diff --git a/consul/client.go b/consul/client.go
index adca9da5b..612d23c37 100644
--- a/consul/client.go
+++ b/consul/client.go
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ func NewClient(config *Config) (*Client, error) {
 	// Create server
 	c := &Client{
 		config:     config,
-		connPool:   NewPool(8, clientRPCCache),
+		connPool:   NewPool(clientRPCCache),
 		eventCh:    make(chan serf.Event, 256),
 		logger:     logger,
 		shutdownCh: make(chan struct{}),
diff --git a/consul/pool.go b/consul/pool.go
index 57ae1523a..6749f61ac 100644
--- a/consul/pool.go
+++ b/consul/pool.go
@@ -2,23 +2,25 @@ package consul
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"github.com/inconshreveable/muxado"
 	"github.com/ugorji/go/codec"
 	"net"
 	"net/rpc"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 )
 
 // Conn is a pooled connection to a Consul server
 type Conn struct {
+	refCount int32
 	addr     net.Addr
-	conn     *net.TCPConn
-	client   *rpc.Client
+	session  muxado.Session
 	lastUsed time.Time
 }
 
 func (c *Conn) Close() error {
-	return c.conn.Close()
+	return c.session.Close()
 }
 
 // ConnPool is used to maintain a connection pool to other
@@ -29,14 +31,11 @@ func (c *Conn) Close() error {
 type ConnPool struct {
 	sync.Mutex
 
-	// The maximum connectsion to maintain per server
-	maxConns int
-
 	// The maximum time to keep a connection open
 	maxTime time.Duration
 
-	// Pool maps an address to a list of connections
-	pool map[string][]*Conn
+	// Pool maps an address to a open connection
+	pool map[string]*Conn
 
 	// Used to indicate the pool is shutdown
 	shutdown   bool
@@ -44,13 +43,12 @@ type ConnPool struct {
 }
 
 // NewPool is used to make a new connection pool
-// Maintain at most maxConns per host, for up to maxTime.
+// Maintain at most one connection per host, for up to maxTime.
 // Set maxTime to 0 to disable reaping.
-func NewPool(maxConns int, maxTime time.Duration) *ConnPool {
+func NewPool(maxTime time.Duration) *ConnPool {
 	pool := &ConnPool{
-		maxConns:   maxConns,
 		maxTime:    maxTime,
-		pool:       make(map[string][]*Conn),
+		pool:       make(map[string]*Conn),
 		shutdownCh: make(chan struct{}),
 	}
 	if maxTime > 0 {
@@ -64,12 +62,10 @@ func (p *ConnPool) Shutdown() error {
 	p.Lock()
 	defer p.Unlock()
 
-	for _, conns := range p.pool {
-		for _, c := range conns {
-			c.Close()
-		}
+	for _, conn := range p.pool {
+		conn.Close()
 	}
-	p.pool = make(map[string][]*Conn)
+	p.pool = make(map[string]*Conn)
 
 	if p.shutdown {
 		return nil
@@ -97,16 +93,12 @@ func (p *ConnPool) getPooled(addr net.Addr) *Conn {
 	defer p.Unlock()
 
 	// Look for an existing connection
-	conns := p.pool[addr.String()]
-	if len(conns) == 0 {
-		return nil
+	c := p.pool[addr.String()]
+	if c != nil {
+		c.lastUsed = time.Now()
+		atomic.AddInt32(&c.refCount, 1)
 	}
-
-	// Remove the last conn from the pool
-	conn := conns[len(conns)-1]
-	conns = conns[:len(conns)-1]
-	p.pool[addr.String()] = conns
-	return conn
+	return c
 }
 
 // getNewConn is used to return a new connection
@@ -124,67 +116,94 @@ func (p *ConnPool) getNewConn(addr net.Addr) (*Conn, error) {
 	conn.SetKeepAlive(true)
 	conn.SetNoDelay(true)
 
-	// Write the Consul RPC byte to set the mode
-	conn.Write([]byte{byte(rpcConsul)})
+	// Write the Consul multiplex byte to set the mode
+	conn.Write([]byte{byte(rpcMultiplex)})
 
-	// Create the RPC client
-	cc := codec.GoRpc.ClientCodec(conn, &codec.MsgpackHandle{})
-	client := rpc.NewClientWithCodec(cc)
+	// Create a multiplexed session
+	session := muxado.Client(conn)
 
 	// Wrap the connection
 	c := &Conn{
-		addr:   addr,
-		conn:   conn,
-		client: client,
+		refCount: 1,
+		addr:     addr,
+		session:  session,
+		lastUsed: time.Now(),
 	}
-	return c, nil
-}
 
