diff --git a/doc/api/pymongo/index.rst b/doc/api/pymongo/index.rst
index 9de4aef38..052d0a310 100644
--- a/doc/api/pymongo/index.rst
+++ b/doc/api/pymongo/index.rst
@@ -15,6 +15,13 @@
 
    .. autoclass:: pymongo.read_preferences.ReadPreference
    .. autofunction:: has_c
+   .. data:: MIN_SUPPORTED_WIRE_VERSION
+
+      The minimum wire protocol version PyMongo supports.
+
+   .. data:: MAX_SUPPORTED_WIRE_VERSION
+
+      The maximum wire protocol version PyMongo supports.
 
 Sub-modules:
 
diff --git a/pymongo/__init__.py b/pymongo/__init__.py
index 79f15d71a..d39480923 100644
--- a/pymongo/__init__.py
+++ b/pymongo/__init__.py
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ def get_version_string():
 version = get_version_string()
 """Current version of PyMongo."""
 
+from pymongo.common import (MIN_SUPPORTED_WIRE_VERSION,
+                            MAX_SUPPORTED_WIRE_VERSION)
 from pymongo.connection import Connection
 from pymongo.mongo_client import MongoClient
 from pymongo.mongo_replica_set_client import MongoReplicaSetClient
diff --git a/pymongo/common.py b/pymongo/common.py
index 46978492e..109eae704 100644
--- a/pymongo/common.py
+++ b/pymongo/common.py
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ MAX_MESSAGE_SIZE = 2 * MAX_BSON_SIZE
 MIN_WIRE_VERSION = 0
 MAX_WIRE_VERSION = 0
 
+# What this version of PyMongo supports.
+MIN_SUPPORTED_WIRE_VERSION = 0
+MAX_SUPPORTED_WIRE_VERSION = 2
+
 
 def raise_config_error(key, dummy):
     """Raise ConfigurationError with the given key name."""
diff --git a/pymongo/member.py b/pymongo/member.py
index a76702225..3377066d7 100644
--- a/pymongo/member.py
+++ b/pymongo/member.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 """Represent a mongod / mongos instance"""
 
 from pymongo import common
+from pymongo.errors import ConfigurationError
 from pymongo.read_preferences import ReadPreference
 
 # Member states
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ class Member(object):
         else:
             self.state = OTHER
 
+        self.set_name = ismaster_response.get('setName')
         self.tags = ismaster_response.get('tags', {})
         self.max_bson_size = ismaster_response.get(
             'maxBsonObjectSize', common.MAX_BSON_SIZE)
@@ -63,7 +65,21 @@ class Member(object):
         self.max_wire_version = ismaster_response.get(
             'maxWireVersion', common.MAX_WIRE_VERSION)
 
-        self.set_name = ismaster_response.get('setName')
+        # self.min/max_wire_version is the server's wire protocol.
+        # MIN/MAX_SUPPORTED_WIRE_VERSION is what PyMongo supports.
+        if (
+            # Server too new.
+            common.MAX_SUPPORTED_WIRE_VERSION < self.min_wire_version
+            # Server too old.
+            or common.MIN_SUPPORTED_WIRE_VERSION > self.max_wire_version
+        ):
+            raise ConfigurationError(
+                "Server at %s:%d uses wire protocol versions %d through %d, "
+                "but PyMongo only supports %d through %d"
+                % (self.host[0], self.host[1],
+                   self.min_wire_version, self.max_wire_version,
+                   common.MIN_SUPPORTED_WIRE_VERSION,
+                   common.MAX_SUPPORTED_WIRE_VERSION))
 
     def clone_with(self, ismaster_response, ping_time_sample):
         """Get a clone updated with ismaster response and a single ping time.
diff --git a/pymongo/mongo_client.py b/pymongo/mongo_client.py
index 9a0b00794..9e2e373a2 100644
--- a/pymongo/mongo_client.py
+++ b/pymongo/mongo_client.py
@@ -848,8 +848,9 @@ class MongoClient(common.BaseObject):
                 chosen_member = member
                 discovered_nodes = nodes
                 break
-            except OperationFailure:
-                # The server is available but something failed, probably auth.
+            except (OperationFailure, ConfigurationError):
+                # The server is available but something failed, e.g. auth,
+                # wrong replica set name, or incompatible wire protocol.
                 raise
             except Exception, why:
                 errors.append(str(why))
diff --git a/pymongo/mongo_replica_set_client.py b/pymongo/mongo_replica_set_client.py
index 715aca9a6..1f85fecc3 100644
--- a/pymongo/mongo_replica_set_client.py
+++ b/pymongo/mongo_replica_set_client.py
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ def _partition_node(node):
 class RSState(object):
     def __init__(
             self, threadlocal, hosts=None, host_to_member=None, arbiters=None,
-            writer=None, error_message='No primary available'):
+            writer=None, error_message='No primary available', exc=None):
         """An immutable snapshot of the client's view of the replica set state.
 
