diff --git a/django_postgresql_reconnect/backend/base.py b/django_postgresql_reconnect/backend/base.py
index 5c6a73a..4fc8730 100644
--- a/django_postgresql_reconnect/backend/base.py
+++ b/django_postgresql_reconnect/backend/base.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 from django.db.backends.postgresql.base import DatabaseWrapper as PgDatabaseWrapper
 
 try:
-    from psycopg2 import InterfaceError
+    from psycopg2 import InterfaceError, OperationalError
     from psycopg2.extensions import STATUS_IN_TRANSACTION
 except ImportError as e:
     raise ImproperlyConfigured("Error loading psycopg2 module: %s" % e)
@@ -22,9 +22,14 @@ class DatabaseWrapper(PgDatabaseWrapper):
     def create_cursor(self, name=None):
         try:
             return super().create_cursor(name)
-        except InterfaceError:
+        except (InterfaceError, OperationalError):
             if self.should_reconnect():
-                self.reconnect()
+                try:
+                    self.reconnect()
+                except OperationalError:
+                    # reconnect() → connect() failed (e.g. transient TCP timeout).
+                    # connection is now None; attempt one more fresh connect before giving up.
+                    self.ensure_connection()
                 return super().create_cursor(name)
             raise
 
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index fcf45d5..24a8497 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ testpaths = "tests"
 log_cli = true
 addopts = "--junitxml=tests/reports/out.xml --cov=django_postgresql_reconnect --cov-report xml:tests/reports/coverage.xml  --cov-report html:tests/reports/cov_html"
 
+[tool.coverage.run]
+relative_files = true
+
 [tool.coverage.report]
 omit = [
     "*/migrations/*",
diff --git a/tests/test_backend.py b/tests/test_backend.py
index 2fea041..7ecd58c 100644
--- a/tests/test_backend.py
+++ b/tests/test_backend.py
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 
 import logging
 from copy import deepcopy
+from unittest.mock import patch
 
+import psycopg2
 import pytest
 
 from django.db import InterfaceError, connections, transaction
@@ -78,3 +80,59 @@ def test_should_reconnect_connection_not_initialized():
     connection.connection = None
 
     assert not connection.should_reconnect()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.django_db(transaction=True, databases=['default', 'sqlite'])
+def test_reconnect_on_operational_error_from_cursor(caplog):
+    """OperationalError from cursor() (zombie connection) triggers reconnect."""
+    from django.db.backends.postgresql.base import DatabaseWrapper as PgDatabaseWrapper
+
+    connection = ConnectionHandler()['default']
+    connection.connect()
+
+    original_create_cursor = PgDatabaseWrapper.create_cursor
+    call_count = 0
+
+    def create_cursor_fails_once(self, name=None):
+        nonlocal call_count
+        call_count += 1
+        if call_count == 1:
+            raise psycopg2.OperationalError('server closed the connection unexpectedly')
+        return original_create_cursor(self, name)
+
+    with patch.object(PgDatabaseWrapper, 'create_cursor', create_cursor_fails_once):
+        cursor = connection.cursor()
+
+    cursor.execute('SELECT 1')
+    assert cursor.fetchone() == (1,)
+    assert caplog.record_tuples == [
+        ('django.db.backend', logging.WARNING, 'Reconnect to the database "default"'),
+    ]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.django_db(transaction=True, databases=['default', 'sqlite'])
+def test_reconnect_retries_when_connect_fails_once(caplog):
+    """If reconnect() → connect() fails transiently, a second attempt is made."""
+    connection = ConnectionHandler()['default']
+    connection.connect()
+    connection.connection.close()  # simulate server-side disconnect (InterfaceError on cursor)
+
+    original_connect = psycopg2.connect
+    attempt = 0
+
+    def connect_fails_once(*args, **kwargs):
+        nonlocal attempt
+        attempt += 1
+        if attempt == 1:
+            raise psycopg2.OperationalError('could not connect to server: Connection timed out')
+        return original_connect(*args, **kwargs)
+
+    with patch('psycopg2.connect', side_effect=connect_fails_once):
+        cursor = connection.cursor()
+
+    cursor.execute('SELECT 1')
+    assert cursor.fetchone() == (1,)
+    assert attempt == 2
+    assert caplog.record_tuples == [
+        ('django.db.backend', logging.WARNING, 'Reconnect to the database "default"'),
+    ]