diff --git a/classes/Memcached_DataObject.php b/classes/Memcached_DataObject.php
index e1d58dd70e..674de9bc5b 100644
--- a/classes/Memcached_DataObject.php
+++ b/classes/Memcached_DataObject.php
@@ -171,15 +171,22 @@ class Memcached_DataObject extends DB_DataObject
 	}
 
     function getSearchEngine($table) {
-        require_once INSTALLDIR.'/classes/SearchEngines.php';
+        require_once INSTALLDIR.'/lib/search_engines.php';
         static $search_engine;
         if (!isset($search_engine)) {
+                $connected = false;
                 if (common_config('sphinx', 'enabled')) {
                     $search_engine = new SphinxSearch($this, $table);
-                } elseif ('mysql' === common_config('db', 'type')) {
-                    $search_engine = new MySQLSearch($this, $table);
-                } else {
-                    $search_engine = new PGSearch($this, $table);
+                    $connected = $search_engine->is_connected();
+                }
+
+                // unable to connect to sphinx' search daemon
+                if (!$connected) {
+                    if ('mysql' === common_config('db', 'type')) {
+                        $search_engine = new MySQLSearch($this, $table);
+                    } else {
+                        $search_engine = new PGSearch($this, $table);
+                    }
                 }
         }
         return $search_engine;
diff --git a/classes/SearchEngines.php b/lib/search_engines.php
similarity index 91%
rename from classes/SearchEngines.php
rename to lib/search_engines.php
index 96fd7da90d..7fcc1ffcb0 100644
--- a/classes/SearchEngines.php
+++ b/lib/search_engines.php
@@ -43,11 +43,23 @@ class SearchEngine {
 
 class SphinxSearch extends SearchEngine {
     private $sphinx;
+    private $connected;
 
     function __construct($target, $table) {
+        $fp = @fsockopen(common_config('sphinx', 'server'), common_config('sphinx', 'port'));
+        if (!$fp) {
+            $this->connected = false;
+            return;
+        }
+        fclose($fp);
         parent::__construct($target, $table);
         $this->sphinx = new SphinxClient;
         $this->sphinx->setServer(common_config('sphinx', 'server'), common_config('sphinx', 'port'));
+        $this->connected = true;
+    }
+
+    function is_connected() {
+        return $this->connected;
     }
 
     function limit($offset, $count, $rss = false) {