         Stores Member instances for all members we're connected to, and a
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@ class RSState(object):
           - `arbiters`: Optional sequence of arbiters as (host, port)
           - `writer`: Optional (host, port) of primary
           - `error_message`: Optional error if `writer` is None
+          - `exc`: Optional error if state is unusable
         """
         self._threadlocal = threadlocal  # threading.local or gevent local
         self._arbiters = frozenset(arbiters or [])  # set of (host, port)
@@ -152,6 +153,7 @@ class RSState(object):
         self._host_to_member = host_to_member or {}
         self._hosts = frozenset(hosts or [])
         self._members = frozenset(self._host_to_member.values())
+        self._exc = exc
         self._primary_member = self.get(writer)
 
     def clone_with_host_down(self, host, error_message):
@@ -168,7 +170,8 @@ class RSState(object):
                 members,
                 self._arbiters,
                 None,
-                error_message)
+                error_message,
+                self._exc)
         else:
             # Some other host went down. Keep our current primary or, if it's
             # already down, keep our current error message.
@@ -178,7 +181,8 @@ class RSState(object):
                 members,
                 self._arbiters,
                 self._writer,
-                self._error_message)
+                self._error_message,
+                self._exc)
 
     def clone_without_writer(self, threadlocal):
         """Get a clone without a primary. Unpins all threads.
@@ -190,8 +194,17 @@ class RSState(object):
             threadlocal,
             self._hosts,
             self._host_to_member,
+            self._arbiters)
+
+    def clone_with_error(self, exc):
+        return RSState(
+            self._threadlocal,
+            self._hosts,
+            self._host_to_member.copy(),
             self._arbiters,
-            None)
+            self._writer,
+            self._error_message,
+            exc)
 
     @property
     def arbiters(self):
@@ -232,6 +245,11 @@ class RSState(object):
             host for host, member in self._host_to_member.items()
             if member.is_secondary])
 
+    @property
+    def exc(self):
+        """Reason RSState is unusable, or None."""
+        return self._exc
+
     def get(self, host):
         """Return a Member instance or None for the given (host, port)."""
         return self._host_to_member.get(host)
@@ -1054,8 +1072,15 @@ class MongoReplicaSetClient(common.BaseObject):
         """
         # Only one thread / greenlet calls refresh() at a time: the one
         # running __init__() or the monitor. We won't modify the state, only
-        # replace it at the end.
+        # replace it.
         rs_state = self.__rs_state
+        try:
+            self.__rs_state = self.__create_rs_state(rs_state, initial)
+        except ConfigurationError, e:
+            self.__rs_state = rs_state.clone_with_error(e)
+            raise
+
+    def __create_rs_state(self, rs_state, initial):
         errors = []
         if rs_state.hosts:
             # Try first those hosts we think are up, then the down ones.
@@ -1198,18 +1223,26 @@ class MongoReplicaSetClient(common.BaseObject):
             + response.get('passives', []))
 
         # Replace old state with new.
-        self.__rs_state = RSState(
+        return RSState(
             threadlocal,
             [_partition_node(h) for h in final_host_list],
             members,
             arbiters,
             writer)
 
+    def __get_rs_state(self):
+        rs_state = self.__rs_state
+        if rs_state.exc:
+            raise rs_state.exc
+
+        return rs_state
+
     def __find_primary(self):
         """Returns a connection to the primary of this replica set,
         if one exists, or raises AutoReconnect.
         """
-        primary = self.__rs_state.primary_member
+        rs_state = self.__get_rs_state()
+        primary = rs_state.primary_member
         if primary:
             return primary
 
@@ -1218,7 +1251,7 @@ class MongoReplicaSetClient(common.BaseObject):
 
         # Try again. This time copy the RSState reference so we're guaranteed
         # primary_member and error_message are from the same state.
-        rs_state = self.__rs_state
+        rs_state = self.__get_rs_state()
         if rs_state.primary_member:
             return rs_state.primary_member
 
