diff --git a/django_q/brokers/orm.py b/django_q/brokers/orm.py
index f3a39ee..0e65863 100644
--- a/django_q/brokers/orm.py
+++ b/django_q/brokers/orm.py
@@ -2,10 +2,12 @@ from datetime import timedelta
 from time import sleep
 
 from django.utils import timezone
+from django import db
+from django.db import transaction
 
 from django_q.brokers import Broker
 from django_q.models import OrmQ
-from django_q.conf import Conf
+from django_q.conf import Conf, logger
 
 
 def _timeout():
@@ -15,16 +17,23 @@ def _timeout():
 class ORM(Broker):
     @staticmethod
     def get_connection(list_key=Conf.PREFIX):
+        if transaction.get_autocommit():  # Only True when not in an atomic block
+            # Make sure stale connections in the broker thread are explicitly
+            #   closed before attempting DB access.
+            # logger.debug("Broker thread calling close_old_connections")
+            db.close_old_connections()
+        else:
+            logger.debug("Broker in an atomic transaction")
         return OrmQ.objects.using(Conf.ORM)
 
     def queue_size(self):
-        return self.connection.filter(key=self.list_key, lock__lte=_timeout()).count()
+        return self.get_connection().filter(key=self.list_key, lock__lte=_timeout()).count()
 
     def lock_size(self):
-        return self.connection.filter(key=self.list_key, lock__gt=_timeout()).count()
+        return self.get_connection().filter(key=self.list_key, lock__gt=_timeout()).count()
 
     def purge_queue(self):
-        return self.connection.filter(key=self.list_key).delete()
+        return self.get_connection().filter(key=self.list_key).delete()
 
     def ping(self):
         return True
@@ -38,11 +47,11 @@ class ORM(Broker):
         self.delete(task_id)
 
     def enqueue(self, task):
-        package = self.connection.create(key=self.list_key, payload=task, lock=_timeout())
+        package = self.get_connection().create(key=self.list_key, payload=task, lock=_timeout())
         return package.pk
 
     def dequeue(self):
-        tasks = self.connection.filter(key=self.list_key, lock__lt=_timeout())[0:Conf.BULK]
+        tasks = self.get_connection().filter(key=self.list_key, lock__lt=_timeout())[0:Conf.BULK]
         if tasks:
             task_list = []
             lock = timezone.now()
@@ -58,7 +67,8 @@ class ORM(Broker):
         return self.purge_queue()
 
     def delete(self, task_id):
-        self.connection.filter(pk=task_id).delete()
+        self.get_connection().filter(pk=task_id).delete()
 
     def acknowledge(self, task_id):
         return self.delete(task_id)
+