diff --git a/python/ovs/db/idl.py b/python/ovs/db/idl.py
index 64eb1a886..d5bd21535 100644
--- a/python/ovs/db/idl.py
+++ b/python/ovs/db/idl.py
@@ -101,6 +101,9 @@ class Idl(object):
         ovs.jsonrpc.session.open().  The connection will maintain an in-memory
         replica of the remote database.
 
+        'remote' can be comma separated multiple remotes and each remote
+        should be in a form acceptable to ovs.jsonrpc.session.open().
+
         'schema_helper' should be an instance of the SchemaHelper class which
         generates schema for the remote database. The caller may have cut it
         down by removing tables or columns that are not of interest.  The IDL
@@ -127,7 +130,8 @@ class Idl(object):
         self.tables = schema.tables
         self.readonly = schema.readonly
         self._db = schema
-        self._session = ovs.jsonrpc.Session.open(remote,
+        remotes = self._parse_remotes(remote)
+        self._session = ovs.jsonrpc.Session.open_multiple(remotes,
             probe_interval=probe_interval)
         self._monitor_request_id = None
         self._last_seqno = None
@@ -155,6 +159,20 @@ class Idl(object):
             table.condition = [True]
             table.cond_changed = False
 
+    def _parse_remotes(self, remote):
+        # If remote is -
+        # "tcp:10.0.0.1:6641,unix:/tmp/db.sock,t,s,tcp:10.0.0.2:6642"
+        # this function returns
+        # ["tcp:10.0.0.1:6641", "unix:/tmp/db.sock,t,s", tcp:10.0.0.2:6642"]
+        remotes = []
+        for r in remote.split(','):
+            r_length = len(remotes)
+            if r.find(":") == -1 and r_length:
+                remotes[r_length - 1] = remotes[r_length - 1] + "," + r
+            else:
+                remotes.append(r)
+        return remotes
+
     def index_create(self, table, name):
         """Create a named multi-column index on a table"""
         return self.tables[table].rows.index_create(name)
diff --git a/python/ovs/jsonrpc.py b/python/ovs/jsonrpc.py
index 7c24e574a..4873cff98 100644
--- a/python/ovs/jsonrpc.py
+++ b/python/ovs/jsonrpc.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 import codecs
 import errno
 import os
+import random
 import sys
 
 import ovs.json
@@ -368,12 +369,17 @@ class Connection(object):
 class Session(object):
     """A JSON-RPC session with reconnection."""
 
-    def __init__(self, reconnect, rpc):
+    def __init__(self, reconnect, rpc, remotes):
         self.reconnect = reconnect
         self.rpc = rpc
         self.stream = None
         self.pstream = None
         self.seqno = 0
+        if type(remotes) != list:
+            remotes = [remotes]
+        self.remotes = remotes
+        random.shuffle(self.remotes)
+        self.next_remote = 0
 
     @staticmethod
     def open(name, probe_interval=None):
@@ -393,28 +399,38 @@ class Session(object):
         feature. If non-zero the value will be forced to at least 1000
         milliseconds. If None it will just use the default value in OVS.
         """
+        return Session.open_multiple([name], probe_interval=probe_interval)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def open_multiple(remotes, probe_interval=None):
         reconnect = ovs.reconnect.Reconnect(ovs.timeval.msec())
-        reconnect.set_name(name)
+        session = Session(reconnect, None, remotes)
+        session.pick_remote()
         reconnect.enable(ovs.timeval.msec())
-
-        if ovs.stream.PassiveStream.is_valid_name(name):
+        reconnect.set_backoff_free_tries(len(remotes))
+        if ovs.stream.PassiveStream.is_valid_name(reconnect.get_name()):
             reconnect.set_passive(True, ovs.timeval.msec())
 
-        if not ovs.stream.stream_or_pstream_needs_probes(name):
+        if not ovs.stream.stream_or_pstream_needs_probes(reconnect.get_name()):
             reconnect.set_probe_interval(0)
         elif probe_interval is not None:
             reconnect.set_probe_interval(probe_interval)
 
