diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/DeployMessage.scala b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/DeployMessage.scala
index a7368f9f3dfbe..b9dd8557ee904 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/DeployMessage.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/DeployMessage.scala
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ private[deploy] object DeployMessages {
 
   case class RegisterWorkerFailed(message: String) extends DeployMessage
 
+  case class ReconnectWorker(masterUrl: String) extends DeployMessage
+
   case class KillExecutor(masterUrl: String, appId: String, execId: Int) extends DeployMessage
 
   case class LaunchExecutor(
diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/master/Master.scala b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/master/Master.scala
index f98b531316a3d..3b6bb9fe128a4 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/master/Master.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/master/Master.scala
@@ -341,7 +341,14 @@ private[spark] class Master(
         case Some(workerInfo) =>
           workerInfo.lastHeartbeat = System.currentTimeMillis()
         case None =>
-          logWarning("Got heartbeat from unregistered worker " + workerId)
+          if (workers.map(_.id).contains(workerId)) {
+            logWarning(s"Got heartbeat from unregistered worker $workerId." +
+              " Asking it to re-register.")
+            sender ! ReconnectWorker(masterUrl)
+          } else {
+            logWarning(s"Got heartbeat from unregistered worker $workerId." +
+              " This worker was never registered, so ignoring the heartbeat.")
+          }
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/worker/Worker.scala b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/worker/Worker.scala
index 9b52cb06fb6fa..c4a8ec2e5e7b0 100755
--- a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/worker/Worker.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/worker/Worker.scala
@@ -20,12 +20,14 @@ package org.apache.spark.deploy.worker
 import java.io.File
 import java.io.IOException
 import java.text.SimpleDateFormat
-import java.util.Date
+import java.util.{UUID, Date}
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit
 
 import scala.collection.JavaConversions._
 import scala.collection.mutable.HashMap
 import scala.concurrent.duration._
 import scala.language.postfixOps
+import scala.util.Random
 
 import akka.actor._
 import akka.remote.{DisassociatedEvent, RemotingLifecycleEvent}
@@ -64,8 +66,22 @@ private[spark] class Worker(
   // Send a heartbeat every (heartbeat timeout) / 4 milliseconds
   val HEARTBEAT_MILLIS = conf.getLong("spark.worker.timeout", 60) * 1000 / 4
 
-  val REGISTRATION_TIMEOUT = 20.seconds
-  val REGISTRATION_RETRIES = 3
+  // Model retries to connect to the master, after Hadoop's model.
+  // The first six attempts to reconnect are in shorter intervals (between 5 and 15 seconds)
+  // Afterwards, the next 10 attempts are between 30 and 90 seconds.
+  // A bit of randomness is introduced so that not all of the workers attempt to reconnect at
+  // the same time.
+  val INITIAL_REGISTRATION_RETRIES = 6
+  val TOTAL_REGISTRATION_RETRIES = INITIAL_REGISTRATION_RETRIES + 10
+  val FUZZ_MULTIPLIER_INTERVAL_LOWER_BOUND = 0.500
+  val REGISTRATION_RETRY_FUZZ_MULTIPLIER = {
+    val randomNumberGenerator = new Random(UUID.randomUUID.getMostSignificantBits)
+    randomNumberGenerator.nextDouble + FUZZ_MULTIPLIER_INTERVAL_LOWER_BOUND
+  }
+  val INITIAL_REGISTRATION_RETRY_INTERVAL = (math.round(10 *
+    REGISTRATION_RETRY_FUZZ_MULTIPLIER)).seconds
+  val PROLONGED_REGISTRATION_RETRY_INTERVAL = (math.round(60
+    * REGISTRATION_RETRY_FUZZ_MULTIPLIER)).seconds
 
   val CLEANUP_ENABLED = conf.getBoolean("spark.worker.cleanup.enabled", false)
   // How often worker will clean up old app folders
@@ -103,6 +119,7 @@ private[spark] class Worker(
 
   var coresUsed = 0
   var memoryUsed = 0
+  var connectionAttemptCount = 0
 
   val metricsSystem = MetricsSystem.createMetricsSystem("worker", conf, securityMgr)
   val workerSource = new WorkerSource(this)
@@ -158,7 +175,7 @@ private[spark] class Worker(
     connected = true
   }
 
