diff --git a/patroni/dcs/etcd.py b/patroni/dcs/etcd.py
index 3aececdd..8a6ec569 100644
--- a/patroni/dcs/etcd.py
+++ b/patroni/dcs/etcd.py
@@ -296,19 +296,6 @@ class Client(etcd.Client):
         self._machines_cache_updated = time.time()
 
 
-def catch_etcd_errors(func):
-    def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
-        try:
-            return func(*args, **kwargs) is not None
-        except (RetryFailedError, etcd.EtcdException):
-            return False
-        except:
-            logger.exception("")
-            raise EtcdError("unexpected error")
-
-    return wrapper
-
-
 class Etcd(AbstractDCS):
 
     def __init__(self, config):
@@ -320,10 +307,36 @@ class Etcd(AbstractDCS):
                                               etcd.EtcdEventIndexCleared))
         self._client = self.get_etcd_client(config)
         self.__do_not_watch = False
+        self._has_failed = False
 
     def retry(self, *args, **kwargs):
         return self._retry.copy()(*args, **kwargs)
 
+    def _handle_exception(self, e, name='', do_sleep=False, raise_ex=None):
+        if not self._has_failed:
+            logger.exception(name)
+        else:
+            logger.error(e)
+            if do_sleep:
+                time.sleep(1)
+        self._has_failed = True
+        if isinstance(raise_ex, Exception):
+            raise raise_ex
+
+    def catch_etcd_errors(func):
+        def wrapper(self, *args, **kwargs):
+            try:
+                retval = func(self, *args, **kwargs) is not None
+                self._has_failed = False
+                return retval
+            except (RetryFailedError, etcd.EtcdException) as e:
+                self._handle_exception(e)
+                return False
+            except Exception as e:
+                self._handle_exception(e, raise_ex=EtcdError('unexpected error'))
+
+        return wrapper
+
     @staticmethod
     def get_etcd_client(config):
         if 'proxy' in config:
@@ -448,9 +461,9 @@ class Etcd(AbstractDCS):
             self._cluster = Cluster(initialize, config, leader, last_leader_operation, members, failover, sync)
         except etcd.EtcdKeyNotFound:
             self._cluster = Cluster(None, None, None, None, [], None, None)
-        except:
-            logger.exception('get_cluster')
-            raise EtcdError('Etcd is not responding properly')
+        except Exception as e:
+            self._handle_exception(e, 'get_cluster', raise_ex=EtcdError('Etcd is not responding properly'))
+        self._has_failed = False
 
     @catch_etcd_errors
     def touch_member(self, data, ttl=None, permanent=False):
@@ -524,16 +537,19 @@ class Etcd(AbstractDCS):
             while timeout >= 1:  # when timeout is too small urllib3 doesn't have enough time to connect
                 try:
                     self._client.watch(self.leader_path, index=leader_index, timeout=timeout + 0.5)
+                    self._has_failed = False
                     # Synchronous work of all cluster members with etcd is less expensive
                     # than reestablishing http connection every time from every replica.
                     return True
                 except etcd.EtcdWatchTimedOut:
                     self._client.http.clear()
+                    self._has_failed = False
                     return False
                 except (etcd.EtcdEventIndexCleared, etcd.EtcdWatcherCleared):  # Watch failed
+                    self._has_failed = False
                     return True  # leave the loop, because watch with the same parameters will fail anyway
-                except etcd.EtcdException:
-                    logger.exception('watch')
+                except etcd.EtcdException as e:
+                    self._handle_exception(e, 'watch', True)
 
                 timeout = end_time - time.time()
 
diff --git a/tests/test_etcd.py b/tests/test_etcd.py
index 38513982..b9ba6475 100644
--- a/tests/test_etcd.py
+++ b/tests/test_etcd.py
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ def etcd_watch(self, key, index=None, timeout=None, recursive=None):
         raise etcd.EtcdWatchTimedOut
     elif timeout == 5.0:
         return etcd.EtcdResult('delete', {})
-    elif timeout == 10.0:
+    elif 5 < timeout <= 10.0:
         raise etcd.EtcdException
     elif timeout == 20.0:
         raise etcd.EtcdEventIndexCleared
@@ -302,6 +302,7 @@ class TestEtcd(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_delete_cluster(self):
         self.assertFalse(self.etcd.delete_cluster())
 
+    @patch('time.sleep', Mock(side_effect=SleepException))
     @patch.object(etcd.Client, 'watch', etcd_watch)
     def test_watch(self):
         self.etcd.watch(None, 0)
@@ -310,7 +311,7 @@ class TestEtcd(unittest.TestCase):
         self.etcd.watch(20729, 4.5)
         with patch.object(AbstractDCS, 'watch', Mock()):
             self.assertTrue(self.etcd.watch(20729, 19.5))
-            self.etcd.watch(20729, 9.5)
+            self.assertRaises(SleepException, self.etcd.watch, 20729, 9.5)
 
     def test_other_exceptions(self):
         self.etcd.retry = Mock(side_effect=AttributeError('foo'))