diff --git a/lib/client.js b/lib/client.js
index 1706675..a47da62 100644
--- a/lib/client.js
+++ b/lib/client.js
@@ -621,6 +621,15 @@ Client.prototype.search = function(base, options, controls, callback) {
   if (typeof(callback) !== 'function')
     throw new TypeError('callback (function) required');
 
+  if (options.attributes) {
+    if (Array.isArray(options.attributes)) {
+      // noop
+    } else if (typeof(options.attributes) === 'string') {
+      options.attributes = [options.attributes];
+    } else {
+      throw new TypeError('options.attributes must be an Array of Strings');
+    }
+  }
   var req = new SearchRequest({
     baseObject: typeof(base) === 'string' ? dn.parse(base) : base,
     scope: options.scope || 'base',
@@ -633,6 +642,8 @@ Client.prototype.search = function(base, options, controls, callback) {
     controls: controls
   });
 
+
+
   if (!this.connection)
     return callback(new ConnectionError('no connection'));
 
@@ -698,18 +709,24 @@ Client.prototype._send = function(message, expect, callback, connection) {
 
   var self = this;
 
-  function closedConn() {
-    if (conn)
-      conn.destroy();
+  function closeConn(err) {
+    var err = err || new ConnectionError('no connection');
+
+    // This is lame, but we want to send the original error back, whereas
+    // this will trigger a connection event
+    process.nextTick(function() {
+      if (conn)
+        conn.destroy();
+    });
 
     if (typeof(callback) === 'function')
-      return callback(new ConnectionError('no connection'));
+      return callback(err);
 
-    return callback.emit('error', new ConnectionError('no connection'));
+    return callback.emit('error', err);
   }
 
   if (!conn)
-    return closedConn();
+    return closeConn();
 
   // Now set up the callback in the messages table
   message.messageID = conn.ldap.nextMessageID;
@@ -784,8 +801,7 @@ Client.prototype._send = function(message, expect, callback, connection) {
   try {
     return conn.write(message.toBer(), _writeCb);
   } catch (e) {
-    conn.end();
-    return closedConn();
+    return closeConn(e);
   }
 };
 
diff --git a/tst/laundry.test.js b/tst/laundry.test.js
index d8aafc6..32d64ba 100644
--- a/tst/laundry.test.js
+++ b/tst/laundry.test.js
@@ -9,11 +9,36 @@ var ldap = require('../lib/index');
 ///--- Globals
 
 var SOCKET = '/tmp/.' + uuid();
+var SUFFIX = 'dc=' + uuid();
 
 var client;
 var server;
 
 
+
+///--- Helper
+
+function search(t, options, callback) {
+  client.search(SUFFIX, options, function(err, res) {
+    t.ifError(err);
+    t.ok(res);
+    var found = false;
+    res.on('searchEntry', function(entry) {
+      t.ok(entry);
+      found = true;
+    });
+    res.on('end', function() {
+      t.ok(found);
+      if (callback)
+        return callback();
+
+      t.end();
+    });
+  });
+}
+
+
+
 ///--- Tests
 
 test('setup', function(t) {
@@ -24,32 +49,30 @@ test('setup', function(t) {
       socketPath: SOCKET
     });
     t.ok(client);
-    // client.log4js.setLevel('Debug');
     t.end();
   });
+
+  server.search(SUFFIX, function(req, res, next) {
+    var entry = {
+      dn: 'cn=foo, ' + SUFFIX,
+      attributes: {
+        objectclass: ['person', 'top'],
+        cn: 'Pogo Stick',
+        sn: 'Stick',
+        givenname: 'ogo',
+        mail: uuid() + '@pogostick.org'
+      }
+    };
+    
+    if (req.filter.matches(entry.attributes))
+      res.send(entry);
+
+    res.end();
+  });
 });
 
 
 test('Evolution search filter (GH-3)', function(t) {
-  var suffix = 'dc=' + uuid();
-  var entry = {
-    dn: 'cn=foo, ' + suffix,
-    attributes: {
-      objectclass: ['person', 'top'],
-      cn: 'Pogo Stick',
-      sn: 'Stick',
-      givenname: 'ogo',
-      mail: uuid() + '@pogostick.org'
-    }
-  };
-
-  server.search(suffix, function(req, res, next) {
-    console.log(req.filter.filters[0].type);
-    if (req.filter.matches(entry.attributes))
-      res.send(entry);
-    res.end();
-  });
-
   // This is what Evolution sends, when searching for a contact 'ogo'. Wow.
   var filter =
     '(|(cn=ogo*)(givenname=ogo*)(sn=ogo*)(mail=ogo*)(member=ogo*)' +
@@ -69,19 +92,17 @@ test('Evolution search filter (GH-3)', function(t) {
     '(anniversary=ogo*)(birthdate=ogo*)(mailer=ogo*)(fileas=ogo*)' +
     '(category=ogo*)(calcaluri=ogo*)(calfburl=ogo*)(icscalendar=ogo*))';
 
-  client.search(suffix, filter, function(err, res) {
-    t.ifError(err);
-    t.ok(res);
-    var found = false;
-    res.on('searchEntry', function(entry) {
-      t.ok(entry);
-      found = true;
-    });
-    res.on('end', function() {
-      t.ok(found);
-      t.end();
-    });
-  });
+  return search(t, filter);
+});
+
+
+test('GH-49 Client errors on bad attributes', function(t) {
+  var searchOpts = {
+    filter: 'cn=*ogo*',
+    scope: 'one',
+    attributes: 'dn'
+  };
+  return search(t, searchOpts);
 });