@@ -1248,7 +1281,7 @@ class MongoReplicaSetClient(common.BaseObject):
 
         if sync:
             rs_state = self.__rs_state
-            if not rs_state.primary_member:
+            if rs_state.exc or not rs_state.primary_member:
                 self.__schedule_refresh(sync)
 
     def disconnect(self):
@@ -1425,7 +1458,7 @@ class MongoReplicaSetClient(common.BaseObject):
         if _connection_to_use in (None, -1):
             member = self.__find_primary()
         else:
-            member = self.__rs_state.get(_connection_to_use)
+            member = self.__get_rs_state().get(_connection_to_use)
 
         sock_info = None
         try:
@@ -1524,7 +1557,7 @@ class MongoReplicaSetClient(common.BaseObject):
         """
         self._ensure_connected()
 
-        rs_state = self.__rs_state
+        rs_state = self.__get_rs_state()
         tag_sets = kwargs.get('tag_sets', [{}])
         mode = kwargs.get('read_preference', ReadPreference.PRIMARY)
         if _must_use_master:
diff --git a/test/pymongo_mocks.py b/test/pymongo_mocks.py
index 384d77bdb..e6f21a142 100644
--- a/test/pymongo_mocks.py
+++ b/test/pymongo_mocks.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 import socket
 
+from pymongo import common
 from pymongo import MongoClient, MongoReplicaSetClient
 from pymongo.pool import Pool
 
@@ -77,6 +78,9 @@ class MockClientBase(object):
         # Hosts that should raise socket errors.
         self.mock_down_hosts = []
 
+        # Hostname -> (min wire version, max wire version)
+        self.mock_wire_versions = {}
+
     def kill_host(self, host):
         """Host is like 'a:1'."""
         self.mock_down_hosts.append(host)
@@ -85,13 +89,23 @@ class MockClientBase(object):
         """Host is like 'a:1'."""
         self.mock_down_hosts.remove(host)
 
+    def set_wire_version_range(self, host, min_version, max_version):
+        self.mock_wire_versions[host] = (min_version, max_version)
+
     def mock_is_master(self, host):
+        min_wire_version, max_wire_version = self.mock_wire_versions.get(
+            host,
+            (common.MIN_WIRE_VERSION, common.MAX_WIRE_VERSION))
+
         # host is like 'a:1'.
         if host in self.mock_down_hosts:
             raise socket.timeout('mock timeout')
 
         if host in self.mock_standalones:
-            return {'ismaster': True}
+            return {
+                'ismaster': True,
+                'minWireVersion': min_wire_version,
+                'maxWireVersion': max_wire_version}
 
         if host in self.mock_members:
             ismaster = (host == self.mock_primary)
@@ -101,7 +115,9 @@ class MockClientBase(object):
                 'ismaster': ismaster,
                 'secondary': not ismaster,
                 'setName': 'rs',
-                'hosts': self.mock_ismaster_hosts}
+                'hosts': self.mock_ismaster_hosts,
+                'minWireVersion': min_wire_version,
+                'maxWireVersion': max_wire_version}
 
             if self.mock_primary:
                 response['primary'] = self.mock_primary
@@ -109,7 +125,11 @@ class MockClientBase(object):
             return response
 
         if host in self.mock_mongoses:
-            return {'ismaster': True, 'msg': 'isdbgrid'}
+            return {
+                'ismaster': True,
+                'minWireVersion': min_wire_version,
+                'maxWireVersion': max_wire_version,
+                'msg': 'isdbgrid'}
 
         # In test_internal_ips(), we try to connect to a host listed
         # in ismaster['hosts'] but not publicly accessible.
diff --git a/test/test_client.py b/test/test_client.py
index 47e9d4cb9..7e5f07bda 100644
--- a/test/test_client.py
+++ b/test/test_client.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ from bson.tz_util import utc
 from pymongo.mongo_client import MongoClient
 from pymongo.database import Database
 from pymongo.pool import SocketInfo
-from pymongo import thread_util
+from pymongo import thread_util, common
 from pymongo.errors import (AutoReconnect,
                             ConfigurationError,
                             ConnectionFailure,
@@ -894,6 +894,53 @@ with client.start_request() as request:
         client = MongoClient('doesnt exist', _connect=False)
         self.assertFalse(client.alive())
 
