diff --git a/src/lib/connectors/http.js b/src/lib/connectors/http.js
index 477f824fe..8026e7921 100644
--- a/src/lib/connectors/http.js
+++ b/src/lib/connectors/http.js
@@ -36,7 +36,9 @@ function HttpConnector(host, config) {
   config = _.defaults(config || {}, {
     keepAlive: true,
     minSockets: 10,
-    maxSockets: 10
+    // 10 makes sense but 11 actually keeps 10 sockets around
+    // https://github.com/mikeal/forever-agent/issues/8
+    maxSockets: 11
   });
 
   var Agent = this.hand.Agent; // the class
@@ -50,7 +52,8 @@ function HttpConnector(host, config) {
   }
 
   this.agent = new Agent({
-    maxSockets: config.maxSockets
+    maxSockets: config.maxSockets,
+    minSockets: config.minSockets
   });
 }
 _.inherits(HttpConnector, ConnectionAbstract);
diff --git a/test/unit/browser_builds/angular.js b/test/unit/browser_builds/angular.js
index 8440d9a6a..9e6c507c9 100644
--- a/test/unit/browser_builds/angular.js
+++ b/test/unit/browser_builds/angular.js
@@ -9,6 +9,21 @@ describe('Angular esFactory', function () {
   });
 
   var uuid = (function () { var i = 0; return function () { return ++i; }; }());
+
+  /**
+   * Perform promise based async code in a way that mocha will understand
+   * @param  {Function} cb   - node style callback
+   * @param  {Function} body - function that executes async and returns a promise/value
+   */
+  var prom = function (cb, body) {
+    expect(cb).to.be.a('function');
+    expect(body).to.be.a('function');
+
+    var promise = body();
+    expect(promise.then).to.be.a('function');
+    promise.then(function () { cb(); }, cb);
+  };
+
   function directive(makeDirective) {
     var root = document.createElement('div');
     root.setAttribute('ng-controller', 'empty-controller');
@@ -37,6 +52,7 @@ describe('Angular esFactory', function () {
       };
     });
   });
+
   it('has Transport and ConnectionPool properties', function (done) {
     directive(function (esFactory) {
       return function () {
@@ -46,11 +62,15 @@ describe('Angular esFactory', function () {
       };
     });
   });
+
   it('returns a new client when it is called', function (done) {
     directive(function (esFactory) {
       return function () {
         try {
-          var client = esFactory({ hosts: null });
+          var client = esFactory({
+            hosts: null
+          });
+
           expect(client).to.have.keys('transport');
           expect(client.transport).to.be.a(esFactory.Transport);
           client.close();
@@ -61,16 +81,36 @@ describe('Angular esFactory', function () {
       };
     });
   });
+
   it('returns an error created by calling a method incorrectly', function (done) {
     directive(function (esFactory) {
       return function () {
-        var client = esFactory({ hosts: null });
+        prom(done, function () {
+          var client = esFactory({ hosts: null });
+          return client.get().then(function () {
+            expect.fail('promise should have been rejected');
+          }, function (err) {
+            expect(err.message).to.match(/unable/i);
+          });
+        });
+      };
+    });
+  });
 
-        client.get().then(function () {
-          expect.fail('promise should have been rejected');
-        }, function (err) {
-          expect(err.message).to.match(/unable/i);
-          done();
+  it('ping\'s properly', function (done) {
+    directive(function (esFactory) {
+      return function () {
+        prom(done, function () {
+          var client = esFactory({
+            hosts: 'not-a-valid-es-host.es'
+          });
+
+          return client.ping().then(function () {
+            expect.fail('promise should have been rejected');
+          }, function (err) {
+            // this error should be "NoConnections", but in some browsers it will be a Timeout due to testing proxy or because it's IE
+            expect(err).to.be.ok();
+          });
         });
       };
     });