diff --git a/charge-controller-supervisor/src/controller/tristar.rs b/charge-controller-supervisor/src/controller/tristar.rs
index cbbf234..04b0583 100644
--- a/charge-controller-supervisor/src/controller/tristar.rs
+++ b/charge-controller-supervisor/src/controller/tristar.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
+use modbus_wrapper::ModbusTimeout;
 use prometheus::core::{AtomicI64, GenericGauge};
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
-use tokio_modbus::client::{Reader, Writer};
 
 use crate::gauges::{
     BATTERY_TEMP, BATTERY_VOLTAGE, CHARGE_STATE, HEATSINK_TEMP, INPUT_CURRENT, TARGET_VOLTAGE,
@@ -55,57 +55,10 @@ pub struct Tristar {
     consecutive_errors: usize,
     scaling: Scaling,
     settings_last_read: Option<std::time::Instant>,
-    transport_settings: crate::config::Transport,
 }
 
-struct ModbusTimeout {
-    context: tokio_modbus::client::Context,
-    reconnect_required: bool,
-}
+mod modbus_wrapper;
 
-const MODBUS_TIMEOUT: std::time::Duration = std::time::Duration::from_secs(3);
-
-impl ModbusTimeout {
-    const fn new(context: tokio_modbus::client::Context) -> Self {
-        Self {
-            context,
-            reconnect_required: false,
-        }
-    }
-
-    pub async fn write_single_register(
-        &mut self,
-        addr: tokio_modbus::Address,
-        word: u16,
-    ) -> eyre::Result<()> {
-        let r = tokio::time::timeout(
-            MODBUS_TIMEOUT,
-            self.context.write_single_register(addr, word),
-        )
-        .await?;
-        if let Err(tokio_modbus::Error::Transport(_)) = &r {
-            self.reconnect_required = true;
-        }
-        r??;
-        Ok(())
-    }
-
-    pub async fn read_holding_registers(
-        &mut self,
-        addr: tokio_modbus::Address,
-        cnt: tokio_modbus::Quantity,
-    ) -> eyre::Result<Vec<u16>> {
-        let r = tokio::time::timeout(
-            MODBUS_TIMEOUT,
-            self.context.read_holding_registers(addr, cnt),
-        )
-        .await?;
-        if let Err(tokio_modbus::Error::Transport(_)) = &r {
-            self.reconnect_required = true;
-        }
-        Ok(r??)
-    }
-}
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct TristarSettings {
     network: Option<NetworkSettings>,
@@ -602,32 +555,14 @@ impl ChargeStateGauges {
     }
 }
 
-async fn connect_modbus(transport: &crate::config::Transport) -> eyre::Result<ModbusTimeout> {
-    let slave = tokio_modbus::Slave(DEVICE_ID);
-
-    let modbus = match transport {
-        crate::config::Transport::Serial { port, baud_rate } => {
-            let modbus_serial =
-                tokio_serial::SerialStream::open(&tokio_serial::new(port, *baud_rate))?;
-            tokio_modbus::client::rtu::attach_slave(modbus_serial, slave)
-        }
-        crate::config::Transport::Tcp { ip, port } => {
-            let modbus_tcp = tokio::net::TcpStream::connect((*ip, *port)).await?;
-            tokio_modbus::client::tcp::attach_slave(modbus_tcp, slave)
-        }
-    };
-
-    Ok(ModbusTimeout::new(modbus))
-}
-
 impl Tristar {
     pub async fn new(
         friendly_name: &str,
         transport: &crate::config::Transport,
     ) -> eyre::Result<Self> {
-        let mut modbus = connect_modbus(transport).await?;
+        let mut modbus = ModbusTimeout::new(transport.clone()).await?;
         let scaling = {
-            let data = modbus.read_holding_registers(0x0000, 4).await?;
+            let data = modbus.read_holding_registers(0x0000, 4).await??;
             Scaling::from(&data)
         };
 
