diff --git a/redash/__init__.py b/redash/__init__.py
index afbd1d8c9e..20cdc5f50b 100644
--- a/redash/__init__.py
+++ b/redash/__init__.py
@@ -17,14 +17,19 @@ def setup_logging():
 
     events.setup_logging(settings.EVENTS_LOG_PATH, settings.EVENTS_CONSOLE_OUTPUT)
 
-setup_logging()
 
-redis_url = urlparse.urlparse(settings.REDIS_URL)
-if redis_url.path:
-    redis_db = redis_url.path[1]
-else:
-    redis_db = 0
+def create_redis_connection():
+    redis_url = urlparse.urlparse(settings.REDIS_URL)
+    if redis_url.path:
+        redis_db = redis_url.path[1]
+    else:
+        redis_db = 0
+
+    r = redis.StrictRedis(host=redis_url.hostname, port=redis_url.port, db=redis_db, password=redis_url.password)
+
+    return r
 
-# TODO: move this to function that create a connection?
-redis_connection = redis.StrictRedis(host=redis_url.hostname, port=redis_url.port, db=redis_db, password=redis_url.password)
+
+setup_logging()
+redis_connection = create_redis_connection()
 statsd_client = StatsClient(host=settings.STATSD_HOST, port=settings.STATSD_PORT, prefix=settings.STATSD_PREFIX)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/redash/models.py b/redash/models.py
index 7b79270365..423c50a3da 100644
--- a/redash/models.py
+++ b/redash/models.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import json
 import hashlib
 import logging
+import os
+import threading
 import time
 import datetime
 import itertools
@@ -19,18 +21,28 @@ def __init__(self):
         self.database_name = self.database_config.pop('name')
         self.database = peewee.PostgresqlDatabase(self.database_name, **self.database_config)
         self.app = None
+        self.pid = os.getpid()
 
     def init_app(self, app):
         self.app = app
         self.register_handlers()
 
     def connect_db(self):
+        self._check_pid()
         self.database.connect()
 
     def close_db(self, exc):
+        self._check_pid()
         if not self.database.is_closed():
             self.database.close()
 
+    def _check_pid(self):
+        current_pid = os.getpid()
+        if self.pid != current_pid:
+            logging.info("New pid detected (%d!=%d); resetting database lock.", self.pid, current_pid)
+            self.pid = os.getpid()
+            self.database._conn_lock = threading.Lock()
+
     def register_handlers(self):
         self.app.before_request(self.connect_db)
         self.app.teardown_request(self.close_db)
diff --git a/redash/tasks.py b/redash/tasks.py
index f690fb3c01..db41696174 100644
--- a/redash/tasks.py
+++ b/redash/tasks.py
@@ -1,17 +1,29 @@
 import time
 import datetime
-from celery.utils.log import get_task_logger
 import logging
-from celery.result import AsyncResult
 import redis
-from redash.data.query_runner import get_query_runner
-from redash import models, redis_connection, statsd_client
-from redash.worker import celery
+from celery import Task
+from celery.result import AsyncResult
+from celery.utils.log import get_task_logger
+from redash import redis_connection, models, statsd_client
 from redash.utils import gen_query_hash
+from redash.worker import celery
+from redash.data.query_runner import get_query_runner
 
 logger = get_task_logger(__name__)
 
 
+class BaseTask(Task):
+    abstract = True
+
+    def after_return(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        models.db.close_db(None)
+
+    def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        models.db.connect_db()
+        return super(BaseTask, self).__call__(*args, **kwargs)
+
+
 class QueryTask(object):
     MAX_RETRIES = 5
 
@@ -105,7 +117,7 @@ def cancel(self):
         return self._async_result.revoke(terminate=True)
 
 
-@celery.task
+@celery.task(base=BaseTask)
 def refresh_queries():
     # self.status['last_refresh_at'] = time.time()
     # self._save_status()
@@ -134,7 +146,7 @@ def refresh_queries():
 
     statsd_client.gauge('manager.seconds_since_refresh', now - float(status.get('last_refresh_at', now)))
 
-@celery.task(bind=True, track_started=True)
+@celery.task(bind=True, base=BaseTask, track_started=True)
 def execute_query(self, query, data_source_id):
     # TODO: maybe this should be a class?
     start_time = time.time()