diff --git a/lib/db/index.js b/lib/db/index.js
index 5eaa2833..0d5c0988 100644
--- a/lib/db/index.js
+++ b/lib/db/index.js
@@ -101,6 +101,21 @@ db.connect = (function() {
   }
 })()
 
+// Verifies that we can form a connection. Useful if it's necessary to make
+// sure that a handler doesn't run at all if the database is on a break. In
+// normal operation connections are formed lazily. In particular, this was
+// an issue with the processor unit, as it started processing messages before
+// it was actually truly able to save anything to the database. This lead to
+// lost messages in certain situations.
+db.ensureConnectivity = function(fn) {
+  return function() {
+    var args = [].slice.call(arguments)
+    return db.connect().then(function() {
+      return fn.apply(null, args)
+    })
+  }
+}
+
 // Close connection, we don't really care if it hasn't been created yet or not
 db.close = function() {
   return db.connect().then(function(conn) {
diff --git a/lib/units/processor/index.js b/lib/units/processor/index.js
index dfe464c1..d2a866c1 100644
--- a/lib/units/processor/index.js
+++ b/lib/units/processor/index.js
@@ -4,12 +4,13 @@ var logger = require('../../util/logger')
 var wire = require('../../wire')
 var wirerouter = require('../../wire/router')
 var wireutil = require('../../wire/util')
+var db = require('../../db')
 var dbapi = require('../../db/api')
 var lifecycle = require('../../util/lifecycle')
 var srv = require('../../util/srv')
 var zmqutil = require('../../util/zmqutil')
 
-module.exports = function(options) {
+module.exports = db.ensureConnectivity(function(options) {
   var log = logger.createLogger('processor')
 
   if (options.name) {
@@ -241,4 +242,4 @@ module.exports = function(options) {
       }
     })
   })
-}
+})