Index: server/Slim/DataStores/DBI/DataModel.pm
===================================================================
--- server/Slim/DataStores/DBI/DataModel.pm	(revision 3108)
+++ server/Slim/DataStores/DBI/DataModel.pm	(working copy)
@@ -79,11 +79,9 @@
 	close $fh;
 }
 
-sub db_Main {
-	my $class  = shift;
-
-	return $dbh if defined $dbh;
-
+sub db_Connect {
+	my $class   = shift;
+	
 	my $dbname = Slim::Utils::OSDetect::OS() eq 'unix' ? '.slimserversql.db' : 'slimserversql.db';
 
 	$dbname = catdir(Slim::Utils::Prefs::get('cachedir'), $dbname);
@@ -119,7 +117,17 @@
 	}
 
 	$::d_info && Slim::Utils::Misc::msg("Connected to database $source\n");
+	return $dbh;
 
+}
+
+sub db_Main {
+	my $class  = shift;
+
+	return $dbh if defined $dbh;
+	
+	$dbh = $class->db_Connect();
+	
 	my $version;
 	my $nextversion;
 	do {
@@ -218,12 +226,20 @@
 
 sub getMetaInformation {
 	my $class = shift;
-
+	my $self  = shift;
+	
+	if(!$dbh->ping()){
+	    $dbh = $class->db_Connect();
+	}
 	$dbh->selectrow_array("SELECT track_count, total_time FROM metainformation");
 }
 
 sub setMetaInformation {
 	my ($class, $track_count, $total_time) = @_;
+	
+	if(!$dbh->ping()){
+	    $dbh = $class->db_Connect();
+	}
 
 	$dbh->do("UPDATE metainformation SET track_count = " . $track_count . ", total_time  = " . $total_time);
 }
@@ -626,8 +642,12 @@
 
 	# XXX - wrap in eval?
 	my $sth;
-
+	
 	eval {
+		if(!$dbh->ping()){
+		    $dbh = $class->db_Connect();
+		}
+	
 		$sth = $dbh->prepare_cached($sql);
 	   	$sth->execute(@bind);
 	};
@@ -780,6 +800,17 @@
 	}
 }
 
+#overload search() to check if the connection is still alive
+sub search {
+    my $self = shift;
+    
+    if(!$dbh->ping()){
+        $dbh = $self->db_Connect();
+    }
+    
+    $self->SUPER::search(@_);
+}
+
 1;
 
 __END__
Index: server/Slim/DataStores/DBI/DBIStore.pm
===================================================================
--- server/Slim/DataStores/DBI/DBIStore.pm	(revision 3108)
+++ server/Slim/DataStores/DBI/DBIStore.pm	(working copy)
@@ -338,7 +338,9 @@
 
 	$track->update();
 	$self->_updateTrackValidity($track);
-
+	if(!$self->{'dbh'}->ping()) {
+	    $self->{'dbh'} = Slim::DataStores::DBI::DataModel->db_Connect();
+	}
 	$self->{'dbh'}->commit() if $commit;
 }
 
@@ -422,6 +424,9 @@
 
 	$self->_updateTrackValidity($track);
 
+	if(!$self->{'dbh'}->ping()) {
+	    $self->{'dbh'} = Slim::DataStores::DBI::DataModel->db_Connect();
+	}
 	$self->{'dbh'}->commit() if $args->{'commit'};
 
 	return $track;
@@ -535,6 +540,10 @@
 		}
 
 		$track->delete();
+
+		if(!$self->{'dbh'}->ping()) {
+		    $self->{'dbh'} = Slim::DataStores::DBI::DataModel->db_Connect();
+		}
 		$self->{'dbh'}->commit() if $commit;
 
 		$::d_info && Slim::Utils::Misc::msg("cleared $url from database\n");
@@ -700,6 +709,9 @@
 	}
 
 	# We're done.
+	if(!$self->{'dbh'}->ping()) {
+	    $self->{'dbh'} = Slim::DataStores::DBI::DataModel->db_Connect();
+	}
 	$self->{'dbh'}->commit();
 
 	$::d_info && Slim::Utils::Misc::msg("Finished with cleanupStaleTableEntries()\n");
@@ -768,7 +780,10 @@
 	$self->{'lastTrack'} = {};
 
 	$::d_info && Slim::Utils::Misc::msg("forceCommit: syncing to the database.\n");
-
+	
+	if(!$self->{'dbh'}->ping()) {
+	    $self->{'dbh'} = Slim::DataStores::DBI::DataModel->db_Connect();
+	}
 	$self->{'dbh'}->commit();
 
 	$Slim::DataStores::DBI::DataModel::dirtyCount = 0;