+    def test_wire_version(self):
+        c = MockClient(
+            standalones=[],
+            members=['a:1', 'b:2', 'c:3'],
+            mongoses=[],
+            host='b:2',  # Pass a secondary.
+            replicaSet='rs',
+            _connect=False)
+
+        c.set_wire_version_range('a:1', 1, 5)
+        c.db.collection.find_one()  # Connect.
+        self.assertEqual(c.min_wire_version, 1)
+        self.assertEqual(c.max_wire_version, 5)
+
+        c.set_wire_version_range('a:1', 10, 11)
+        c.disconnect()
+        self.assertRaises(ConfigurationError, c.db.collection.find_one)
+
+    def test_wire_version_mongos_ha(self):
+        c = MockClient(
+            standalones=[],
+            members=[],
+            mongoses=['a:1', 'b:2', 'c:3'],
+            host='a:1,b:2,c:3',
+            _connect=False)
+
+        c.set_wire_version_range('a:1', 2, 5)
+        c.set_wire_version_range('b:2', 2, 2)
+        c.set_wire_version_range('c:3', 1, 1)
+        c.db.collection.find_one()  # Connect.
+
+        # Which member did we use?
+        used_host = '%s:%s' % (c.host, c.port)
+        expected_min, expected_max = c.mock_wire_versions[used_host]
+        self.assertEqual(expected_min, c.min_wire_version)
+        self.assertEqual(expected_max, c.max_wire_version)
+
+        c.set_wire_version_range('a:1', 0, 0)
+        c.set_wire_version_range('b:2', 0, 0)
+        c.set_wire_version_range('c:3', 0, 0)
+        c.disconnect()
+        c.db.collection.find_one()
+        used_host = '%s:%s' % (c.host, c.port)
+        expected_min, expected_max = c.mock_wire_versions[used_host]
+        self.assertEqual(expected_min, c.min_wire_version)
+        self.assertEqual(expected_max, c.max_wire_version)
+
     def test_replica_set(self):
         client = MongoClient(host, port)
         name = client.pymongo_test.command('ismaster').get('setName')
@@ -903,7 +950,7 @@ with client.start_request() as request:
         MongoClient(host, port, replicaSet=name)  # No error.
 
         self.assertRaises(
-            ConnectionFailure,
+            ConfigurationError,
             MongoClient, host, port, replicaSet='bad' + name)
 
 
diff --git a/test/test_replica_set_client.py b/test/test_replica_set_client.py
index 69746dc79..135588ed1 100644
--- a/test/test_replica_set_client.py
+++ b/test/test_replica_set_client.py
@@ -1140,6 +1140,37 @@ class TestReplicaSetClient(TestReplicaSetClientBase, TestRequestMixin):
         self.assertFalse(client.alive())
 
 
+class TestReplicaSetWireVersion(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_wire_version(self):
+        c = MockReplicaSetClient(
+            standalones=[],
+            members=['a:1', 'b:2', 'c:3'],
+            mongoses=[],
+            host='a:1',
+            replicaSet='rs',
+            _connect=False)
+
+        c.set_wire_version_range('a:1', 1, 5)
+        c.set_wire_version_range('b:2', 0, 1)
+        c.set_wire_version_range('c:3', 1, 2)
+        c.db.collection.find_one()  # Connect.
+        self.assertEqual(c.min_wire_version, 1)
+        self.assertEqual(c.max_wire_version, 5)
+
+        c.set_wire_version_range('a:1', 2, 2)
+        c.refresh()
+        self.assertEqual(c.min_wire_version, 2)
+        self.assertEqual(c.max_wire_version, 2)
+
+        # A secondary doesn't overlap with us.
+        c.set_wire_version_range('b:2', 5, 6)
+
+        # refresh() raises, as do all following operations.
+        self.assertRaises(ConfigurationError, c.refresh)
+        self.assertRaises(ConfigurationError, c.db.collection.find_one)
+        self.assertRaises(ConfigurationError, c.db.collection.insert, {})
+
+
 # Test concurrent access to a lazily-connecting RS client.
 class TestReplicaSetClientLazyConnect(
         TestReplicaSetClientBase,
diff --git a/test/test_replica_set_reconfig.py b/test/test_replica_set_reconfig.py
index 7e4cbefc1..93e9bed7d 100644
--- a/test/test_replica_set_reconfig.py
+++ b/test/test_replica_set_reconfig.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import unittest
 
 sys.path[0:0] = [""]
 
-from pymongo.errors import AutoReconnect, ConnectionFailure
+from pymongo.errors import ConfigurationError, ConnectionFailure
 from pymongo import ReadPreference
 from test.pymongo_mocks import MockClient, MockReplicaSetClient
 
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class TestSecondaryBecomesStandalone(unittest.TestCase):
 
         try:
             c.db.collection.find_one()
-        except AutoReconnect, e:
+        except ConfigurationError, e:
             self.assertTrue('not a member of replica set' in str(e))
         else:
             self.fail("MongoClient didn't raise AutoReconnect")