@@ -640,14 +575,10 @@ impl Tristar {
             consecutive_errors: 0,
             scaling,
             settings_last_read: None,
-            transport_settings: transport.clone(),
         })
     }
 
     pub async fn refresh(&mut self) -> eyre::Result<TristarState> {
-        if self.modbus.reconnect_required {
-            self.modbus = connect_modbus(&self.transport_settings).await?;
-        }
         let new_state = self.get_data().await?;
 
         self.scaling = new_state.scaling;
@@ -704,7 +635,7 @@ impl Tristar {
         let network = if let Ok(network_data) = self
             .modbus
             .read_holding_registers(NETWORK_DATA_ADDR_START, NETWORK_DATA_LENGTH)
-            .await
+            .await?
         {
             Some(NetworkSettings::from_buf(&network_data)?)
         } else {
@@ -714,12 +645,12 @@ impl Tristar {
         let charge_data_1 = self
             .modbus
             .read_holding_registers(CHARGE_DATA_ADDR_START, 0x22)
-            .await?;
+            .await??;
 
         let charge_data_2 = self
             .modbus
             .read_holding_registers(CHARGE_DATA_ADDR_START + 0x80, 0x4e)
-            .await?;
+            .await??;
 
         let mut charge_data = vec![0; 0xCE];
         charge_data[..0x22].copy_from_slice(&charge_data_1);
@@ -742,7 +673,7 @@ impl Tristar {
         let scaled_voltage: u16 = self.scale_voltage(target_voltage);
         self.modbus
             .write_single_register(TristarRamAddress::VbRefSlave as u16, scaled_voltage)
-            .await?;
+            .await??;
 
