diff --git a/example_test.go b/example_test.go
index bb98fdd..c93e0b7 100644
--- a/example_test.go
+++ b/example_test.go
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ func ExamplePubSub_Receive() {
 
 	for i := 0; i < 2; i++ {
 		// ReceiveTimeout is a low level API. Use ReceiveMessage instead.
-		msgi, err := pubsub.ReceiveTimeout(500 * time.Millisecond)
+		msgi, err := pubsub.ReceiveTimeout(time.Second)
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err)
 		}
diff --git a/internal/pool/conn_stack.go b/internal/pool/conn_stack.go
index 047bc85..a26ab0e 100644
--- a/internal/pool/conn_stack.go
+++ b/internal/pool/conn_stack.go
@@ -28,17 +28,19 @@ func (s *connStack) Push(cn *Conn) {
 	s.free <- struct{}{}
 }
 
-func (s *connStack) ShiftStale(timeout time.Duration) *Conn {
+func (s *connStack) ShiftStale(idleTimeout time.Duration) *Conn {
 	select {
 	case <-s.free:
 		s.mu.Lock()
 		defer s.mu.Unlock()
 
-		if cn := s.cns[0]; cn.IsStale(timeout) {
+		if cn := s.cns[0]; cn.IsStale(idleTimeout) {
 			copy(s.cns, s.cns[1:])
 			s.cns = s.cns[:len(s.cns)-1]
 			return cn
 		}
+
+		s.free <- struct{}{}
 		return nil
 	default:
 		return nil
diff --git a/internal/pool/pool.go b/internal/pool/pool.go
index d5c91db..243ebea 100644
--- a/internal/pool/pool.go
+++ b/internal/pool/pool.go
@@ -83,6 +83,15 @@ func (p *ConnPool) isIdle(cn *Conn) bool {
 	return p.idleTimeout > 0 && time.Since(cn.UsedAt) > p.idleTimeout
 }
 
+func (p *ConnPool) Add(cn *Conn) bool {
+	if !p.conns.Reserve() {
+		return false
+	}
+	p.conns.Add(cn)
+	p.Put(cn)
+	return true
+}
+
 // First returns first non-idle connection from the pool or nil if
 // there are no connections.
 func (p *ConnPool) First() *Conn {
@@ -216,6 +225,12 @@ func (p *ConnPool) Replace(cn *Conn, reason error) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (p *ConnPool) Remove(cn *Conn, reason error) error {
+	p.storeLastErr(reason.Error())
+	_ = cn.Close()
+	return p.conns.Remove(cn)
+}
+
 // Len returns total number of connections.
 func (p *ConnPool) Len() int {
 	return p.conns.Len()
@@ -253,6 +268,20 @@ func (p *ConnPool) Close() (retErr error) {
 	return retErr
 }
 
+func (p *ConnPool) ReapStaleConns() (n int, err error) {
+	for {
+		cn := p.freeConns.ShiftStale(p.idleTimeout)
+		if cn == nil {
+			break
+		}
+		if err = p.Remove(cn, errors.New("connection is stale")); err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+		n++
+	}
+	return
+}
+
 func (p *ConnPool) reaper() {
 	ticker := time.NewTicker(time.Minute)
 	defer ticker.Stop()
@@ -261,13 +290,11 @@ func (p *ConnPool) reaper() {
 		if p.closed() {
 			break
 		}
-
-		for {
-			cn := p.freeConns.ShiftStale(p.idleTimeout)
-			if cn == nil {
-				break
-			}
-			_ = p.conns.Remove(cn)
+		n, err := p.ReapStaleConns()
+		if err != nil {
+			Logger.Printf("ReapStaleConns failed: %s", err)
+		} else if n > 0 {
+			Logger.Printf("removed %d stale connections", n)
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/pool/pool_test.go b/internal/pool/pool_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..07d3a52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/pool/pool_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+package pool_test
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"net"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo"
+	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
+
+	"gopkg.in/redis.v3/internal/pool"
+)
+
+func TestGinkgoSuite(t *testing.T) {
+	RegisterFailHandler(Fail)
+	RunSpecs(t, "pool")
+}
+
+var _ = Describe("conns reapser", func() {
+	var connPool *pool.ConnPool
+
+	BeforeEach(func() {
+		dial := func() (net.Conn, error) {
+			return &net.TCPConn{}, nil
+		}
+		connPool = pool.NewConnPool(dial, 10, 0, time.Minute)
+
+		// add stale connections
+		for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
+			cn := pool.NewConn(&net.TCPConn{})
+			cn.UsedAt = time.Now().Add(-2 * time.Minute)
+			Expect(connPool.Add(cn)).To(BeTrue())
+		}
+
+		// add fresh connections
+		for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
+			cn := pool.NewConn(&net.TCPConn{})
+			Expect(connPool.Add(cn)).To(BeTrue())
+		}
+
+		Expect(connPool.Len()).To(Equal(6))
+		Expect(connPool.FreeLen()).To(Equal(6))
+
+		n, err := connPool.ReapStaleConns()
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(n).To(Equal(3))
+	})
+
+	It("reaps stale connections", func() {
+		Expect(connPool.Len()).To(Equal(3))
+		Expect(connPool.FreeLen()).To(Equal(3))
+	})
+
+	It("pool is functional", func() {
+		for j := 0; j < 3; j++ {
+			var freeCns []*pool.Conn
+			for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
+				cn := connPool.First()
+				Expect(cn).NotTo(BeNil())
+				freeCns = append(freeCns, cn)
+			}
+
+			Expect(connPool.Len()).To(Equal(3))
+			Expect(connPool.FreeLen()).To(Equal(0))
+
+			cn := connPool.First()
+			Expect(cn).To(BeNil())
+
+			cn, isNew, err := connPool.Get()
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(isNew).To(BeTrue())
+			Expect(cn).NotTo(BeNil())
+
+			Expect(connPool.Len()).To(Equal(4))
+			Expect(connPool.FreeLen()).To(Equal(0))
+
+			err = connPool.Remove(cn, errors.New("test"))
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+
+			Expect(connPool.Len()).To(Equal(3))
+			Expect(connPool.FreeLen()).To(Equal(0))
+
+			for _, cn := range freeCns {
+				err := connPool.Put(cn)
+				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			}
+
+			Expect(connPool.Len()).To(Equal(3))
+			Expect(connPool.FreeLen()).To(Equal(3))
+		}
+	})
+})