diff --git a/debexpo/cronjobs/removeolduploads.py b/debexpo/cronjobs/removeolduploads.py
index c310a30005b207130c03cee77f9e6508e9a0ad34..3e1888ffd9d73bbc30aac168ac3cce050803aaaf 100644
--- a/debexpo/cronjobs/removeolduploads.py
+++ b/debexpo/cronjobs/removeolduploads.py
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ class RemoveOldUploads(BaseCronjob):
                 self.log.debug("Processed all messages up to #%s on %s" % (list_name.value, list_name.code))
                 meta.session.merge(list_name)
             meta.session.commit()
+            self.mailer.disconnect_from_server()
 
     def _remove_old_packages(self):
         now = datetime.datetime.now()
diff --git a/debexpo/lib/email.py b/debexpo/lib/email.py
index 55522700f6d4e121554a263800322b43f8fbf6df..88bcb9ef93b579d67ede87486d0a735ce0a21961 100644
--- a/debexpo/lib/email.py
+++ b/debexpo/lib/email.py
@@ -140,8 +140,13 @@ class Email(object):
             (_, count, first, last, _) = self.nntp.group(list_name)
             log.debug("Fetching messages %s to %s on %s" % (changed_since, last, list_name))
         except nntplib.NNTPError as e:
+            self.established = False
             log.error("Connecting to NNTP server %s failed: %s" % (pylons.config['debexpo.nntp_server'], str(e)))
             return
+        except EOFError:
+            self.established = False
+            log.error("NNTP server %s closed connection" % (pylons.config['debexpo.nntp_server']))
+            return
 
         try:
             (_, messages) = self.nntp.xover(str(changed_since), str(last))
@@ -168,11 +173,13 @@ class Email(object):
 
     def disconnect_from_server(self):
         self.nntp.quit()
-
+        self.established = False
 
     def connection_established(self):
         if not self.established:
-            log.debug("Connection to NNTP server not established");
-            return False
+            self.connect_to_server()
+            if not self.established:
+                log.debug("Connection to NNTP server not established");
+            return self.established
         return True