-        return Session(reconnect, None)
+        return session
 
     @staticmethod
     def open_unreliably(jsonrpc):
         reconnect = ovs.reconnect.Reconnect(ovs.timeval.msec())
+        session = Session(reconnect, None, [jsonrpc.name])
         reconnect.set_quiet(True)
-        reconnect.set_name(jsonrpc.name)
+        session.pick_remote()
         reconnect.set_max_tries(0)
         reconnect.connected(ovs.timeval.msec())
-        return Session(reconnect, jsonrpc)
+        return session
+
+    def pick_remote(self):
+        self.reconnect.set_name(self.remotes[self.next_remote])
+        self.next_remote = (self.next_remote + 1) % len(self.remotes)
 
     def close(self):
         if self.rpc is not None:
@@ -448,6 +464,8 @@ class Session(object):
                 self.reconnect.connecting(ovs.timeval.msec())
             else:
                 self.reconnect.connect_failed(ovs.timeval.msec(), error)
+                self.stream = None
+                self.pick_remote()
         elif self.pstream is None:
             error, self.pstream = ovs.stream.PassiveStream.open(name)
             if not error:
@@ -490,6 +508,7 @@ class Session(object):
             if error != 0:
                 self.reconnect.disconnected(ovs.timeval.msec(), error)
                 self.__disconnect()
+                self.pick_remote()
         elif self.stream is not None:
             self.stream.run()
             error = self.stream.connect()
@@ -499,6 +518,7 @@ class Session(object):
                 self.stream = None
             elif error != errno.EAGAIN:
                 self.reconnect.connect_failed(ovs.timeval.msec(), error)
+                self.pick_remote()
                 self.stream.close()
                 self.stream = None
 
@@ -583,3 +603,6 @@ class Session(object):
 
     def force_reconnect(self):
         self.reconnect.force_reconnect(ovs.timeval.msec())
+
+    def get_num_of_remotes(self):
+        return len(self.remotes)
diff --git a/tests/ovsdb-idl.at b/tests/ovsdb-idl.at
index d4d283db4..d5787c5d2 100644
--- a/tests/ovsdb-idl.at
+++ b/tests/ovsdb-idl.at
@@ -106,6 +106,32 @@ m4_define([OVSDB_CHECK_IDL_TCP_PY],
     OVSDB_CHECK_IDL_TCP_PYN([$1 - Python3], [$2], [$3], [$4], [$5], [$6],
                         [$HAVE_PYTHON3], [$PYTHON3])])
 
+# same as OVSDB_CHECK_IDL but uses the Python IDL implementation with tcp
+# with multiple remotes with only one remote reachable
+m4_define([OVSDB_CHECK_IDL_TCP_MULTIPLE_REMOTES_PYN],
+  [AT_SETUP([$1 - tcp])
+   AT_SKIP_IF([test $7 = no])
+   AT_KEYWORDS([ovsdb server idl positive Python with tcp socket $5])
+   AT_CHECK([ovsdb_start_idltest "ptcp:0:127.0.0.1"])
+   PARSE_LISTENING_PORT([ovsdb-server.log], [TCP_PORT])
+   WRONG_PORT_1=$((TCP_PORT + 1))
+   WRONG_PORT_2=$((TCP_PORT + 2))
+   remote=tcp:127.0.0.1:$WRONG_PORT_1,tcp:127.0.0.1:$TCP_PORT,tcp:127.0.0.1:$WRONG_PORT_2
+   m4_if([$2], [], [],
+     [AT_CHECK([ovsdb-client transact tcp:127.0.0.1:$TCP_PORT $2], [0], [ignore], [ignore])])
+   AT_CHECK([$8 $srcdir/test-ovsdb.py  -t10 idl $srcdir/idltest.ovsschema $remote $3],
+            [0], [stdout], [ignore])
+   AT_CHECK([sort stdout | uuidfilt]m4_if([$6],,, [[| $6]]),
+            [0], [$4])
+   OVSDB_SERVER_SHUTDOWN
+   AT_CLEANUP])
+
+m4_define([OVSDB_CHECK_IDL_TCP_MULTIPLE_REMOTES_PY],
+   [OVSDB_CHECK_IDL_TCP_MULTIPLE_REMOTES_PYN([$1 - Python2 (multiple remotes)], [$2], [$3], [$4], [$5], [$6],
+                        [$HAVE_PYTHON], [$PYTHON])
+    OVSDB_CHECK_IDL_TCP_MULTIPLE_REMOTES_PYN([$1 - Python3 (multiple remotes)], [$2], [$3], [$4], [$5], [$6],
+                        [$HAVE_PYTHON3], [$PYTHON3])])
+
 # same as OVSDB_CHECK_IDL but uses the Python IDL implementation with tcp6
 m4_define([OVSDB_CHECK_IDL_TCP6_PYN],
   [AT_SETUP([$1 - tcp6])
@@ -132,6 +158,32 @@ m4_define([OVSDB_CHECK_IDL_TCP6_PY],
     OVSDB_CHECK_IDL_TCP6_PYN([$1 - Python3], [$2], [$3], [$4], [$5], [$6],
                         [$HAVE_PYTHON3], [$PYTHON3])])
 