         log::debug!(
             "tristar {} being set to voltage {target_voltage} (scaled: {scaled_voltage:#X?})",
@@ -764,7 +695,7 @@ impl Tristar {
         let data = self
             .modbus
             .read_holding_registers(0x0000, RAM_DATA_SIZE + 1)
-            .await?;
+            .await??;
         Ok(TristarState::from_ram(&data))
     }
 }
diff --git a/charge-controller-supervisor/src/controller/tristar/modbus_wrapper.rs b/charge-controller-supervisor/src/controller/tristar/modbus_wrapper.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..913f583
--- /dev/null
+++ b/charge-controller-supervisor/src/controller/tristar/modbus_wrapper.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,178 @@
+pub struct ModbusTimeout {
+    context: Option<tokio_modbus::client::Context>,
+    transport_settings: crate::config::Transport,
+    counters: Counters,
+}
+
+const MODBUS_TIMEOUT: std::time::Duration = std::time::Duration::from_secs(3);
+
+async fn connect(
+    transport_settings: &crate::config::Transport,
+) -> eyre::Result<tokio_modbus::client::Context> {
+    let slave = tokio_modbus::Slave(super::DEVICE_ID);
+
+    let modbus = match transport_settings {
+        crate::config::Transport::Serial { port, baud_rate } => {
+            let modbus_serial =
+                tokio_serial::SerialStream::open(&tokio_serial::new(port, *baud_rate))?;
+            tokio_modbus::client::rtu::attach_slave(modbus_serial, slave)
+        }
+        crate::config::Transport::Tcp { ip, port } => {
+            let modbus_tcp = tokio::net::TcpStream::connect((*ip, *port)).await?;
+            tokio_modbus::client::tcp::attach_slave(modbus_tcp, slave)
+        }
+    };
+
+    Ok(modbus)
+}
+
+type ModbusDeviceResult<T> = Result<T, tokio_modbus::ExceptionCode>;
+type ModbusResult<T> = Result<ModbusDeviceResult<T>, tokio_modbus::Error>;
+
+type ContextFuture<'a, R> = dyn std::future::Future<Output = ModbusResult<R>> + Send + 'a;
+type ContextFn<R, D> =
+    fn(&mut tokio_modbus::client::Context, D) -> std::pin::Pin<Box<ContextFuture<'_, R>>>;
+
+trait TryInsert {
+    type T;
+    async fn get_or_try_insert_with<F, R, Fut>(&mut self, f: F) -> Result<&mut Self::T, R>
+    where
+        Fut: std::future::Future<Output = Result<Self::T, R>>,
+        F: FnOnce() -> Fut;
+}
+
+impl<T> TryInsert for Option<T> {
+    type T = T;
+
+    async fn get_or_try_insert_with<F, R, Fut>(&mut self, f: F) -> Result<&mut Self::T, R>
+    where
+        Fut: std::future::Future<Output = Result<Self::T, R>>,
+        F: FnOnce() -> Fut,
+    {
+        if self.is_none() {
+            let got = f().await?;
+            *self = Some(got);
+        }
+
+        // a `None` variant for `self` would have been replaced by a `Some` variant
+        // in the code above, or the ? would have caused an early return
+        Ok(self.as_mut().unwrap())
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Default, Debug)]
+struct Counters {
+    timeout: usize,
+    protocol: usize,
+}
+
+const MAX_TIMEOUTS: usize = 3;
+
+const MAX_PROTOCOL_ERRORS: usize = 3;
+
+impl Counters {
+    fn reset(&mut self) {
+        *self = Self::default();
+    }
+
+    const fn any_above_max(&self) -> bool {
+        self.timeout > MAX_TIMEOUTS || self.protocol > MAX_PROTOCOL_ERRORS
+    }
+}
+
+impl ModbusTimeout {
+    pub async fn new(transport_settings: crate::config::Transport) -> eyre::Result<Self> {
+        let context = Some(connect(&transport_settings).await?);
+        Ok(Self {
+            context,
+            transport_settings,
+            counters: Counters::default(),
+        })
+    }
+
+    async fn with_context<R, D>(
+        &mut self,
+        f: ContextFn<R, D>,
+        data: D,
+    ) -> eyre::Result<Result<R, tokio_modbus::ExceptionCode>> {
+        if let Ok(context) = self
+            .context
+            .get_or_try_insert_with(async || connect(&self.transport_settings).await)
+            .await
+        {
+            let res = tokio::time::timeout(MODBUS_TIMEOUT, f(context, data)).await;
+            match res {
+                Ok(Ok(v)) => {
+                    self.counters.reset();
+                    return Ok(v);
+                }
+
+                Ok(Err(tokio_modbus::Error::Protocol(e))) => {
+                    // protocol error
+                    log::warn!("protocol error: {e:?}");
+                    self.counters.protocol += 1;
+                }
+                Ok(Err(tokio_modbus::Error::Transport(e))) => {
+                    // transport error
+                    log::warn!("reconnecting due to transport error: {e:?}");
+                    self.context = None;
+                }
+                Err(_) => {
+                    // timeout
+                    self.counters.timeout += 1;
+                }
+            }
+            if self.counters.any_above_max() {
+                self.context = None;
+                log::warn!(
+                    "reconnecting due to multiple errors without a successful operation: {:?}",
+                    self.counters
+                );
+                self.counters.reset();
+            }
+        } else {
+            // failed to reconnect
+            return Err(eyre::eyre!("failed to reconnect to controller"));
+        }
+
+        Err(eyre::eyre!(":("))
+    }
+
+    pub async fn write_single_register(
+        &mut self,
+        addr: tokio_modbus::Address,
+        word: u16,
+    ) -> eyre::Result<ModbusDeviceResult<()>> {
+        async fn write(
+            context: &mut tokio_modbus::client::Context,
+            addr: tokio_modbus::Address,
+            word: u16,
+        ) -> ModbusResult<()> {
+            use tokio_modbus::client::Writer;
+            context.write_single_register(addr, word).await
+        }
+
+        let fut: ContextFn<(), _> = |context, (addr, word)| Box::pin(write(context, addr, word));
+        let r = self.with_context(fut, (addr, word)).await?;
+        Ok(r)
+    }
+
+    pub async fn read_holding_registers(
+        &mut self,
+        addr: tokio_modbus::Address,
+        cnt: tokio_modbus::Quantity,
+    ) -> eyre::Result<ModbusDeviceResult<Vec<u16>>> {
+        async fn read(
+            context: &mut tokio_modbus::client::Context,
+            addr: tokio_modbus::Address,
+            cnt: tokio_modbus::Quantity,
+        ) -> ModbusResult<Vec<u16>> {
+            use tokio_modbus::client::Reader;
+            context.read_holding_registers(addr, cnt).await
+        }
+
+        let fut: ContextFn<_, _> = |context, (addr, cnt)| Box::pin(read(context, addr, cnt));
+        let res = self.with_context(fut, (addr, cnt)).await?;
+        Ok(res)
+    }
+}