diff --git a/src/helpers.cpp b/src/helpers.cpp
index bd9b93a8..a366b283 100644
--- a/src/helpers.cpp
+++ b/src/helpers.cpp
@@ -40,6 +40,27 @@ const MPD::Song *currentSong(const BaseScreen *screen)
 	return ptr;
 }
 
+MPD::SongIterator getDatabaseIterator(MPD::Connection &mpd)
+{
+	MPD::SongIterator result;
+	try
+	{
+		result = mpd.GetDirectoryRecursive("/");
+	}
+	catch (MPD::ClientError &e)
+	{
+		if (e.code() == MPD_ERROR_CLOSED)
+		{
+			// If we can't get the database, display appropriate
+			// error message and reconnect with the MPD server.
+			Statusbar::print("Unable to fetch the data, increase max_buffer_output_size in your MPD configuration file");
+			mpd.Disconnect();
+			mpd.Connect();
+		}
+	}
+	return result;
+}
+
 typedef std::vector<MPD::Song>::const_iterator VectorSongIterator;
 bool addSongsToPlaylist(VectorSongIterator first, VectorSongIterator last, bool play, int position)
 {
diff --git a/src/helpers.h b/src/helpers.h
index 79dd6c64..9a100732 100644
--- a/src/helpers.h
+++ b/src/helpers.h
@@ -394,6 +394,8 @@ bool addSongToPlaylist(const MPD::Song &s, bool play, int position = -1);
 
 const MPD::Song *currentSong(const BaseScreen *screen);
 
+MPD::SongIterator getDatabaseIterator(MPD::Connection &mpd);
+
 std::string timeFormat(const char *format, time_t t);
 
 std::string Timestamp(time_t t);
diff --git a/src/media_library.cpp b/src/media_library.cpp
index 7e5fba12..2063141f 100644
--- a/src/media_library.cpp
+++ b/src/media_library.cpp
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ void MediaLibrary::update()
 		{
 			m_albums_update_request = false;
 			std::map<std::tuple<std::string, std::string, std::string>, time_t> albums;
-			for (MPD::SongIterator s = Mpd.GetDirectoryRecursive("/"), end; s != end; ++s)
+			for (MPD::SongIterator s = getDatabaseIterator(Mpd), end; s != end; ++s)
 			{
 				std::string tag;
 				unsigned idx = 0;
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ void MediaLibrary::update()
 			std::map<std::string, time_t> tags;
 			if (Config.media_library_sort_by_mtime)
 			{
-				for (MPD::SongIterator s = Mpd.GetDirectoryRecursive("/"), end; s != end; ++s)
+				for (MPD::SongIterator s = getDatabaseIterator(Mpd), end; s != end; ++s)
 				{
 					std::string tag;
 					unsigned idx = 0;
diff --git a/src/search_engine.cpp b/src/search_engine.cpp
index eb6b5ac4..7979c3d2 100644
--- a/src/search_engine.cpp
+++ b/src/search_engine.cpp
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ void SearchEngine::Search()
 	input_song_iterator s, end;
 	if (Config.search_in_db)
 	{
-		s = input_song_iterator(Mpd.GetDirectoryRecursive("/"));
+		s = input_song_iterator(getDatabaseIterator(Mpd));
 		end = input_song_iterator(MPD::SongIterator());
 	}
 	else