diff --git a/coolamqp/backends/pyamqp.py b/coolamqp/backends/pyamqp.py
index 8f50e2d7c437626c177e41b6bc7df3eb4c30416c..1f0cd26ddf3bd0cc2700daaa3b17db9e6932aaea 100644
--- a/coolamqp/backends/pyamqp.py
+++ b/coolamqp/backends/pyamqp.py
@@ -32,8 +32,10 @@ class PyAMQPBackend(AMQPBackend):
                                           password=node.password,
                                           virtual_host=node.virtual_host,
                                           heartbeat=node.heartbeat or 0)
-
-        self.connection.connect()     #todo what does this raise?
+        try:
+            self.connection.connect()     #todo what does this raise?
+        except AttributeError:
+            pass    # this does not always have to exist
         self.channel = self.connection.channel()
 
     def shutdown(self):