diff --git a/libraries/app/api.cpp b/libraries/app/api.cpp
index 17846e3751..e096e51701 100644
--- a/libraries/app/api.cpp
+++ b/libraries/app/api.cpp
@@ -210,7 +210,13 @@ namespace steemit { namespace app {
 
        if( _app._read_only )
        {
-          FC_ASSERT( _app._remote_net_api, "Write node RPC not configured properly or non connected." );
+          // If we are not connected, attempt to connect once and then fail
+          if( !_app._remote_net_api )
+          {
+            _app.connect_to_write_node();
+            FC_ASSERT( _app._remote_net_api, "Write node RPC not configured properly or not currently connected." );
+          }
+
           (*_app._remote_net_api)->broadcast_transaction( trx );
        }
        else
@@ -225,7 +231,13 @@ namespace steemit { namespace app {
     {
        if( _app._read_only )
        {
-          FC_ASSERT( _app._remote_net_api, "Write node RPC not configured properly or non connected." );
+         // If we are not connected, attempt to connect once and then fail
+          if( !_app._remote_net_api )
+          {
+             _app.connect_to_write_node();
+             FC_ASSERT( _app._remote_net_api, "Write node RPC not configured properly or not currently connected." );
+          }
+
           return (*_app._remote_net_api)->broadcast_transaction_synchronous( trx );
        }
        else
@@ -242,7 +254,13 @@ namespace steemit { namespace app {
     {
        if( _app._read_only )
        {
-          FC_ASSERT( _app._remote_net_api, "Write node RPC not configured properly or non connected." );
+          // If we are not connected, attempt to connect once and then fail
+          if( !_app._remote_net_api )
+          {
+             _app.connect_to_write_node();
+             FC_ASSERT( _app._remote_net_api, "Write node RPC not configured properly or not currently connected." );
+          }
+
           (*_app._remote_net_api)->broadcast_block( b );
        }
        else
@@ -256,7 +274,13 @@ namespace steemit { namespace app {
     {
        if( _app._read_only )
        {
-          FC_ASSERT( _app._remote_net_api, "Write node RPC not configured properly or non connected." );
+          // If we are not connected, attempt to connect once and then fail
+          if( !_app._remote_net_api )
+          {
+             _app.connect_to_write_node();
+             FC_ASSERT( _app._remote_net_api, "Write node RPC not configured properly or not currently connected." );
+          }
+
           (*_app._remote_net_api)->broadcast_transaction_with_callback( cb, trx );
        }
        else
diff --git a/libraries/app/application.cpp b/libraries/app/application.cpp
index b6a8869454..ab6b2b4c10 100644
--- a/libraries/app/application.cpp
+++ b/libraries/app/application.cpp
@@ -336,11 +336,7 @@ namespace detail {
             {
                try
                {
-                  auto ws_ptr = _self->_client.connect( _options->at( "read-forward-rpc" ).as< string >() );
-                  auto apic = std::make_shared< fc::rpc::websocket_api_connection >( *ws_ptr );
-                  auto login = apic->get_remote_api< login_api >( 1 );
-                  FC_ASSERT( login->login( "", "" ) );
-                  _self->_remote_net_api = login->get_api_by_name( "network_broadcast_api" )->as< network_broadcast_api >();
+                  _self->_remote_endpoint = _options->at( "read-forward-rpc" ).as< string >();
                }
                catch( fc::exception& e )
                {
@@ -1036,6 +1032,19 @@ void application::get_max_block_age( int32_t& result )
    my->get_max_block_age( result );
 }
 
+void application::connect_to_write_node()
+{
+   if( _remote_endpoint )
+   {
+      _remote_net_api.reset();
+      auto ws_ptr = _client.connect( *_remote_endpoint );
+      auto apic = std::make_shared< fc::rpc::websocket_api_connection >( *ws_ptr );
+      auto login = apic->get_remote_api< login_api >( 1 );
+      FC_ASSERT( login->login( "", "" ) );
+      _remote_net_api = login->get_api_by_name( "network_broadcast_api" )->as< network_broadcast_api >();
+   }
+}
+
 void application::shutdown_plugins()
 {
    for( auto& entry : my->_plugins_enabled )
diff --git a/libraries/app/include/steemit/app/application.hpp b/libraries/app/include/steemit/app/application.hpp
index 2228fa6dd6..10c8b46084 100644
--- a/libraries/app/include/steemit/app/application.hpp
+++ b/libraries/app/include/steemit/app/application.hpp
@@ -121,7 +121,10 @@ namespace steemit { namespace app {
 
          void get_max_block_age( int32_t& result );
 
+         void connect_to_write_node();
+
          bool _read_only = true;
+         fc::optional< string > _remote_endpoint;
          fc::optional< fc::api< network_broadcast_api > > _remote_net_api;
          fc::optional< fc::api< login_api > > _remote_login;
          fc::http::websocket_connection_ptr _ws_ptr;