diff --git a/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/MemcachedConnection.java b/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/MemcachedConnection.java
index 9fc817b39..09f7c49ce 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/MemcachedConnection.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/MemcachedConnection.java
@@ -473,8 +473,9 @@ private void handleOperationalTasks() throws IOException {
     }
 
     if (!retryOps.isEmpty()) {
-      redistributeOperations(new ArrayList<Operation>(retryOps));
+      ArrayList<Operation> operations = new ArrayList<Operation>(retryOps);
       retryOps.clear();
+      redistributeOperations(operations);
     }
 
     handleShutdownQueue();
@@ -1042,7 +1043,7 @@ public void redistributeOperation(Operation op) {
 
     // The operation gets redistributed but has never been actually written,
     // it we just straight re-add it without cloning.
-    if (op.getState() == OperationState.WRITE_QUEUED) {
+    if (op.getState() == OperationState.WRITE_QUEUED && op.getHandlingNode() != null) {
       addOperation(op.getHandlingNode(), op);
       return;
     }
@@ -1257,6 +1258,10 @@ public void insertOperation(final MemcachedNode node, final Operation o) {
    * @param o the operation to add.
    */
   protected void addOperation(final MemcachedNode node, final Operation o) {
+    if (!node.isAuthenticated()) {
+      retryOperation(o);
+      return;
+    }
     o.setHandlingNode(node);
     o.initialize();
     node.addOp(o);