diff --git a/lib/appenders/multiprocess.js b/lib/appenders/multiprocess.js
index 9d88d40..9c5affd 100644
--- a/lib/appenders/multiprocess.js
+++ b/lib/appenders/multiprocess.js
@@ -128,7 +128,11 @@ function workerAppender(config) {
     socket.on('timeout', socket.end.bind(socket));
     // don't bother listening for 'error', 'close' gets called after that anyway
     socket.on('close', createSocket);
-    socket.on('error', () => {});
+    socket.on('error', (e) => {
+      debug('connection error', e);
+      canWrite = false;
+      emptyBuffer();
+    });
   }
 
   createSocket();