.sendall', Mock(side_effect=socket.error)):
+            cursor = db.test.find(read_preference=ReadPreference.SECONDARY)
+            self.assertRaises(AutoReconnect, cursor.next)
+
     def test_operations(self):
         c = self._get_connection()