diff --git a/homeassistant/components/graphite.py b/homeassistant/components/graphite.py
index a84d4bf8847..662e3872eee 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/graphite.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/graphite.py
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ class GraphiteFeeder(threading.Thread):
         _LOGGER.debug('Sending to graphite: %s', lines)
         try:
             self._send_to_graphite('\n'.join(lines))
+        except socket.gaierror:
+            _LOGGER.error('Unable to connect to host %s', self._host)
         except socket.error:
             _LOGGER.exception('Failed to send data to graphite')
 
@@ -108,7 +110,7 @@ class GraphiteFeeder(threading.Thread):
                 self._queue.task_done()
                 return
             elif (event.event_type == EVENT_STATE_CHANGED and
-                  'new_state' in event.data):
+                  event.data.get('new_state')):
                 self._report_attributes(event.data['entity_id'],
                                         event.data['new_state'])
             self._queue.task_done()
diff --git a/tests/components/test_graphite.py b/tests/components/test_graphite.py
index bdcda193863..3faaa4c1659 100644
--- a/tests/components/test_graphite.py
+++ b/tests/components/test_graphite.py
@@ -134,6 +134,16 @@ class TestGraphite(unittest.TestCase):
             actual = mock_send.call_args_list[0][0][0].split('\n')
             self.assertEqual(sorted(expected), sorted(actual))
 
+    @mock.patch('time.time')
+    def test_send_to_graphite_errors(self, mock_time):
+        mock_time.return_value = 12345
+        state = ha.State('domain.entity', STATE_ON, {'foo': 1.0})
+        with mock.patch.object(self.gf, '_send_to_graphite') as mock_send:
+            mock_send.side_effect = socket.error
+            self.gf._report_attributes('entity', state)
+            mock_send.side_effect = socket.gaierror
+            self.gf._report_attributes('entity', state)
+
     @mock.patch('socket.socket')
     def test_send_to_graphite(self, mock_socket):
         self.gf._send_to_graphite('foo')
@@ -163,7 +173,8 @@ class TestGraphite(unittest.TestCase):
                 return self.gf._quit_object
             elif runs:
                 runs.append(1)
-                return mock.MagicMock(event_type='somethingelse')
+                return mock.MagicMock(event_type='somethingelse',
+                                      data={'new_event': None})
             else:
                 runs.append(1)
                 return event