-// Return is used to return a connection once done. Connections
-// that are in an error state should not be returned
-func (p *ConnPool) returnConn(conn *Conn) {
+	// Monitor the session
+	go func() {
+		session.Wait()
+		p.Lock()
+		defer p.Unlock()
+		if conn, ok := p.pool[addr.String()]; ok && conn.session == session {
+			delete(p.pool, addr.String())
+		}
+	}()
+
+	// Track this connection, handle potential race condition
 	p.Lock()
 	defer p.Unlock()
-
-	// Set the last used time
-	conn.lastUsed = time.Now()
-
-	// Look for existing connections
-	conns := p.pool[conn.addr.String()]
-
-	// Check for limit on connections or shutdown
-	if p.shutdown || len(conns) >= p.maxConns {
-		conn.Close()
-		return
+	if existing := p.pool[addr.String()]; existing != nil {
+		session.Close()
+		return existing, nil
+	} else {
+		p.pool[addr.String()] = c
+		return c, nil
 	}
+}
 
-	// Retain the connection
-	conns = append(conns, conn)
-	p.pool[conn.addr.String()] = conns
+// clearConn is used to clear any cached connection, potentially in response to an erro
+func (p *ConnPool) clearConn(addr net.Addr) {
+	p.Lock()
+	defer p.Unlock()
+	delete(p.pool, addr.String())
+}
+
+// releaseConn is invoked when we are done with a conn to reduce the ref count
+func (p *ConnPool) releaseConn(conn *Conn) {
+	atomic.AddInt32(&conn.refCount, -1)
 }
 
 // RPC is used to make an RPC call to a remote host
 func (p *ConnPool) RPC(addr net.Addr, method string, args interface{}, reply interface{}) error {
+	retries := 0
+START:
 	// Try to get a conn first
 	conn, err := p.acquire(addr)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get conn: %v", err)
 	}
+	defer p.releaseConn(conn)
+
+	// Create a new stream
+	stream, err := conn.session.Open()
+	if err != nil {
+		p.clearConn(addr)
+
+		// Try to redial, possible that the TCP session closed due to timeout
+		if retries == 0 {
+			retries++
+			goto START
+		}
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to start stream: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer stream.Close()
+
+	// Create the RPC client
+	cc := codec.GoRpc.ClientCodec(stream, &codec.MsgpackHandle{})
+	client := rpc.NewClientWithCodec(cc)
 
 	// Make the RPC call
-	err = conn.client.Call(method, args, reply)
+	err = client.Call(method, args, reply)
 
 	// Fast path the non-error case
 	if err == nil {
-		p.returnConn(conn)
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	// If not a network error, save the connection
-	if _, ok := err.(net.Error); !ok {
-		p.returnConn(conn)
-	} else {
-		conn.Close()
+	// If its a network error, nuke the connection
+	if _, ok := err.(net.Error); ok {
+		p.clearConn(addr)
 	}
 	return fmt.Errorf("rpc error: %v", err)
 }
@@ -201,25 +220,27 @@ func (p *ConnPool) reap() {
 
 		// Reap all old conns
 		p.Lock()
+		var removed []string
 		now := time.Now()
-		for host, conns := range p.pool {
-			n := len(conns)
-			for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
-				// Skip new connections
-				conn := conns[i]
-				if now.Sub(conn.lastUsed) < p.maxTime {
-					continue
-				}
-
-				// Close the conn
-				conn.Close()
-
-				// Remove from pool
-				conns[i], conns[n-1] = conns[n-1], nil
-				conns = conns[:n-1]
-				p.pool[host] = conns
-				n--
+		for host, conn := range p.pool {
+			// Skip recently used connections
+			if now.Sub(conn.lastUsed) < p.maxTime {
+				continue
 			}
+
+			// Skip connections with active streams
+			if atomic.LoadInt32(&conn.refCount) > 0 {
+				continue
+			}
+
+			// Close the conn
+			conn.Close()
+
+			// Remove from pool
+			removed = append(removed, host)
+		}
+		for _, host := range removed {
+			delete(p.pool, host)
 		}
 		p.Unlock()
 	}
diff --git a/consul/server.go b/consul/server.go
index 7ad58fee7..b976e2caa 100644
--- a/consul/server.go
+++ b/consul/server.go
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func NewServer(config *Config) (*Server, error) {
 	// Create server
 	s := &Server{
 		config:        config,
-		connPool:      NewPool(16, time.Minute),
+		connPool:      NewPool(time.Minute),
 		eventChLAN:    make(chan serf.Event, 256),
 		eventChWAN:    make(chan serf.Event, 256),
 		logger:        logger,
@@ -337,7 +337,9 @@ func (s *Server) Shutdown() error {
 	s.connPool.Shutdown()
 
 	// Close the fsm
-	s.fsm.Close()
+	if s.fsm != nil {
+		s.fsm.Close()
+	}
 
 	return nil
 }