diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/cassandra/support/CassandraExceptionTranslator.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/cassandra/support/CassandraExceptionTranslator.java
index 1733e2b76..b2fe93910 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/cassandra/support/CassandraExceptionTranslator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/cassandra/support/CassandraExceptionTranslator.java
@@ -70,14 +70,14 @@ public class CassandraExceptionTranslator implements PersistenceExceptionTransla
 	 */
 	public DataAccessException translateExceptionIfPossible(RuntimeException x) {
 
-		if (!(x instanceof DriverException)) {
-			return null;
-		}
-
 		if (x instanceof DataAccessException) {
 			return (DataAccessException) x;
 		}
 
+		if (!(x instanceof DriverException)) {
+			return null;
+		}
+
 		// Remember: subclasses must come before superclasses, otherwise the
 		// superclass would match before the subclass!