diff --git a/util/failover.py b/util/failover.py
index 7e75d2140..c88d47a6f 100644
--- a/util/failover.py
+++ b/util/failover.py
@@ -7,11 +7,12 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
 class FailoverException(Exception):
-  """ Exception raised when an operation should be retried by the failover decorator. """
-  def __init__(self, return_value, message):
+  """ Exception raised when an operation should be retried by the failover decorator.
+      Wraps the exception of the initial failure.
+  """
+  def __init__(self, exception):
     super(FailoverException, self).__init__()
-    self.return_value = return_value
-    self.message = message
+    self.exception = exception
 
 def failover(func):
   """ Wraps a function such that it can be retried on specified failures.
@@ -21,9 +22,10 @@ def failover(func):
       @failover
       def get_google(scheme, use_www=False):
         www = 'www.' if use_www else ''
-        r = requests.get(scheme + '://' + www + 'google.com')
-        if r.status_code != 200:
-          raise FailoverException('non 200 response from Google' )
+        try:
+          r = requests.get(scheme + '://' + www + 'google.com')
+        except requests.RequestException as ex:
+          raise FailoverException(ex)
         return r
 
       def GooglePingTest():
@@ -41,8 +43,8 @@ def failover(func):
       try:
         return func(*arg_set[0], **arg_set[1])
       except FailoverException as ex:
-        logger.debug('failing over: %s', ex.message)
-        return_value = ex.return_value
+        logger.debug('failing over')
+        exception = ex.exception
         continue
-    return return_value
+    raise exception
   return wrapper
diff --git a/util/test/test_failover.py b/util/test/test_failover.py
index 369ddea3a..333c39362 100644
--- a/util/test/test_failover.py
+++ b/util/test/test_failover.py
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ import pytest
 
 from util.failover import failover, FailoverException
 
+class FinishedException(Exception):
+  """ Exception raised at the end of every iteration to force failover. """
+
 
 class Counter(object):
   """ Wraps a counter in an object so that it'll be passed by reference. """
@@ -18,7 +21,7 @@ def my_failover_func(i, should_raise=None):
   i.increment()
   if should_raise is not None:
     raise should_raise()
-  raise FailoverException(None, 'incrementing')
+  raise FailoverException(FinishedException())
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('stop_on,exception', [
@@ -40,5 +43,6 @@ def test_readonly_failover(stop_on, exception):
     with pytest.raises(exception):
       my_failover_func(*arg_sets)
   else:
-    my_failover_func(*arg_sets)
-  assert counter.calls == stop_on
+    with pytest.raises(FinishedException):
+      my_failover_func(*arg_sets)
+    assert counter.calls == stop_on