--- docs/manual/mod/mod_proxy.xml	(revision 1438130)
+++ docs/manual/mod/mod_proxy.xml	(working copy)
@@ -1015,6 +1015,15 @@ 
         set to <code>Off</code>.
         Available with Apache HTTP Server 2.2.23 and later.
     </td></tr>
+    <tr><td>failonbadgateway</td>
+        <td>Off</td>
+	<td>If set to <code>On</code>, forces a backend worker into error state
+	if there's a communication failure with it (eg: timeout, invalid status
+	line, etc.).  Worker recovery behaves the same as other worker errors.
+	Defaults to <code>Off</code> to retain the original behaviour of
+	returning a <code>HTTP_BAD_GATEWAY</code> response to the client.
+	Available with Apache HTTP Server 2.2.24 and later.
+    </td></tr>
     
     </table>
     <p>A sample balancer setup</p>
--- CHANGES	(revision 1438130)
+++ CHANGES	(working copy)
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ 
   *) mod_ssl: Add new directive SSLCompression to disable TLS-level
      compression. PR 53219. [Björn Jacke <bjoern j3e de>, Stefan Fritsch]
 
+  *) mod_proxy: Add the failonbadgateway parameter that determines if a
+     communications error with a backend should result in that backend being
+     marked as in error. [Brian Kroth]
+
 Changes with Apache 2.2.23
 
   *) SECURITY: CVE-2012-0883 (cve.mitre.org)
--- modules/proxy/proxy_util.c	(revision 1438130)
+++ modules/proxy/proxy_util.c	(working copy)
@@ -1315,6 +1315,7 @@ 
     (*balancer)->workers = apr_array_make(p, 5, sizeof(proxy_worker));
 
     (*balancer)->forcerecovery = 1;
+    (*balancer)->failonbadgateway = 0;
     /* XXX Is this a right place to create mutex */
 #if APR_HAS_THREADS
     if (apr_thread_mutex_create(&((*balancer)->mutex),
--- modules/proxy/mod_proxy.c	(revision 1438130)
+++ modules/proxy/mod_proxy.c	(working copy)
@@ -395,6 +395,14 @@ 
         else
             return "forcerecovery must be On|Off";
     }
+    else if (!strcasecmp(key, "failonbadgateway")) {
+        if (!strcasecmp(val, "on"))
+            balancer->failonbadgateway = 1;
+        else if (!strcasecmp(val, "off"))
+            balancer->failonbadgateway = 0;
+        else
+            return "failonbadgateway must be On|Off";
+    }
     else {
         return "unknown Balancer parameter";
     }
@@ -1053,6 +1061,34 @@ 
                 worker->s->error_time = apr_time_now();
             }
         }
+        else if (access_status == HTTP_BAD_GATEWAY) {
+            /* Backend had a communications error (eg: timeout, protocol
+             * violation, etc.)
+             *
+             * This is provided for the case where the backend connects (or
+             * keep-alives are in use), but fails to respond in a timely manner
+             * or is having some other sort of difficulties that prevent it
+             * from returning useful data.  In that case, we may wish to no
+             * longer use that backend.  It should be noted that failonstatus
+             * doesn't cover this case since here the backend may return no
+             * status line or a corrupt one resulting in nothing to match on.
+             *
+             * This could instead be implemented, for instance, in
+             * mod_proxy_http.c:ap_proxy_http_process_response():1412, but this
+             * is a bit more general and should apply to all backend
+             * communication failures (at least from what I've seen looking
+             * through the code).
+             *
+             * DONE: Make this behavior dependent upon a configuration setting
+             * for the balacner (eg: failonbadgateway).
+             * 2013-02-01
+             * bpkroth
+             */
+            if (balancer && balancer->failonbadgateway) {
+                worker->s->status |= PROXY_WORKER_IN_ERROR;
+                worker->s->error_time = apr_time_now();
+            }
+        }
         else {
             /* Unrecoverable error.
              * Return the origin status code to the client.
--- modules/proxy/mod_proxy.h	(revision 1438130)
+++ modules/proxy/mod_proxy.h	(working copy)
@@ -389,6 +389,7 @@ 
 
     apr_array_header_t *errstatuses; /* statuses to force members into error */
     int forcerecovery; /* Force recovery if all workers are in error state */
+    int failonbadgateway; /* Force members into error on communications failure */
 };
 
 struct proxy_balancer_method {
--- include/ap_mmn.h	(revision 1438130)
+++ include/ap_mmn.h	(working copy)
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ 
  * 20051115.29 (2.2.21) add max_ranges to core_dir_config
  * 20051115.30 (2.2.21) add ap_set_accept_ranges()
  * 20051115.31 (2.2.23) Add forcerecovery to proxy_balancer_shared struct
+ * 20051115.32 (2.2.24) Add failonbadgateway to proxy_balancer_shared struct
  */
 
 #define MODULE_MAGIC_COOKIE 0x41503232UL /* "AP22" */
@@ -156,7 +157,7 @@ 
 #ifndef MODULE_MAGIC_NUMBER_MAJOR
 #define MODULE_MAGIC_NUMBER_MAJOR 20051115
 #endif
-#define MODULE_MAGIC_NUMBER_MINOR 31                    /* 0...n */
+#define MODULE_MAGIC_NUMBER_MINOR 32                    /* 0...n */
 
 /**
  * Determine if the server's current MODULE_MAGIC_NUMBER is at least a