diff --git a/conn.go b/conn.go
index bd098646..20844e57 100644
--- a/conn.go
+++ b/conn.go
@@ -795,9 +795,11 @@ func (c *Conn) prepareEx(name, sql string, opts *PrepareExOptions) (ps *Prepared
 	buf = append(buf, 'S')
 	buf = pgio.AppendInt32(buf, 4)
 
-	_, err = c.conn.Write(buf)
+	n, err := c.conn.Write(buf)
 	if err != nil {
-		c.die(err)
+		if fatalWriteErr(n, err) {
+			c.die(err)
+		}
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	c.readyForQuery = false
@@ -1085,8 +1087,8 @@ func (c *Conn) sendPreparedQuery(ps *PreparedStatement, arguments ...interface{}
 	buf = append(buf, 'S')
 	buf = pgio.AppendInt32(buf, 4)
 
-	_, err = c.conn.Write(buf)
-	if err != nil {
+	n, err := c.conn.Write(buf)
+	if err != nil && fatalWriteErr(n, err) {
 		c.die(err)
 	}
 	c.readyForQuery = false
@@ -1094,6 +1096,17 @@ func (c *Conn) sendPreparedQuery(ps *PreparedStatement, arguments ...interface{}
 	return err
 }
 
+// fatalWriteError takes the response of a net.Conn.Write and determines if it is fatal
+func fatalWriteErr(bytesWritten int, err error) bool {
+	// Partial writes break the connection
+	if bytesWritten > 0 {
+		return true
+	}
+
+	netErr, is := err.(net.Error)
+	return !(is && netErr.Timeout())
+}
+
 // Exec executes sql. sql can be either a prepared statement name or an SQL string.
 // arguments should be referenced positionally from the sql string as $1, $2, etc.
 func (c *Conn) Exec(sql string, arguments ...interface{}) (commandTag CommandTag, err error) {
diff --git a/query.go b/query.go
index 681c133b..44bf004a 100644
--- a/query.go
+++ b/query.go
@@ -398,16 +398,15 @@ func (c *Conn) QueryEx(ctx context.Context, sql string, options *QueryExOptions,
 	err = c.initContext(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		rows.fatal(err)
-		return rows, err
+		return rows, rows.err
 	}
 
 	err = c.sendPreparedQuery(ps, args...)
 	if err != nil {
 		rows.fatal(err)
-		err = c.termContext(err)
 	}
 
-	return rows, err
+	return rows, rows.err
 }
 
 func (c *Conn) sanitizeAndSendSimpleQuery(sql string, args ...interface{}) (err error) {