+m4_define([OVSDB_CHECK_IDL_TCP6_MULTIPLE_REMOTES_PYN],
+  [AT_SETUP([$1 - tcp6])
+   AT_SKIP_IF([test $7 = no])
+   AT_SKIP_IF([test "$IS_WIN32" = "yes"])
+   AT_SKIP_IF([test $HAVE_IPV6 = no])
+   AT_KEYWORDS([ovsdb server idl positive Python with tcp6 socket $5])
+   AT_CHECK([ovsdb_start_idltest "ptcp:0:[[::1]]"])
+   PARSE_LISTENING_PORT([ovsdb-server.log], [TCP_PORT])
+   WRONG_PORT_1=$((TCP_PORT + 1))
+   WRONG_PORT_2=$((TCP_PORT + 2))
+   remote="tcp:[[::1]]:$WRONG_PORT_1,tcp:[[::1]]:$TCP_PORT,tcp:[[::1]]:$WRONG_PORT_2"
+   m4_if([$2], [], [],
+     [AT_CHECK([ovsdb-client transact "tcp:[[::1]]:$TCP_PORT" $2], [0], [ignore], [ignore])])
+   AT_CHECK([$8 $srcdir/test-ovsdb.py  -t10 idl $srcdir/idltest.ovsschema $remote $3],
+            [0], [stdout], [ignore])
+   AT_CHECK([sort stdout | uuidfilt]m4_if([$6],,, [[| $6]]),
+            [0], [$4])
+   OVSDB_SERVER_SHUTDOWN
+   AT_CLEANUP])
+
+m4_define([OVSDB_CHECK_IDL_TCP6_MULTIPLE_REMOTES_PY],
+   [OVSDB_CHECK_IDL_TCP6_MULTIPLE_REMOTES_PYN([$1 - Python2 (multiple remotes)], [$2], [$3], [$4], [$5], [$6],
+                        [$HAVE_PYTHON], [$PYTHON])
+    OVSDB_CHECK_IDL_TCP6_MULTIPLE_REMOTES_PYN([$1 - Python3 (multiple remotes)], [$2], [$3], [$4], [$5], [$6],
+                        [$HAVE_PYTHON3], [$PYTHON3])])
+
 # same as OVSDB_CHECK_IDL but uses the Python IDL implementation with SSL
 m4_define([OVSDB_CHECK_IDL_SSL_PYN],
   [AT_SETUP([$1 - SSL])
@@ -178,7 +230,9 @@ m4_define([OVSDB_CHECK_IDL],
    OVSDB_CHECK_IDL_PY($@)
    OVSDB_CHECK_IDL_REGISTER_COLUMNS_PY($@)
    OVSDB_CHECK_IDL_TCP_PY($@)
+   OVSDB_CHECK_IDL_TCP_MULTIPLE_REMOTES_PY($@)
    OVSDB_CHECK_IDL_TCP6_PY($@)
+   OVSDB_CHECK_IDL_TCP6_MULTIPLE_REMOTES_PY($@)
    OVSDB_CHECK_IDL_SSL_PY($@)])
 
 # This test uses the Python IDL implementation with passive tcp
diff --git a/tests/test-ovsdb.py b/tests/test-ovsdb.py
index ec6035447..ed5d21b0c 100644
--- a/tests/test-ovsdb.py
+++ b/tests/test-ovsdb.py
@@ -595,9 +595,16 @@ def do_idl(schema_file, remote, *commands):
         idl.index_create("simple3", "simple3_by_name")
 
     if commands:
-        error, stream = ovs.stream.Stream.open_block(
-            ovs.stream.Stream.open(remote))
-        if error:
+        remotes = remote.split(',')
+        stream = None
+        for r in remotes:
+            error, stream = ovs.stream.Stream.open_block(
+                ovs.stream.Stream.open(r))
+            if not error and stream:
+                break
+            stream = None
+
+        if not stream:
             sys.stderr.write("failed to connect to \"%s\"" % remote)
             sys.exit(1)
         rpc = ovs.jsonrpc.Connection(stream)