-  def tryRegisterAllMasters() {
+  private def tryRegisterAllMasters() {
     for (masterUrl <- masterUrls) {
       logInfo("Connecting to master " + masterUrl + "...")
       val actor = context.actorSelection(Master.toAkkaUrl(masterUrl))
@@ -166,26 +183,47 @@ private[spark] class Worker(
     }
   }
 
-  def registerWithMaster() {
-    tryRegisterAllMasters()
-    var retries = 0
-    registrationRetryTimer = Some {
-      context.system.scheduler.schedule(REGISTRATION_TIMEOUT, REGISTRATION_TIMEOUT) {
-        Utils.tryOrExit {
-          retries += 1
-          if (registered) {
-            registrationRetryTimer.foreach(_.cancel())
-          } else if (retries >= REGISTRATION_RETRIES) {
-            logError("All masters are unresponsive! Giving up.")
-            System.exit(1)
-          } else {
-            tryRegisterAllMasters()
+  private def retryConnectToMaster() {
+    Utils.tryOrExit {
+      connectionAttemptCount += 1
+      logInfo(s"Attempting to connect to master (attempt # $connectionAttemptCount")
+      if (registered) {
+        registrationRetryTimer.foreach(_.cancel())
+        registrationRetryTimer = None
+      } else if (connectionAttemptCount <= TOTAL_REGISTRATION_RETRIES) {
+        tryRegisterAllMasters()
+        if (connectionAttemptCount == INITIAL_REGISTRATION_RETRIES) {
+          registrationRetryTimer.foreach(_.cancel())
+          registrationRetryTimer = Some {
+            context.system.scheduler.schedule(PROLONGED_REGISTRATION_RETRY_INTERVAL,
+              PROLONGED_REGISTRATION_RETRY_INTERVAL)(retryConnectToMaster)
           }
         }
+      } else {
+        logError("All masters are unresponsive! Giving up.")
+        System.exit(1)
       }
     }
   }
 
+  def registerWithMaster() {
+    // DisassociatedEvent may be triggered multiple times, so don't attempt registration
+    // if there are outstanding registration attempts scheduled.
+    registrationRetryTimer match {
+      case None =>
+        registered = false
+        tryRegisterAllMasters()
+        connectionAttemptCount = 0
+        registrationRetryTimer = Some {
+          context.system.scheduler.schedule(INITIAL_REGISTRATION_RETRY_INTERVAL,
+            INITIAL_REGISTRATION_RETRY_INTERVAL)(retryConnectToMaster)
+        }
+      case Some(_) =>
+        logInfo("Not spawning another attempt to register with the master, since there is an" +
+          " attempt scheduled already.")
+    }
+  }
+
   override def receiveWithLogging = {
     case RegisteredWorker(masterUrl, masterWebUiUrl) =>
       logInfo("Successfully registered with master " + masterUrl)
@@ -243,6 +281,10 @@ private[spark] class Worker(
         System.exit(1)
       }
 
+    case ReconnectWorker(masterUrl) =>
+      logInfo(s"Master with url $masterUrl requested this worker to reconnect.")
+      registerWithMaster()
+
     case LaunchExecutor(masterUrl, appId, execId, appDesc, cores_, memory_) =>
       if (masterUrl != activeMasterUrl) {
         logWarning("Invalid Master (" + masterUrl + ") attempted to launch executor.")
@@ -362,9 +404,10 @@ private[spark] class Worker(
     }
   }
 
-  def masterDisconnected() {
+  private def masterDisconnected() {
     logError("Connection to master failed! Waiting for master to reconnect...")
     connected = false
+    registerWithMaster()
   }
 
   def generateWorkerId(): String = {